Colonel's Retreat

Fed like family in Defence Colony

Colonel's Retreat opened in 2008, started by owners who travel constantly themselves, and it shows in the priorities: a quiet white house at D-418 Defence Colony, one straightforward class of room, and a kitchen that gets most of the attention. The neighbourhood is the tree-lined, residents-only sort, with Defence Colony Market's restaurants and cafés a five-minute walk away and Lajpat Nagar metro about 500 metres off.

Rooms are kept simple — double or twin, with air purifiers in every one, fridge, tea and coffee, a safe and round-the-clock hot water. The shared lounge hangs original art, much of it Rajasthani, and the rooftop terrace does duty as the dining room whenever the weather allows.

The rooms are the excuse; breakfast is the argument.

Everything is cooked fresh and to order: multigrain and banana bread baked in the house, jams and marmalade made there too, akuri, stuffed parathas and proper masala chai. Breakfast and afternoon tea come with the room; dinner can be added. Humayun's Tomb and Lodhi Gardens are close, and the house's press cuttings — The Telegraph and The Guardian among them, by its own account — suggest word got out some time ago.