The Hudson Cafe - Striking an Emotional Chord with the Campus Crowd

If you're looking for a truly world-class fine-dining experience around the Delhi University area, head straight to The Hudson Cafe without thinking twice.

Opened in May 2015, The Hudson Cafe serves authentic Continental/Chinese food at a very reasonable price. Brainchild of Dev Pankaj Dhingra who is barely 22 years of age, The Hudson Cafe has its heart in the right place.

Dev graduated from the College of Vocational Studies Delhi and founded Dev Dhingra Hospitality soon after - his foray into the F&B business as a sole proprietor. He always saw himself becoming an entrepreneur someday.

[FYI, Dev hasn't taken a single off in the past nine months of his entrepreneurial journey, which is quite commendable to say the least.]

Dev, Tushar, Saloni, Toshi, Adnan, and Rahul (Yours Truly)

Here are my top 10 reasons for recommending The Hudson Cafe:

# 1. Outstanding service

I truly believe that if you want to be in the F&B business, you have to be on your toes. From the time you enter this cafe, you'll find a very attentive staff to assist you - be it the restaurant manager or the operations manager, each staff personnel will be a pleasure to interact with. For the entire duration of my stay there, I didn't feel the need to call for a waiter. The service was impeccable.

Moi at The Hudson Cafe

# 2. Authentic Continental/Chinese cuisine served at a convenient price point

The restaurant's primary audience is college students aged between 18 to 21 years. Since the cafe is open seven days a week from 11 am to 11 pm, it is easy for students to frequent the cafe in between or after classes. The special menu is carefully designed by a team of experts to cater to this audience.

# 3. Classic Menu 

At this point in time, the restaurant isn't trying to be overly ambitious with their menu. By focusing on getting the Continental/Chinese cuisine right first, The Hudson Cafe is well on its way to becoming a specialty restaurant.

# 4. Ideal place for eating out

Even though the seating is a bit cramped, the restaurant cum cafe can easily accommodate up to 44 people at any given time. Quite a hit with the campus crowd during the afternoons, The Hudson Cafe is also a favorite haunt for families during the evenings.

[In addition to being a great place to hang out, you'll be happy to know that no service charge is being levied on your bill. Freaking exciting to say the least!]

# 5. Zero tolerance for smokers/drinkers

The Hudson Cafe does not allow smoking or drinking within their premises. In fact, they didn't even apply for a liquor license given the type of audience visiting the cafe on a regular basis.

# 6. Well-lit interiors

Unlike other restaurants in the vicinity, The Hudson Cafe has well-lit interiors that keeps you wanting to come back again and again. Each wall inside the cafe is painted with a specific theme in mind, for instance, the busy streets of London which I felt was artistically done. Since 60 percent of their clientele is represented by single Indian women studying to become independent, a mural on women empowerment made perfect sense. Also, the wooden furniture beautifully compliments the decor of the cafe.

A Wall Painting at The Hudson Cafe

  

# 7. Capable of disrupting the big, established players

I think only The Hudson Cafe is truly capable of giving The Big Chill Cafe, Ricos, or Big Yellow Door (BYD) a run for their money this year. What you get at this property is superior quality food with low pricing, plus an experience like no other.

Some of my favorites include:

• Starters: Cheese Cigar, Chicken Lollipops, Lemon Chicken, Loaded Nachos

Lemon Chicken

Chicken Lollipops

Loaded Nachos

• Pizza: Peri Peri Veggie Veggie, Peri Peri Chicken Pizza

Peri Peri Pizza

• Mains: Peri Peri Chicken Breast with Cajun Rice, Hudson Medley

Peri Peri Chicken Breast with Cajun Rice

Hudson Medley

• Desserts: Nutella with White Chocolate, Belgium Waffle and Brownie Sunday

Caramel with Banana Waffle

Nutella with White Chocolate Waffle

# 8. Best beverages and shakes

The cafe truly distinguishes itself from other players when it comes to in-house beverages and shakes. You'll instantly fall in love with the freshly brewed iced teas. 

Kiwi Cooler

Also, don't leave the premises without savoring the Brownie Cookie Shake (bestseller), Hudson Malted Shake, Peach Mocitini, and Kiwi Cooler. If you're in the mood of something hot, try ordering the Manchow or Minestrone soup. Absolute bliss!

Brownie Cookie Shake (Bestseller)

# 9. Newly introduced wheat dim sums

So what if these dim sums were introduced day before yesterday only; they taste equally good compared to the ones you get in Yauatcha, a Michelin-starred contemporary dim sum teahouse. The vegetable and chicken dim sums are priced at INR 130 and INR 150, respectively.

Chicken Dim Sums

Vegetable Dim Sums

# 10. Strategic location

For a restaurant to succeed in today's time, three components must continue to work hand in hand - great food, location, and service. The Hudson Cafe is strategically located near the North Campus in Delhi to cater to the ever-changing 'dining out' needs of the campus crowd.