The Verdict
OKO occupies an award-winning position at the Leela Palace — Delhi's most palatial five-star hotel in the Diplomatic Enclave — with views across the city's tree canopy and governmental buildings that constitute one of the most singular dining prospects in India. The cuisine is Pan-Asian in the best sense of that often-misused term: not a medley of Asian cooking styles but a considered menu that moves between Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and South Asian preparations with the seriousness and sourcing that each demands.
The Japanese section of the OKO menu is the kitchen's most technically accomplished: sushi and sashimi sourced from Tokyo's Tsukiji market via air freight, a sushi bar counter where the chef works with the same precision that the ingredients demand. The Chinese preparations — specifically the wok work and the Cantonese roasted items — are handled by specialists in those techniques. The Thai section, built around authentic spice pastes and fresh herb preparations, provides the aromatic contrast that the menu's structure requires.
The cocktail programme at OKO is among the most sophisticated in Delhi's hotel scene: a bartender team that builds drinks around Asian ingredients — yuzu, Sichuan pepper, matcha, shiso — with technique drawn from contemporary Japanese bartending culture. The sake and Japanese whisky selection is exceptional by any measure and the most serious in the city.
Why It Works for Impressing Clients
OKO is the correct choice for international clients whose palate extends beyond Indian cuisine — the Pan-Asian format at the Leela provides the immediate credibility of a luxury hotel setting with a menu scope that accommodates diverse preferences. The rooftop terrace, with its views of the Diplomatic Enclave's tree canopy and the governmental buildings of Lutyens' Delhi, provides a sense of place and occasion that no closed dining room can match. The Japanese element — specifically the quality of the sushi and sashimi — is a benchmark statement in a market where that quality is rare.
Related Dining in New Delhi
For further exceptional dining in New Delhi, explore our full guide: All New Delhi Restaurants. For occasion-specific recommendations across Asia, see our Impress Clients and Proposal guides.