If you are someone who is looking to spend some quality time with yourself in the city of Nawabs and Kebabs, aka Lucknow, then the one place I would love to recommend is the Hilton Garden Inn without a second thought. Situated in Gomti Nagar, the Hilton Garden Inn though is amidst quite a populous area, it still feels like you have set foot in the most serene of places the moment you enter the premises.  

This was my very first visit to the brilliant city of Nawabs and Kebabs, and I am so glad that I got to experience this city with none other than Hilton itself. Apart from the obvious charm that this beautiful city holds, the main aim that drove me to visit the wonderful town was because I was extremely keen on trying out Awadhi Cuisine, that is native to Lucknow!

The welcome that I received at Hilton was truly something that I would remember by all through without a doubt. The amazing Awadhi culture just shone through the whole aura of the hotel as soon as I entered the hotel, and that was one of the many things that stood out to me when I was here.

The hotel itself boasts of a 24-hour business centre, a fitness centre and a full-service restaurant whose food is absolutely to die for. Apart from this, it also has a 24-hour pantry market in case you forget to pack your toothbrush or the likes, an on-site convenience store, and of course the amazing quintessential pool! Now who would not want to keep coming back here again and again?

The best part about this visit, however, was not the fact that I was finally able to visit a city that I had always dreamt of visiting for a long time, but it was also the fact that the time Hilton actually chose to invite me to this brilliant city was during the Ramzan celebrations, and that only made my food experience that much special and truly authentic!

There is obviously no match, whatsoever of authentic Awadhi cuisine when we start talking about the city of Lucknow, but trust me when I tell you this; the celebrations of Ramzan or Ramadan pretty much added a massive feather to the already full cap of delicious food that is synonymous with this city.

So, what could really keep me from trying the amazing variety they had on offer here? Nothing really! And so, I was lucky enough to be able to taste all that was on offer for me during this brilliant festival.

The First taste I had of genuine Awadhi cuisine was during the Awadhi Dinner course that Hilton offered me.

From starters like fresh Mahi Fish Tikka and Mewa and Makhane ka Tikka (made out of hung curd), we proceeded to the mains which consisted of smoked Murg Ghee Dhungkar, the authentic Lucknawi Kofta and a brilliant Awadhi Pulao with a side of its quintessential raita. To enjoy the mains, I was also served the traditional Khamiri roti, which used to traditionally be a fermented bread that Mughals used to enjoy. The Warqi paratha was another such traditional bread which was served with the mains. To finish off, I was served a vanilla phirni panna cotta.

If this wasn’t enough, all through my stay here at Hilton I ended up stuffing my face with different kinds of kebabs and tikkas that I literally have not tasted anywhere else. From the Garden Grille & Bar, which opens in the wee hours of 7 am and stays open till 11 pm at Hilton Garden Inn, I got to taste amazing dishes like the Kakori Kebab, Lal Mirch Paneer Tikka, Dahi ke Kebab and the Murg malai tikka to name just a few!

A huge shout out needs to go to Chef Nalini Gaur along with Chef Ravikant and the amazing Andrew who made this experience so worthwhile and utterly mouthwatering for me! This experience would not have been the same without her expertise and skill! Would definitely not mind going back to this wonderful paradise for seconds of the brilliant experience I had here!