Owners say 'its a dream' as they open restaurant on Albert Dock

The owners behind the Royal Albert Dock’s latest addition have revealed why they knew Liverpool was next on their list. The family-run restaurant Delhi House Cafe is renowned in Manchester for delivering a true taste of modern Indian dining with authentic flavour.

Dad Varendra Lamba and his wife Rajinder, along with son Sherry and daughter-in-law Preen, relocated from Delhi to the northwest in 2020. That same year, the family banded together and launched the restaurant in the Corn Exchange.

Fast forward to now and the family are hoping to win over the hearts of those who are lucky enough to call Merseyside home. Sherry told the ECHO: “There’s such a huge potential here in Liverpool. It’s a great city, I’ve been coming here for a while from Manchester and it just continues to grow.

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“We felt like there was a gap in the market for what we do and we didn’t want the people of Liverpool missing out. It was the right opportunity at the right time. The people here are great. I love being up north. London is far too crowded and I much prefer the hospitality. All the people here have families and that is what I love. It’s a dream to open a restaurant in the city, especially on the beautiful Albert Dock.”

The company is a full-family effort with Preen, 29, handling all aspects of Delhi House as the manager and head of marketing, while grandad-of-two Varendra is head of expansion, interiors and development. Rajinder, who creates all of the venue's recipes, is head of the kitchen and Sherry, 30, is the chef patron and head of operations.

Sherry, a dad-of-one, said: “I was born and raised in Delhi and a lot of UK Indian restaurants have adapted and changed the concept. I have experience from growing up back home and there, I have never heard of such a thing as Jalfrezi in India.

“You wouldn’t normally go out and order that in Delhi, it is only here you do that. It’s not an authentic dish because it's so modified and customised. So our restaurant is food that the people of Delhi are eating right now.”

The restaurant’s menu focuses on Indian delicacies - from chaat and poori to Bhel puri - with the venue seating 120 guests, having previously been occupied by Lerpwl before it shut in 2023.

Sherry added: “Working with my family is so helpful. Although we live in Manchester at least one of us will travel every day and be at the front stand at the door of the restaurant in Liverpool. It’s a family-owned business but the staff have also become family. It’s been the same workers with us since we opened.”