Restaurant India News: L’Opéra and DDA Unveil Café du Jardin at Asita Park, Delhi’s New Riverside Outdoor Café Experience

L’Opéra, Delhi’s premier French pâtisserie and salon de thé, in collaboration with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), inaugurated Café du Jardin at Asita Park in New Delhi introducing a new nature-immersed outdoor dining experience along the restored Yamuna floodplain. 

Set across 197 hectares of restored green landscapes, wetlands, riverine grasslands and thriving bird habitats, Café du Jardin has opened as a premium open-air café designed to reconnect people with nature. The space blends community, culture, and slow outdoor living, offering a calm, scenic pause within the expansive Asita Park.

The café serves a carefully curated menu of freshly prepared light meals, artisanal French bakery and patisserie, refreshing beverages, and picnic-friendly options for walkers, cyclists, families, and visitors exploring the park. Its panoramic views of the rejuvenated riverfront are supported by eco-sensitive infrastructure, including golf-cart access and pathways designed to blend seamlessly into the natural environment. As an added incentive, the Rs 50 park entry ticket can be redeemed at the café, encouraging guests to make the most of their riverside visit.

Asita Park itself has undergone a remarkable transformation from a once-neglected stretch that contributed heavily to river pollution to a vibrant green public space now home to millions of grasses and trees and nearly 200 species of migratory birds. Its revival is the result of extensive ecological restoration and long-term sustainable planning. The coming months will see Asita introduce Delhi’s first hot-air balloon experience, offering a unique aerial view of the restored riverfront and surrounding habitats, further enhancing its recreational appeal.

Speaking at the inauguration, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, stated, “This café is another step forward in bringing people closer to their river. Made of fully biodegradable structures, it provides Delhi with an accessible, modern riverfront it has long been deprived of.”

Dr. Kazem Samandari, Executive Chairman of L’Opéra, shared, “For more than a decade, L’Opéra has curated experiences rooted in elegance and authenticity. With Café du Jardin at Asita, we have created a unique outdoor concept that blends French culinary heritage with Delhi’s reawakening natural corridors. It is a place for calm, community, and meaningful connection with nature.”

“Café du Jardin is an invitation to pause to enjoy food, nature, and each other. Asita Park has revived a serenity that Delhi has missed, and we are honoured to contribute to a space that brings joy, reflection, and community together beside the Yamuna,” added Dr. Christine Samandari, Co-Founder of  L’Opéra.