We've just returned from Delhi and what should have been a cumbersome administrative chore, took a rather pleasant turn! As ever, we're always on the lookout for different places to stay in Delhi, so each time we stop of in the nation's capital, we endeavour to try something new (staving off the urge to return to old favourites) and expand our horizons. And so we checked in to The Manor, in the ever-so-slightly swanky Friends Colony. I'm not sure quite what we were expecting, especially after a six-hour drive from Jaipur... but as we drove in to the courtyard, we were in fact entering a whole other dimension. I'm still reeling. The exquisiteness of it all is almost too good to be true.

The low-rise 50s building conjures up a scene that is somewhere between an Agatha Christie novel and the type of colonial gentlemens' club that is so politically incorrect these days. Cherry wood panelling, backlit smoky onyx, there's more than a hint of art deco in the interior and yet the decor never reaches over-the-top proportions. It's yesteryear but not stuffy or outdated, immediately homely. Corridors echo the elegance of the golden age of cruise ships, the Titanic, the Queen Mary. The general atmosphere evokes thoughts of the heyday of... well anything that might come to mind. We stayed in a junior suite, which wasn't lavish by any means and more geared towards practical rather than ostentation, but that was consumed by the overall greatness of the concept. The verandah seating area looking out over the manicured lawn lacked only one thing... people playing croquet.

The staff at The Manor excel in delivering a level of service and professionalism that might seem a little outmoded, but is the actually very pinnacle of hospitality. There's no room for the contrived or subservient - the team is delightfully engaging and not on the basis of a script they have been given. It's so rare to see people being allowed to take real initiative, to go off on a tangent of their own and still succeed in impressing the client. Suave is definitely the most appropriate adjective. And there's a real contrast for you. We might have expected clockwork, military precision, but instead what we got was what so many trendy boutique properties aim for and fail dismally in achieving. Someone obviously decided that it was time to put personality in to personal service and whoever masterminded this deserves a medal.

Coming back to the cruise ship theme, The Manor seems to attract exactly the right kind of clientele. It's definitely not a playground for the uber-rich and those looking to splash the cash on excessive levels of excess. You meet the kind of people who you wouldn't mind being trapped on a ship with for two weeks - people who engage in conversation, even if it's just smalltalk, still it's pleasant and polite and makes for a thoroughly enjoyable stay where you don't just feel like you're passing through.

The jewel in the crown is most definitely the in-house restaurant, Indian Accents, presided over by award-winning executive chef Manish Mehrotra. Whilst managing his other interests, most notably in London, he is very much in residence at The Manor and at ease as he does the rounds, or personally introduces his delectable creations at your table. After a lifetime spent savouring Indian food, it's not without hesitation that I proclaim his up-to-date and eclectic fare as some of the best I have ever ordered. It's the subtleties that really stand out - a mutton curry hailed as a traditional dish was anything but. The acutely balanced flavours did pay diffidence to an age-old recipe, but veered towards the gourmet palate, ensuring that every mouthful was heavenly. The degustation menu, five courses, paired with exactly the right wines, was nothing less than studied perfection, as the complexities of foie gras and Scottish salmon, were artfully combined with Indian spices to a quite magical effect. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is fine dining in Delhi and Indian Accents stakes out the culinary high-ground when it comes to modern-Indian and fusion offerings. Even a light snack, a seemingly casual chicken tikka pizza with a kulcha base was an experience in its own right. Again, the finishing touch is the lack of pretentiousness or grandeur.

The company behind The Manor is aptly named - Old World Hospitality Pvt Ltd, which gives some insight in to the thinking behind this hotel. It's all the best bits of the Old World, but with up-to-date ideals and a freedom of expression that should appeal to anyone who ventures forth claiming to be a seasoned traveller. Stay at The Manor and you'll experience an incomprehensible nostalgia for things you missed out on first time round, without any of the guilt.

The only fault that I can find with The Manor is simply that I might just have dreamt the entire experience. I shall pinch myself and then get on with making our next reservation.

Find out more about The Manor through their website - and of course, we'd be delighted to add this in to your Wire itinerary through North India!