under the mango tree - jehan numa palace

what purpose does food serve? why do we endeavour the perfect recipe? is happiness a state of the mind or the belly? welcome to one of my favourite joints, "under the mango tree @ jehannumapalace, bhopal". food = unsurmountable happiness (with a capital h), is what dada (me) says! and i kid you not, food is the best panacea for aching hearts and wavering thoughts. it settles your mind, kindles the prowess of appreciation in you, by triggering your olfactory senses and taste buds. 
to experience the above, come here and surrender, to this magical place. order yourself your favourite spirit, and enjoy an evening of superb food. 
here's my recommendation:
2 double (or large) drinks of your favourite happiness (leave the choice to you)
starters: rajma galouti kebab, kacche keeme ki tikki, sarson mahi tikka, reshmi murgh tikka
main course: "bhopali pasande" (this is a succulent marvel - a must have), mutton rogan josh (avoid if you're averse to oil/ghee), murgh bhopali rizala, hyderabadi gosht biryani.
veg, i always defer to my better half....i am am shortsighted - my sight fixates and dies on meat :)
but why put a ceiling to your imagination, the ideal chef should be able to relate to your mood with ingredients available to create magic. as long as there is no change of staff, this holds true here.
don't believe me......check it out!

late post alert!

located within one of the most prominent hotels jehannumapalace, the restaurant was on our bucket list.

the ambience was chic and a very friendly staff. however, the food felt short of our expectations and we feel the food could have been slightly better and tasteful.

a fine example of luxury and fine dining is under the mango tree. placed in the nook of jehannumapalace, under the mango tree catches your eye with its cozy, open ambience and warm lighting.
menu is quite exclusive and if you feel cautious by fancy names, don't be. cause chances are it'll be tasty at least.
a bit downside i felt was the quantity of order.
otherwise, under the mango tree is an experience.

personal recommendation: zafarni phirni

jehannumapalace is a house full of deliciousness. i’ve been here many times and each time i have noticeably missed clicking food images (face-palm!) the food served here is so tempting that all you want to do is splurge your fingers into the the aromatic royal gravies with breads and give purpose to life (wink!)
must try items from the menu here should be - dhuangar ghosht and chapli kebab. bhopali kormas are rich treat to your palate, one could pick any meat (chicken, mutton, fish) with korma gravy, all are flavourful. bhopali biryani is again a wise pick from the menu here.
great ambiance and courteous staff! you have to visit this place if you are big on indian non-vegetarian food. highly recommended !

jehannumapalace’s best restaurant specializes in barbecue kebabs and tandoor dishes. most things on the menu are top-class, but the sampler platter of varied kebabs may well be the best meal you have anywhere in madhya pradesh.great food, candlelight dinner and excellent service, all combine under a romantic white pavilion and the heavy boughs of a venerable centenarian mango tree.

my experience at under the mango tree was a classic case of disappointment served cold. having been a patron of jehannumasince i was born (not even exaggerating), the fact that i had never visited this restaurant until last week, strikes as slightly odd.
anyhow, we made our reservations for a big family celebration (party of 16) on a weekday. we started off on a bad note with our soups being served lukewarm and low on seasoning. the salt and pepper shakers salvaged what was salvagable and we patiently waited for our appetizers.
so personally for me, the murg malai tikka at jehannumais the holy grail of all murg malai tikkas, for me. and what we were served didnot disappoint. tender, succulent, creamy and perfectly flavoured, we couldn't get enough of it.
the fish tikka again was disappointing and low on flavours. what surprised me was that they managed to get their paneer tikka wrong. it was absolutely bland and lifeless.
for mains, we ordered the dal makhni which was nothing to write home about. the mutton nihari was practically a serving of meat floating in oil. it broke my heart, putting this food in my tummy. a certain fish curry we ordered though was pretty delicious and i recommemd it (i cannot recollect the name but the servers will be happy to recommend).
service was good, nothing over the top. the ambience is chill and apt for a relaxed dinner.
although i would battle the storms and wage wars for their murg malai tikka, i don't believe i will be visiting this restaurant anytime in the near future.

i wonder how anyone should visit bhopal and not eat at under the mango tree at the jehannumapalace hotel!

simply stunning food! we started with black label whiskey on which they had one on one free! with this we asked the server to serve us something quickly and came the hot pakodas and chicken malai tikka! i swear it, the taste was super awesome for both! the malai tikka was just so soft and juicy, not overtly spicy and had a cheesy tinge. probably one of the best malai tikka i would have had!!

sine we had a flight to catch, we asked for dal tadka, baingan achari, chicken curry along with rotis and rice. each and everything was just so well made! just lived the food here. highly recommended! must eat here for sure!!

the nawabi food culture definitely exists here without a flinch! simply superb!

under the mango tree is a superb open-air fine-dine restaurant located inside one of the best hotels in bhopal, the jehannumapalace hotel. the restaurant has ultra-chic ambience and is especially delightful to have dinner there simply because of the greenery around it and the water fountain that jingles as you munch on your food. the snacks are limited in variety but are mouth-watering. delightful to have non-veg food there. the kitchen is an open one giving its customers a complete view of the food being prepared. you would find very different dishes like bhutte ki seekh etc. in this restaurant. the restaurant serves alcohol and offers a very pleasant evening time to its customers. overall feedback: too good

jehannumapalace is one of the great properties of bhopal. so when u are this great you have to have something that supports your greatness and under the mango tree does that.. a fine dine restaurant in the open under the mango tree giving you the opportunity to feel the best of bhopali food. yes people it is heavy on pocket but then it is somewhat worth it.
service is a thing you will have here and will feel proud of your decision. ultra good staff trying to make you as happy as possible.
and yeah for the foodie people gazab khana they have just gazab... kebab platter is all you will need to melt down your foodie heart !

jehannumapalace is a one of its kind property in bhopal. it has a beautiful and charming old world appeal. their verandah restaurant under the mango tree makes for a romantic ambience perfect for quiet dinners. the breeze is abundant and cool thanks to the lake nearby.

their menu however is a little typical - same paneer and chicken tikkas and hara bhara kebabs that are the stereotypes of north indian cuisine. however the food quality is absolutely top notch. the veg kebabs were creamy and soft, and so was the chicken. for the mains we ordered daal peshavari, kadhi pakoda, butter chicken and gobhi-paneer bhurji. the bhurji was a highlight - lightly spiced and perfectly balanced flavours of the grated ingredients.

if i ever return to bhopal, will definitely want to spend a long evening here.

while staying there in jehannumai went to under the mango tree which is authentic tandoor restaurent. i had chapli kebab and seeks kebab. both were really good especially chapli kebab. one must try that if they gone the ambience was great too. a great place to have a beer and good tandoor food

if you are living in bhopal, u must go and visit. reviewing it late but true!!

ambiance :
this reataraunt is a small set up under the mango tree area in the jehannumapalace. the palace itself is so big and beautiful. when u enter you feel like some king :p
there are very few tables placed under tree near fountain with slow unplugged live music. known for its candle light dinner.
 high class crowd. 

service:
about the staff. they were very polite and so welcoming.

food:
tasty food. i like this place for it's indian food. the best yellow dal in bhopal. no excessive oil. ekdum ghar ka khana.

little expensive because of its food and set up but worth paying :)

my childhood memories last here . a true luxury class place and food is delicious . i can't write more because i would like recommend readers to visit this restaurant at jehannumaplace ,bhopal and feel luxury and class by your self .... but do visit at night clam n peaceful place

had heard a lot about this place.. so finally paid a visit....the restaurant located inside jehannumapalace offers a great ambience and on entering here u cant help but admire the beauty of the place ... had been here while it was raining... and midway through my dinner i noticed the mango tree through the fibre glass window on top..and then i realized why the name.... they have a barbeque styled kitchen right in front of the dining area... and this place is great for barbeque... the food is heavy on the pockets.. but the service here was really disappointing...i was here on a sunday evening.. probably a busy evening for them... the manager was clearly finding it hard to cater to everyone.... they were clearly understaffed.. i will give them a 4 for the ambience..3 for the food.. and 1 for their poor service...

during the holidays at bhopal, i discovered a long lost friend unearthing him after 34 long years! while our respective shapes and sizes underwent a whole lot of mutations, the bonhomie never faded over time. my friend hosted me an excellent dinner at the restaurant, 'under the mango tree' on a leisurely sunday evening for a journey down the memory lane. the ambiance and food enticed me for a repeat visit to the restaurant next day with six of my family members. 

on entering jehannumapalace of 19th. century vintage and crossing over the plush hotel lobby, we located the aptly christened restaurant, 'under the mango tree' with an ancient mango tree as its company. the restaurant is open on all sides with a provision to extend dining arrangements in the lawns around during more agreeable climes. we settled inside the covered area and truly fell for the environs. the wicker furniture, muted lighting in the eating area and a gently gurgling fountain in the lawns all added to the ambiance. 

while some of us chose the hard drinks (specific brands on promotion at 50% discount), two of us went for mocktails (rs.250/- each). a portion of 'murgh malai tikka' (rs.565/-) was lapped up as the starter. our main courses comprised a portion each of 'murgh biryani' (rs.480/-), dal tadka (rs.260/-), mix vegetables (rs.300/-), 'nihari gosht' (rs.615/-) along with tandoori rotis (rs.50/- apiece). for dessert, we asked for vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate (rs.280/-), chocolate mousse (rs.300/-) and brownies with ice cream (rs.325/-). chicken tikka was quite pricey but tasted good. chicken biryani, cooked in awadhi style was rich with aroma and served in quantity enough to cater to two persons. we also enjoyed the mutton nihari, prepared in old delhi mughlai cooking style. dal tadka and mix veg were nothing to write home about. 

jehannumapalace would score very high for the ambiance but its top dollar pricing for the quality of food served makes it little overrated.