Table for two
A great view, choice drinks and a buzzing atmosphere make The Table a
great joint, but the food at the restaurant's globally-inspired menu at
Colaba's newest eatery, leaves a lot to be desired.
Very few restaurants in Mumbai enjoy the luxury of having such a wide view from the street. From the outside, you can pretty much see the whole of the lower level of The Table. The ceiling-to-floor windows primly draped with curtains reveal a bar, a community table and several cosy tables.
The restaurant has a wine-only bar and serves wine-based cocktails like sangrias and bellinis by the pitcher too. Chic food is what's on offer here and the restaurant certainly serves it up well, save for the starters.
The rest of the food menu is divided in to 'small plates' and 'large plates'. The small plates includes soups and entres. An experiment with spicy grilled calamari, chilli lime vinaigrette served with fresh herb salad proved to be delightfully fresh. The seared tuna, braised leeks vered with cilantro pesto and fried lady finger is as good-the softness of the fish and the crunchy lady fingers make for a good mix.
Among the large plates the crispy roast chicken, babycorn and mashed potatoes is disappointing. The crispiness of the chicken does not mix well with the mashed potatoes and the chicken jus is blander than expected. Likewise with the seared basa, bok choy with garlic jam. The garlic jam is an interesting mix of garlic paste and mayonnaise and the fish holds its own, yet overall, the taste leaves a lot to be desired.
A cookie platter and a warm chocolate tart served with jaggery vanilla gelato and morello cherry sauce are choices on the dessert menu. The limoncello cookie is exceptional.
Meal for two: Rs 3,000 plus taxes
The Table, Kalapesi Trust
Building CSM Marg, Apollo Bunder,
Mumbai. Tel: 022 22825000/1/2.
A twist of beer
Delhi's Beer Cafe is a strange beast that is trying something very original; at least the beer's really good.
How many times do you expect to walk (or drive) down to the pub and expect to see bright colours, equally bright lights and all-glass walls? 'Never' would be a good answer. Chances are, you will stumble upon Beer Cafe one day this summer, when you stumble in from the heat into Ambience Mall, with your tongue like sandpaper and your throat parched. You will probably see the Beer Cafe through the sunspots and think its a cafe which serves, you know, some cold coffee. Then you'll blink and go "whoa!" The brainchild of entrepreneur Pradeep Gidwani, the Cafe scores on two very important counts: the sheer variety of beers (38, and counting) and the non-fussy payment routine. For the latter, you get yourself a beer card that is credited the amount that you spend on any of the beers.
The easiest way to do so is to head to the beer on tap (only Kingfisher and Hoegaarden, the Belgian wheat beer), and serve yourself. Otherwise you could settle down with your favourite or go in for a tasting session. To my mind, unless you plan to be a regular here, this is the best way to enjoy the beer-in shot glasses. The collection itself is quite good, covering the standard beers from Erdinger (Germany) and Stella Artois (Belgium); as well as lovely little boutique beers like the Brooklyn Indian Pale Ale (USA) and Tsingtao (China). The focus is on the beer, so what you get are snacks, of which the meat sliders and the chicken drums of heaven are just right. The gourmet cheese platter is a refreshing change from peanuts, anyday!
Beer Cafe, 2nd Floor, Ambience Mall,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. Tel: 011
40870509. Price: Starts from Rs 175 for
330ml.Open from: 1pm to 12am.
-Bibek Bhattacharya
The restaurant has a wine-only bar and serves wine-based cocktails like sangrias and bellinis by the pitcher too. Chic food is what's on offer here and the restaurant certainly serves it up well, save for the starters.
The rest of the food menu is divided in to 'small plates' and 'large plates'. The small plates includes soups and entres. An experiment with spicy grilled calamari, chilli lime vinaigrette served with fresh herb salad proved to be delightfully fresh. The seared tuna, braised leeks vered with cilantro pesto and fried lady finger is as good-the softness of the fish and the crunchy lady fingers make for a good mix.
Among the large plates the crispy roast chicken, babycorn and mashed potatoes is disappointing. The crispiness of the chicken does not mix well with the mashed potatoes and the chicken jus is blander than expected. Likewise with the seared basa, bok choy with garlic jam. The garlic jam is an interesting mix of garlic paste and mayonnaise and the fish holds its own, yet overall, the taste leaves a lot to be desired.
A cookie platter and a warm chocolate tart served with jaggery vanilla gelato and morello cherry sauce are choices on the dessert menu. The limoncello cookie is exceptional.
Meal for two: Rs 3,000 plus taxes
The Table, Kalapesi Trust
Building CSM Marg, Apollo Bunder,
Mumbai. Tel: 022 22825000/1/2.
Beer Cafe in Delhi
Delhi's Beer Cafe is a strange beast that is trying something very original; at least the beer's really good.
How many times do you expect to walk (or drive) down to the pub and expect to see bright colours, equally bright lights and all-glass walls? 'Never' would be a good answer. Chances are, you will stumble upon Beer Cafe one day this summer, when you stumble in from the heat into Ambience Mall, with your tongue like sandpaper and your throat parched. You will probably see the Beer Cafe through the sunspots and think its a cafe which serves, you know, some cold coffee. Then you'll blink and go "whoa!" The brainchild of entrepreneur Pradeep Gidwani, the Cafe scores on two very important counts: the sheer variety of beers (38, and counting) and the non-fussy payment routine. For the latter, you get yourself a beer card that is credited the amount that you spend on any of the beers.
The easiest way to do so is to head to the beer on tap (only Kingfisher and Hoegaarden, the Belgian wheat beer), and serve yourself. Otherwise you could settle down with your favourite or go in for a tasting session. To my mind, unless you plan to be a regular here, this is the best way to enjoy the beer-in shot glasses. The collection itself is quite good, covering the standard beers from Erdinger (Germany) and Stella Artois (Belgium); as well as lovely little boutique beers like the Brooklyn Indian Pale Ale (USA) and Tsingtao (China). The focus is on the beer, so what you get are snacks, of which the meat sliders and the chicken drums of heaven are just right. The gourmet cheese platter is a refreshing change from peanuts, anyday!
Beer Cafe, 2nd Floor, Ambience Mall,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. Tel: 011
40870509. Price: Starts from Rs 175 for
330ml.Open from: 1pm to 12am.
-Bibek Bhattacharya
Beer picks Erdinger: One of the best wheat beers you can get, this German beer comes in light and dark wheat vareities   |
