Andheri's travel-theme resto-bar serves pocket-friendly vegetarian food, drinks

It's a simple place, done up with a corner of board games, white walls and buttoned leather sofas, funky frames and comfortable seating. The resto-bar is designed around a travel-theme, with knick-knacks that give you the sense of wanderlust.

The music is loud and the speakers are tearing a little bit. But no one minds, for one doesn't expect fine dining fare nor high-end music quality. They play known songs that you can hum to, and when we go, it's Bollywood. It makes our hearts skip a beat.

We walk into Reise on a Wednesday night around 9 pm, and the place is packed with office goers quietly sipping on their straight orders, noisy college students celebrating an occasion and couples enjoying a few pints.

The bar menu is called Around the World in Eight Cocktails which includes Italian Rosemary and Gin, Mexican Grapefruit and Tequila, Russian Vodka and Kahlua. The servers are friendly, and bring our drink orders within minutes. To begin with, we've order a Hot Spiced Cinnamon Rum which has dark rum, star anise, orange juice and luke warm water (Rs 275). It warms the throat and woos the palate. The drink is delicious with just the right stiffness to slip us into a happy stupor. We pair this with Baida Burjee (Rs 150), which comes with two slices of bread instead of pao. The burjee reminds us of a street-style preparation, made with generous dose of butter, masala and coriander. We dig in with our fingers and line our tummies for the beer that follows.

Not hungry enough for a full meal, our server insists we order Kundan Tara (Rs 225), a tandoori cheese-stuffed mushroom starter that comes on a naan in company of three colourful mayonnaise dips - we suspect one is a chutney mayo - and some fryums.

The mushroom is well-charcoaled and the naan is soft and buttery. Our fellow-taster finishes all the fryums. "It's okay to indulge once in a while. Don't judge, it's delicious," she quips, cracking a random joke of uptight food reviewers who have forgotten to have a good time.

But the food, no doubt, is enjoyable. While it's not a place for experiments, it will leave you filled. Reise will surprise you with its well-made drinks at affordable prices.

At Oriental Aster, 45, Tarun Bharat Society, Dr Karanjiya Road, Chakala, near Cigararette Factory, Andheri East.
Timing Closes at 1 am
Call 3383 6086

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