Buon appetito!

The Kondhwa neighbourhood finally has a lovely, cozy Italian restaurant that serves great vegetarian fare

Buon appetito!

The Kondhwa neighbourhood finally has a lovely, cozy Italian restaurant that serves great vegetarian fare

Kondhwa has just got a new eatery dishing out authentic Italian flavours. Arlekkino, named after the harlequin (the mascot of the famed Venetian carnival), may be nothing close to a street party but they sure are celebrating. Owned by Indian-Italian couple Priti Acharya and Luigi Cervellin, the eatery has a very homely feel to it. Acharya and Cervellin (a naturopath) man the restaurant by themselves. They double up as cooks, servers, the wash help and everything in between.

Arcobalenov

In such a set-up we assumed our food would take forever but it arrived well in time. The menu was simple and included starters, pizzas, pasta, sandwiches and salads as well as a longer list of hot and cold beverages and desserts. We started off with a Crostini Della Casa (Rs 95) made from chunks of garlic bread layered with mozzarella, tomato, olives, fresh basil and served after a quick turnover of olive oil. Then the lovely thin-crust namesake pizza, Arlekkino (Rs 245 for 10 inches) arrived. It was a fresh blend of grilled zucchini, mushrooms, garlic and mozzarella with the distinct punch of parsley. Not satisfied with one, we went for an encore.
The Sottobosco (Rs 195 for 10 inches) was a combination of mushroom, tomatoes and cheese with the crunch, flavour and aroma of onions.

The Arcobaleno pasta (Rs 150) gave us the bite of vegetables with the smoothness of parmesan on top. We are informed that back home (the couple lived in Italy for 13 years), "There is no such thing as red or white sauce in your pasta". Finally, satiated as we are, it was time for the dolci. The Torta Della Nonna (Rs 45) is a chocolate pastry that they claim is made of whole-wheat flour. It's got a nice crust and a soft heart ufffd but we have had better. The Tiramisu (Rs 105), that we had high hopes for after the fantastic meal, was a letdown. Frozen solid, it had no flavour and lacked a smooth texture.

We wanted to linger on under the night sky and listen to the couple sing at their work, so we ordered a mind-buzzing Espresso Macchiato (Rs 40). Instead of keeping us awake, it soothed us to sleep. Arlekkino is a complete home-style cafe that serves up delicious vegetarian Italian fare to an area that was starved for a foreign tongue.u00a0u00a0u00a0
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Arlekkino Caffetteria
Food: above average
Service: chatty
Ambience: simple home-style

From: 10 am to 10.30 pm (Monday closed)
At: Shop no 50, Nyati Estates, opposite Delhi Public School, Mohammadwadi, Kondhwa.
Call: 26804522u00a0u00a0