Sometimes, there is such a thing as a free lunch

Kurla's latest fine-dining restaurant offered 100% off in the first two weeks of its opening to encourage diners to provide feedback on their eating experience. They're down to offering just 50% off now but, you might be happy to note, the food is good anyway

When Cafe Pico’s opened, a little over a fortnight ago, anyone who stopped by was entitled to a whopping 100% off on the bill. In other words, the meal was free, no strings attached, no ‘conditions apply’. Since last Friday, diners are now entitled to a flat 50% off on the bill. The idea, we soon learnt, is to generate customer feedback on food, service, and ambience.

A note placed on our table as soon as we were seated, also informed of limited portion sizes, as part of the food trials. Once we were seated, an attendant cautioned us from leaning too far back into our chairs, as the chairs were not very stable and will soon be replaced. Must have something to do with all that free food they’ve been doling out.

Now that we were seated, not too comfortably given the warning, we warmed to the ambience. Pretty lamps hang from the ceiling, which overlooks the spacious interiors that include a dessert counter and red-and-black chairs.

The extensive menu lists appetizers, salads, sandwiches, mains and dessert across a medley of international cuisines. They also do a variety of smoothies, ranging from a Chocolate and Peanut Butter smoothie to the more ‘healthful’ Carrot, Celery, Cucumber and Beetroot smoothie.

We opted for a Banana, Honey and Yoghurt smoothie (Rs 150), which was good. For starters, we opted for the intriguing-sounding Korean Pancakes (Rs 210), made with yellow lentils, carrots, spring onions and red chillies. While the pancakes were not particularly impressive, the soy and sesame-seed dip served alongside was very good.

Next up, we ordered the Homemade Ravioli (Rs 315), which was stuffed with a pesto made from sundried tomatoes and garnished with walnuts and parmesan. Delicious! u00a0The Tobago Marinated Chicken (Rs 320) was tender, grilled to perfection and not too spicy. The black-eyed beans served alongside, complemented the dish.u00a0The Fig and Rocket Salad (Rs 250) was a tad disappointing, but the Polish Cheese Cake (Rs 200) made sure our journey ended on a pleasant note.u00a0The attendants deserve special mention too for quick service with a smile, which ensured an overall pleasant dining experience.u00a0

Cafe Pico
Food: Good
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Sophisticatedu00a0

At: 34, Upper Ground Level, Phoenix Market City, LBS Marg, Kurla (W).
Call: 25102000 (open from 11 am to 11 pm)
Cafe Pico didn’t know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.u00a0

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