The Open House Bar and Cafe, a lounge at Shivaji Park, is the perfect place to relax over a few drinks and tempting food after a hard day's work, says Punam Chavan
While the city continues to brim with new eateries, Open House Cafe and Bar joins the bandwagon at Shivaji Park. We walk into this seven-day-old two-storied café on a lazy Sunday evening, ready to nurse a ravenous appetite.
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We step into a dimly lit, charming space of brown wood and cream tapestry. Soft lounge music sets a happy mood for some scrumptious food. While we expect the drinks menu to be creative, we are disheartened to get just a classic menu with regular alcohol options.
We settle into a comfy corner table upstairs and quickly pour over the menu, which has few options for vegetarians. We pick Cigarellos with Chilli Garlic Soya (Rs 225) and Crispy Malay Chicken Satay (Rs 275). The Cigarellos are spring rolls in disguise, stuffed with veggies stir-fried in a medium-spicy sauce, which delights our taste buds. This dish comes with a tangy-bitter dip, which contains wine and soya sauce.
Meanwhile, we can hear the crunch in every bite of the chicken skewers, which are dressed in ginger, garlic and pepper. So far, the food is mouth-watering, and makes us crave for more.
While we are in the mood for Pizza Margarita (Rs é00), we decide to have some fun with the classic dish, and add black olives and chicken toppings. The tangy tomato sauce accompanies the olives, and the result is an acidic taste. The fresh oregano balances this.
The next dish is not for the faint-hearted – BBQ Chicken with Onion and Cheese (Rs 250). The generous use of pepper and hot spices puts this dish in our ‘hot’ list. The dish packs in a spicy aftertaste. From the main course we pick Asian Rice with Chicken (Rs 250), which comes covered in an egg omelette.
The rice is topped with sautéed bell peppers and tender chicken, but overall, we are disappointed, as the overall flavour is nothing we have not tried before.u00a0A full stomach is no reason to deny dessert, and we go with what our server suggests -- Chocolate Volcano with Ice-cream (Rs 200), which comes with coffee liqueur drizzled over warm molten chocolate and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Every bite is a trip to heaven.
The pleasant décor, reasonable pricing and mouth-watering food is sure to turn this place into a popular hangout.
Where: Amar Kunj, Cadel Road, Shivaji Park
Call: 24455044
Food: Great
Ambience: Warm
Service: Attentive
meal for two: 1,800
Rating:u00a0