Prima Donna

A new cafe in Bandra is all about serving amped-up Asian and Italian comfort food classics in a chic, European-style setting

It’s almost impossible to not get an eyeful of Donna, fashionably poised at the far end of the bar as we settle down at our marble-topped table for a mid-week lunch date. We’re in the interior section of the eponymous Donna Deli. A new, casual dining café that’s very much on the lines of the ones we see along the streets of European cities like Milan and Paris.

A cosy space that features a cream colour palette, interspersed with plenty of black accents. Like the pinstripe walls, large framed zebra prints and vintage, speckled mirrors that reflect typically European chintzy upholstered chairs and comfortable couches. Donna, in case you were wondering, is the cafe’s resident fashionista mannequin. One that we’re told will have an entire wardrobe change every season by an assortment of designers who will display their creations on her.

Burrata plate

But today, we’re here to sample the creations of the F&B kind. These, from the trio of Dhaval Udeshi, Pawan Shahri, and Nikita Harisinghani — who’ve opened several new F&B spaces in the city. Along with food consultant Aditya Wanwari, they have crafted a menu which includes poshed-up Asian and Italian comfort fare that matches the chic ambience of the place.

Take for instance our very simple, yet imaginative Burrata plate (Rs 525) where the creamy, soft Italian cheese is served, not with regular tomato discs, but with halved golden and red cherry tomatoes, pomegranate seeds and arugula in a light, pesto and basil oil drizzle. Poured out into a fish shaped glass, our tangy Donna’s passion gin cocktail (Rs 425) is imbued with passion fruit and kaffir lime for a gloriously zesty finish.

Ever the lover of riffs, we like the idea behind the vegan mock meat Peking duck taco (Rs 400) that tastes just like the original, replete with the sweetish hoisin sauce and crunchy scallion batons atop a translucent mini pancake. The same goes for the salmon on sourdough (Rs 400) that is an open-faced sandwich spin on the New York-style lox bagel. With the smokiness of the salmon, the coolness of the cream cheese and the tartness of the capers making for an excellent appetiser.

Ravioli paprika sauce

We take a little mid-meal stroll through the leafy outdoor seating area of the cafe that’s fenced in from the hum-drum of the busy SV Road alongside. We’re intrigued by the small florist’s kiosk set up in association with Bloombarn for patrons to pick up customisable bouquets or rose corsages for that special someone.

Sadly, the only roses we get this afternoon are the ones that we find as the cafe’s signature motif. We spot them everywhere, from being printed on the plates and porcelain tumblers to the tea kettle-like water jugs and even on the very thoughtful paper envelopes that we stow away our facemasks in. The in-house brioche bun of our old skool buff burger (Rs 550) is also hot stamped with said rose motif. The patty itself is a celebration of juicy tenderloin, draped in gooey American cheese and perked up with caramelised onions and pickled gherkins.

Featuring a hot stamped orange rind, our delicious bourbon dream cocktail (Rs 575) is flambéed table side, thus releasing the heady aroma of spices like star anise and cinnamon. The drink pairs superbly with our vegetarian main of ravioli in a paprika sauce (Rs 525) that is not just colourful, but a delight with its spinach core enrobed in a rich, flavourful sauce. However, we are disappointed with the other main dish of a wasabi fish grill (Rs 575). While the dish heroes a fresh slab of rawas fish, its accompanying sauce lacks the punch and depth that the pungent Japanese horseradish otherwise promises.

Our two desserts are a fitting end to an utterly satisfying meal, indeed. Bringing the rose back to the fore is Donna’s rose tres leches (R450) with its sublime gooey rose milk-saturated sponge cake core. But we lose our hearts to the slightly salty cappuccino chocolate ganache (R450) with its tangy raspberry sorbet, almond rocks and gold-dusted chocolate brittle side that make it a winner all the way.

Time: 12 pm to 12 am
At: Manorama Chambers, Ground floor, SV Road, Bandra West.  
Call: 7977349407 

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