bpb Review: Puro and Lisantro

When a new restaurant replaces an old one, you imagine it to be some kind of culinary evolution. But maybe we expected too much. Pause at Hill Road, Bandra (W) is gone, and in its place is Puro, complete with tacky lighting, mediocre taste, and exorbitant prices. The done-to-death all-white interior fails to shield the space from the sights and sounds of Bandra’s busiest streets; big windows meant our food was bathed in the warm glow of traffic lights. Tres Romantic!

If you must visit, go on a weekend; weeknights here, even though it’s a brand spanking new joint, are prosaic. And if you must eat, the Caesar’s Salad, Satay Chicken and Chocolate Fondant are your best bets. Our Mediterranean Pasta in pesto sauce tasted like Maggi Noodles with cheese, so steer clear of the exotic and expect to pay about Rs 1,500 per head (with alcohol). If it wasn’t for great company and sublime screwdrivers, Puro would have definitely left us with a bad aftertaste.

Getting there: Puro, next to Globus, Hill Road, Bandra (W), call 26431234.

Speaking of those yet to evolve, Bandra’s other new entry is Lisantro, located at the burgeoning street of eateries at Carter Road. We dropped by at the multi-cuisine restaurant for an evening snack, only to feel like we were being entertained at a friend’s home where the meal had been prepared by a maharaj. The Corn and Spinach Bruschetta was as tasty as Indian homemade Italian fare can get, but definitely not authentic. And that’s not even the most disappointing bit. The wine glasses, the first things you see from across the road as you approach Lisantro, are just a tease; the restaurant does not have a liquor license.

Here’s hoping that cuisine in Bandra fares better in the coming weeks. Wait, are you even allowed to make a toast with Coke in your wine glass?

Getting there: Lisantro, off Carter Road, next to Movie Empire, Bandra (W), call 26489974