bpb Review: Cafe de Cono

Not since Madonna’s iconic bra have cones been this intriguing.

Yesterday, us Secret Scouters scooped out Café d Cono in Lokhandwala, a newly launched Indian branch of the franchise internationally known as Pizza ‘n Cono, which sells pizza in cones. Would these 3D pizzas do for food what bullet bras did for fashion? We were about to find out.

Like a Virgin

Curious to know what pizza in a cone would taste like, we ordered a couple of versions, including Margherita (Rs 69) and Grilled Chicken (Rs 89), as soon as we walked into this shoebox-size eatery. These arrived as twin inverted peaks, each carefully perched on its individual balance beam. One bite, and cheese, sauce and chunks of grilled chicken oozed out of a crisp cone made from pizza dough. Different, a little overwhelming at first, but ultimately delish, we decided. Other toppings include seekh kebab, mushrooms and paneer tikka, but we advise you to stay away from the heavy desi fillings, and stick to the small size – they’re much easier to eat that way.

Justify My Love

Also on the menu are a limited range of appetisers, pastas and paninis. The fusilli in pesto (Rs 149), was dry, rubbery and tasted like a Tulsi plant (since we left most of it untouched, the staff was nice enough to take it off our tab); a spicy chicken open-face panini (Rs 99) resembled the chilli cheese toast our mum makes at home, with copious amounts of Tabasco and chicken pieces; and yum oil-free fries (Rs 39) baked to a crisp. We also couldn’t resist the pasta made from scratch (Rs 150 per kilo), which you can buy at the cash counter.

And as if we weren’t all-coned out already, we ordered Chocolate ‘D Cono (Rs 89, also available in Apple Cinnamon): basically an inexcusably rich crepe cone filled with chocolate, cream and nuts.

The Future of Pizza?

This gen-next version of the Italian staple is a fun, convenient snack for people on the go, but can never quite be a substitute for the original. Testing the vertical limit, though, is still worth a shot.

Getting there: Shop no 7, Greenville building, next to Falafel’s, Mala Towers bus stop, Lokhandwala, Andheri (W), call 26361313, free home delivery in the area, other outlets opening soon at Linking Road Bandra; Mind Space, Malad and Hiranandani, Powai, Rs 500 for a meal for two.