bpb Sneak Peek: Pali Village Cafe

Adorned with rusted wrought irons and exposed walls, heritage tiled-floors and lush green plants, Pali Village Café reminds us of the rambling old house Gwenyth Paltrow shares with her grandmother in the Hollywood version of Great Expectations. This multi-levelled space, with its glassed-in courtyard and art deco balconies, would not only accommodate the wonderfully weird lady in her old wedding dress and single shoe, but also make room for her broken heart. And they’d know how to mend it too: with food that is comforting yet surprising, and sometimes even sublime.

Sneak Peek!

Opening today at 4 pm, bpb scored a sneak peek into this adorable restaurant last night. Lounging at our corner table in the roofed courtyard and sipping on deliciously light Melon Sangria, it was hard to imagine that this hushed space is just a couple of feet away from the chaos of Janata Bar and Restaurant. Getting into the Mediterranean-villa spirit of the place, we started our meal with watermelon and feta salad, roasted red pepper and jalapeno hummus and chicken skewers, described by head chef Conrad Dsouza as “excellent.” We discovered he was mostly right: the watermelon slices, cold pickled and nicely offset by the salty feta were perfect for the balmy evening. The chicken was tender and juicy, but we wish it came with a dipping sauce, and that the hummus packed a bigger punch.

Pan Feared Fish

Next in line was thin crust pizza by the slice; the Margherita was just the way we like it – saucy, light and not overwhelmed with cheese. The Goat Cheese with Garlic version, however, was fully-loaded; if you get it, be prepared for a dairy overdose. Mains of Pan Seared Rawas and Spinach Ricotta ravioli were a bit of a let down. Rawas featured the mashed potatoes and sautéed greens the menu promised, but bore little trace of the madras curry vinaigrette. The ravioli was undercooked and too heavy on the spinach, but bathed in a subtly roasted almond sauce that improved the dish vastly.

Charles, I’m Sure

Owner Suren Joshi insisted we end our evening with the Chocolate Fondant, guaranteeing that “it would give us goosebumps”. It certainly did, this chocolate volcano that spewed bitter-sweet lava with riffs of orange. By the end of our meal, so stuffed were we that asking for seconds almost seemed like a crime. Fittingly Dickensian!

Getting there: Pali Village Cafe, next to Janata Bar and Restaurant, Pali Naka, Bandra (W), opens today at 4 pm, meal for two expected to cost Rs 1,500 (with two glasses of wine).