REVIEW: EARTH CAFE

A dairy free cafe in the heart of bandra, at first you might think, oh I’m not vegan so it’s not for me, but one visit and you’re sure to fall in love with the space!
Located at Waterfield Road, firstly I love the name, Earth Cafe, is located above Pernia’s Pop Up and might not be that easy to locate.

As you enter, the airy and bright place will bring a smile on your face, the pink walls, the big clock and the road facing view (with no traffic noise). I went here with a vegan friend and she took over the ordering. We had the vegan pizza (yes, with vegan cheese), Nachos and the Pretty P Cold Coffee which was prepared with Almond Milk, Espresso, Dark Chocolate and Cream.

My coffee was awesome and I really enjoyed the almond milk. The pizza, well, I’ve had vegan pizza before only to be disappointed but I’m happy to share that this one tasted nothing like it, this one was delicious! The Nachos were great too. We also had the cheesecake, which was not as dense as a regular cheesecake, but nevertheless, tasted yummy! If there were more vegan places, that created food like that, I would definitely consider turning vegan. Kudos to the service too, we got some great recommendations from the owner who was around, checking on us from time to time. Another cafe on my list of favourites and what a great job at making a non-vegan enjoy vegan food!

Venue: Earth Cafe

Overall rating

Waterfield Road, Bandra West

Landmark: Above Pernia’s Pop Up

Phone: +91 96190 33393

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and The Big Flip Bar at @earthcafewaterfield

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

REVIEW: THE BIG FLIP BAR

Another new bar in Bandra and this time it serves great food!
The Big Flip Bar has opened next to Bonobo on Linking Road and is a spacious bar with a few tables for diners. We went here on a weekday and it was pretty empty. They were playing great music and screening the match as well.

We tried a lot of food and most of it was great but here is the stuff I would definitely recommend. The Rosemary Spiced Stuffed Mushroom which was cheesy and yummy, the Ajwaini Spiced Potato Skins, were one of my favourites, came with Yellow Cheddar and Ranch Dressing, the Peshawari Pasliyaan – Tandoori Lamb Chops, so succulent and delicious, loved them and the Teriyaki Chicken Meal Bowl that came with rice was full of flavour and a must try.

Most of the desserts were not available the day we went so we just tried the Belgian Chocolate Verrine, which was alright. The Thandai Mousse and Rum Cake sounded like a better bet but were unavailable. In the drinks, we tried the Bull Frog, super potent, came with Gin, Vodka, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec and Red Bull. Not for the faint hearted 🙂

The service was friendly and prompt, so no complaints there. Overall, the place looks and feels great. Looking forward to going back there on a weekend!

Venue: The Big Flip Bar

Overall rating

Linking Road, Bandra West

Landmark: Above KFC

Phone: +91 8879015221

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and The Big Flip Bar at @thebigflipbar

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: Sorrentina by Foodhall

When foodhall opened in our neighbourhood, we were like yay! But when we got to know that it houses an Italian restaurant, it was like double yay!

Not many places that we go to we can say this, our meal was perfect!

Sorrentina is located on the top level of Foodhall and has a brightly lit ambience with a sorbet counter, an open bar and kitchen and a huge wood fire oven.
We dropped by for dinner and we were seated next to the window with a road facing view.

We started our meal with a Salad and the Tagliere Di Formaggi – a cheese platter with Italian Cheese, Olives and bread, quite nice though we could’ve been happier with some extra bread. Next we ordered the Gamberetti Alla Diavola – Prawns prepared in a spicy tomato sauce served with buttered bread. Really really delicious, loved the flavour of the sauce. We also tried a couple of mains, the Gnocchi which was cooked to perfection and the Pizza was oh-so-delicious! The highlight of our meal was the dessert, the Tiramisu, it melted in the mouth and was so sinful that we had to have two servings!

The service was really good as well. The only thing that was probably missing was a glass of wine with our meal which I’m sure they will start serving soon.

Overall, Sorrentina is a must try for everyone who loves Italian food, we are definitely looking forward to our second visit here!

Venue: Sorrentina by Foodhall

Overall rating

Linking Road, Santacruz West

Landmark: Opposite Tommy Hilfiger

Phone: +9198191 89987

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and Sorrentina at @sorrentinabyfoodhall

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: 10th Street Cafe, Khar

The latest entrant in the vegetarian food scene in Mumbai is 10th Street Cafe. We visited the Khar outlet on a Thursday evening and it was quite occupied for a weekday. We sat in the outdoor section as the weather was pleasant.

Cute little place with a bar and a brightly lit indoor section. We ordered for the Quinoa Bean salad which was tossed in a Balsamic Vinegar Dressing and topped with Sour Cream and Avocado. It was fresh, crunchy and delicious. In the appetizers, we tried the Arancini Balls which was served on a bed of Arrabiata sauce. The sauce was great but the rice balls could’ve been, maybe a little more cheese?

Coming to the mains, we had the Spinachy Goat Cheese Pizza, a must try, it was too good, loved the combination of herbed mushrooms, spinach and goat cheese! And we tried the Peri Peri Rice with Mushroom Stew, this was a complete meal for one! The stew was spicy and the rice was prepared with a lot of veggies.

Coming to the desserts, we would totally recommend the Almond Praline Cookie which is also their signature dessert. Layers of Biscuit Crumble, Chocolate and Praline and is served with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. Only thing that I would like to point out is that the bartender forgot to add alcohol to my Basil Pomtini, which they apologized for later so it’s alright.

Overall, the food and the service was great, definitely a must visit for some great comfort food.

Venue:  10th Street Cafe

Overall rating

Khar West

Landmark: Near Domino’s

Phone: +9187790 92308

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and 10th Street Cafe at @10thstreetcafe

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: The Looney The Lover & The Poet

When restaurateurs get creative with the names of their restaurants, it’s quite commendable. When we first heard of The Looney The Lover and The Poet, we had mixed reactions. What an interesting name, but sad that it had replaced Thallasa.

Anyway, we made a reservation and headed there on a Wednesday evening. The restaurant was relatively full on a weekday. The ambiance was lovely, the outdoor section had dim ferry lights and creepers alongwith soft music. The service was extremely good, the servers were well informed, polite and friendly. They helped us with our order and suggested some great dishes. The menu here is very interesting, they have a range of healthy options as well as gluten free choices.

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We loved the food and here are some things that you must try when you’re here. The Afghani Ashak with Minced Lamb was epic. Literally melted in my mouth and one of the finest mince I’ve had. The Wavocado Toast – borodinsky bread toast with avocado, feta, sun dried tomatoes, pepitas, too yummy! The Khachapuri which is like a flatbread topped with artichoke, sunsried tomatoes, pinenuts, goat cheese, mushroom and onions. Another must try is their Dosa which comes with a curry like filling and is quite unique and flavourful.

For desserts, we tried the Almond and Nutella Babka French Toast with orange caramel, dark chocolate & coffee and orange ice cream. Again, something different, the flavours of the ice creams were great although I’m not a fan of bread in desserts.

Overall, we were extremely impressed with the food and service of this restaurant and it definitely calls for a repeat visit to try the other items on the menu! Keep up the good work guys.

Venue:  The Looney The Lover & The Poet

Overall rating

21st Road, Off Carter Road, Khar West

Landmark: Inside Hotel Shubhangan

Phone: +9198200 29933

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and The Looney The Lover & The Poet at @thelooneyloverandpoet

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter