Almost turns up the heat
Making it even more difficult for diners to choose from, another restaurant sprouts in a cosy part of Bandra Reclamation near r German Bakery in the for rm of 73 degrees Bar & Bistro o. Living up to the reputatio on of the neighbourhood, the dim neon lights and bar ambience seem like quite a winner as we settle at the bar on a quiet weekday. The menu is long and has a variety of food options in bar bites, Modern Indian and Continental cuisines to choose from, but doesn’t serve desserts. The bar menu is also impressive as it not only has the usual choices of alcohol, but also a long list of improvised and classic cocktails.
After much deliberation, we chose to go with the Prospect New Fashioned (₹450) and Indian Summer (₹400). While the first is a twist to the classic Old Fashioned, it doesn’t live up to the mark as it tastes stiff, missing the sweetness of the almond syrup and the chocolate bitters. The latter, a mango-inspired cocktail, is refreshing and perfectly balanced. It has mango pulp shaken with tequila, to make a heady mixture. Opting for a signature chef’s special, we try the Louisiana Roasted Prawns (₹480), which unfortunately lacked creativity. The butter garlic flavours are subtle but that of freshly ground pepper is strong, which overpowers the flavour of the prawns. The Cayenne Pepper Roasted Drumstick (₹338), which comes next, is an absolute delight. Being in the sttarters section, it has a surprrisingly good portion, whicch is followed by a burst off flflavours from the dried French spice and barbecue sauce. While one set was slightly chargrilled, it didn’t get in the way of us savouring the rest of them.
After the delicious serving, we are left a little disappointed when told that Chili Con Carne, a spicy meat stew is unavailable but the Cannelloni Steeples (₹330), makes up for it. The vegetarian dish is baked with a ricotta and spinach stuffing. It is even better as it is placed on a warm bed of a tomato and ricotta cheese fondue. The rich flavours of spinach, tomato and cheese made us want to swipe the latel clean. As the night wore on, the increasing empo of the music ave a us a glimpse of what weekends could e at the bistro. The Chicken Roulade (₹563), with simple flavours, acks a punch as it is low cooked and rubbed with lemon, pepper and herbs. It is served with quinoa,n red wine jus and delicious marinades. After a comparatively decent meal, the absence of desserts on the menu left us wanting for more. It made us leave without feeding our craving for something sweet at the bar. We would recommend the bar, if you’re looking to skip the usual noisy ones in the city, as it is comparatively smaller and ideal for small groups. Scouring through the menu will give you interesting dishes, if you like to experiment, or you can just rely on the familiar ones. The reasonable pricing is also one to look out for, if you’re in the locality.