Located on the second floor of Forum Value Mall in Whitefield, Collage by Toscano is an elegant restaurant serving authentic dishes from Italian, Asian and Indian cuisine, set to the panoramic vistas of the city. Smeared in turquoise and rogue, the elegant restaurant is decorated with quirky artwork and boasts an intimate yet vibrant atmosphere. This indoor seating space offers a mix of comfortable couches and regular table seating.
As your eyes scour the dining space, you can’t help but notice the wine-stacked walls. Featuring the best from New Zealand, California, France, South Africa and more, you can also notice Indian staples such as Sula and Fratelli placed among their fine wine collection. The servers are always at hand to assist you with good pairing options.
The gourmands here state that they practise “the art of making three culinary worlds meet”. While we wondered how that would pan out, slices of focaccia, breadsticks and papads arrived at the table accompanied by two dips (Salsa and Pesto sauce) – we knew we were off to a promising start. We kicked off the meal with an Italian Light Minestrone, a concoction made with mixed vegetables in tomato broth with pasta, pesto and parmesan. The smooth texture of the soup enhanced by minimal spices and pesto sauce will keep you hooked till the last drop.
For starters, we sample the Vegetable & Cheese Arancini. The vegetarian appetiser was mildly flavourful crispy rice ball stuffed with cheese. Next up, we sampled the Crispy Mushroom and Lotus Stem Stir Fry tossed with fresh red chillies and garlic. The flavours of the mushroom and lotus stem
were well-complemented by the heat of the chillies and aromatic garlic. Moving on, it was time to taste the Dragon Vegetables Rolls with Sweet Chilli Sauce. The crunchy rolls stuffed with cream cheese, water chestnut, and vegetables. The delicate notes were balanced by the sweet chilli sauce dipping. We finished with a mini Indian platter containing pan-grilled, melt-in-the-mouth Hara Bhara kebabs, and full-bodied paneer tikka.
Giving the eatables a rest, we took a quick detour to beverages. We wouldn't recommend their tiramisu version of cold coffee enough but would definitely suggest you order their lip-smackingly thick and creamy Hot Chocolate as one craves on a typically gloomy monsoon afternoon.
Moving on to the mains, we opted for the Handmade Spinach Ravioli with a slice of crouton served in basil-flavoured creamy tomato sauce with olives. Cooked to perfection, the ravioli was full of flavour in every bite. On the side, we recommend Rosemary Pizza Bread, whose hint of saltiness went well with the fresh rosemary, olive oil and pesto.
And of course, there is always room for dessert. The chef plated the diner’s signature Tiramisu with coffee bean jelly and a scoop of coffee ice cream. If you ate it with your eyes shut, you’d probably equate the dessert with one of the tastiest you’ve ever eaten. It’s so good that you’ll definitely reach for more.
The restaurant’s menu allows you to get a little taste of all the three cuisines and will entice you to go back for more.
Meal for two at ₹1,200++ for two, excluding alcohol.