Above Sea Level in Chennai dishes up a rollercoaster of flavour with their new menu 

Dining al fresco under the stars with the gorgeous skyline of Chennai in view is exactly what folks ride the elevator up 12 floors to Above Sea Level on the rooftop for. But their recently revamped menu gives us one more reason to head for to the restaurant at The Raintree, St Mary’s Road. Expect a liberal dose of Mediterranean, Turkish, Italian, and Indian cuisines to skim through on their elaborate new menu. Although, executive chef Neeraj Balasubramaniam does assure us that by popular demand, a handful of their greatest hits like the melt-in-mouth Galouti Kebab has been retained from the older menu.

Burrata bombshell
We settle into our seats, and sip on a Japanese Penicillin from the new cocktail menu with whiskey and a garnish of ginger candy as we wait for our appetisers to arrive. They say first impressions are the best impressions and our first plate is a flat out winner — Burrata on a bed of Smoked Tomato Carpaccio. Simple, fresh and vibrant. The creamy burrata contrasts beautifully with the sweetness and acidity of those thinly sliced tomatoes, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and offset by a scallion ginger salsa. We move on to the other plates as they arrive, but find ourselves returning to this one over and over again. There is more cheese with the Avocado Goat Cheese Tartine, that offer bite-sized triangles of indulgence.

Lamb chops that hit the spot
Meanwhile, non-vegetarians can opt for a fusion Desi Murgh Spanakopita with flaky phyllo pastry and curry leaf essence. But a highlight that is not to be missed is the Shish Taouk, authentic Turkish kebabs. We opt for quick grilled chicken skewers marinated in aromatic spices and preserved lemon. Juicy and packed with flavour. And just when thought we were at the peak of this flavourscape, the Burra Kebab arrives. Lamb Chops prepped with a thick Greek Yoghurt, lemon and ginger — one taste and  we are quite literally on cloud nine. The much awaited Kolkata-style biryani that follows for our mains, is unfortunately a let down.

So for dessert, the chef doubles down to please with not one but two exquisite plates. The first is for chocolate lovers — swirls of Bitter Chocolate, Sea Salt & Caramel Semifreddo. Even more impressive however is the Turkish Kunafi Jibne with Kaitaife pastry, pulled Turkish cheese, nuts and rose syrup. Pure bliss.

For dinner only. Meal for two at INR 2,200++.