Chennai just got a café that takes sandwiches seriously

A good sandwich can be deceptively simple. Put something between two slices of bread and call it lunch, and you have the basic idea. But at Panino, the bread is clearly not an afterthought. The newly opened space puts sandwiches at the centre of the conversation, with breads, butters, meats, and fillings all getting their own attention.

Bread, butter and everything in between

The mastermind behind Panino is Lakshmi Narasimhan, who identified a gap for well-made sandwiches in Chennai and spent around six months curating the menu for the space.

We started our culinary journey with the Roasted Jamaican wings. The wings are marinated and roasted with Jamaican jerk marinade, but unlike the saucy wings that tend to arrive dripping with glaze, these are relatively restrained. The seasoning here has time to speak, and the meat retains its character. The dish did not try too hard and that’s what we loved about this wings.

The Falafel with hummus took us in another direction. The crisp Mediterranean falafel was served with hummus, confit oil and Mediterranean pickles, and the combination had a pleasant contrast of textures. The falafel brought a firm, crumbly exterior while the hummus provided the creaminess underneath. The pickles added the necessary sharpness to balance the flavours.

That same sense of balance also came through in The hog, one of the sandwiches that makes the case for Panino’s focus on bread. It brings together BBQ sauce, Bavarian ham, honey roasted ham, salami and bacon, along with pesto, confit garlic butter, arugula, cherry balsamic and smoked cheddar, mozzarella and Gouda. On paper, it sounds like an ambitious pile-up of ingredients. On the plate, however, the layering is surprisingly controlled. The meats do not become one indistinguishable salty mass, and the sauce is used in just enough quantity to bind everything together.

We paused for the Berry basil mocktail, which brought a lighter note into the meal.

The Pure cheese gave us a softer, more assertive vegetarian bite, with the cheese taking on the seasoning rather than simply sitting there as a neutral filling. It had enough character to stand up to the bread without becoming cumbersome.

We were particularly interested in Quack quack, a bestseller, we were told. The sauce is present in the right amount, coating the filling of duck without turning the bread soggy.

The bread itself deserves attention here. We quickly understand why so much importance has been placed on it. Panino offers focaccia and ciabatta, and both are available separately, along with house-made butters and spreads. There is also a make-your-own sandwich option, which makes the bread more than just a carrier for fillings. It becomes part of the experience. Narasimhan tells us that all the ingredients and marinades are made in-house, and even import their meats to maintain the quality. And you can taste the love in every bite.

Meal for two: INR 1,600++. 11 am to 11 pm. At Panino, Besant Nagar, Chennai.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.