Trees grow through the ceiling. Pots in a multitude of colours hang mid-air. And a lone blue cycle perched nearby calls to us longingly. Not your average view while sipping on coffee, eh?
The two-week-old Café de Paris, an extension of Ehjas M’s year-old bakery by the same name on Cenotaph Road has become a huge draw for folks with its gorgeous interiors, built from scratch over the past year. How often do you get to sit inside an idyllic glasshouse, just a few feet away from the honking and bumper-to-bumper Teynampet traffic?
Outside in
“We wanted to create an ambience that felt like you were outside, even while indoors,” says Ehjas, who at only 26, also owns Absolut Thai and Sushi in a Box which operate out of the same premises. This new venture along with partner Sultan Sickanthar, which can seat up to 60 people both indoors and outdoors, certainly matches that description. The extensive menu in front of us that promises to deliver everything from Beet Browns (hash browns with a beetroot twist) to Scottish Salmon is also impressive. Be prepared for a bit of wait before your plate arrives though.
Do the twist
The pizzas are a win right off the bat. We try the Hawaiian pizza recommended by Ijaz, a fan of paneer and pineapple — which had us going back for more. With chefs to handle both Western and Asian cuisines under his brands now, he adds that he hopes to mix things up a little in the months to come. “I want to serve up a Tom Yum or Green Curry pizza for instance,” he offers with a smile. Although if you’re in the mood for something experimental right away, try their in-house special ‘Twister pizza’ that resembles a low lying bundt cake. Hollow in the centre, the base spirals into eight folds — filled with the meat of your choice, bell peppers, onions, mozzarella and served with cheese sauce.
Pink spaghetti string
For a quick bite-and-go, we recommend the Lime & Thyme Chicken and Pesto Paneer. The latter is so good, it’s enough to bait you into considering turning vegetarian... well at least until you discover there’s steak on the menu. For our mains however, we decide to go the Italian route instead and dive into a creamy a platter of Spaghetti Pink Primavera (Arrabiata meets cheese sauce) which you may want to share for generosity sake (or to lower your calorie count). On the contrary, the sinful Callebaut Brownie that follows is not something one is open to splitting, truth be told. The seven inch tower of Red Velvet, one of the most popular asks on the dessert list, will have to wait till our next visit.
Meal for two Rs 1,500. Details: 47601000