The Lager Picture

It may be time to get over Zenzi,the iconic Bandra-based restobar that changed the cultural scene in Mumbai.

It may be time to get over Zenzi,the iconic Bandra-based restobar that changed the cultural scene in Mumbai. It will,however,remain with the patrons in spirit. After all,where else could people go to access independent artistes,DJs,stand-ups and salsa in the early 2000s,before restobars such as Bonobo,Blue Frog and the likes came about? Lagerbay,the new watering hole in Bandra,will never replace the former. But it isnt attempting to either,and this is where it scores its brownie points.

Walk into the restaurant and theres an immense sense of space. The décor is different,uber cool,with large artworks featuring Bob Marley in black-and-white,among other pop art posters and a retro-style microphone that doesnt magnify anything but the vibe of the place. The regular patron will,however,tell you that there are still a few traces of Zenzi scattered around. The fake wooden flooring from the previous restaurant has been buffed and shined,as have the restrooms. Even the structure of the interiors and the two bar counters have been retained. Thats about it,because the room once reserved for live gigs is nicely lit for a sit-down restaurant whereas the inside exudes the vibe of a dimly lit bar.

This works for the place as the food menu has a lot more than just nibbles. It starts with a selection of soups such as cream of mushroom and salads such as malta orange and red radish. But unless youre really into health food,you want to try the the spiced potato wedges,which may be piping hot but their crisp and buttery texture with paprika makes up for the initial mouthburn.

The service is impressive as the waiter will warn you when ordering the Prawns and Calamari Ajilo that it isnt a dry finger food,but a saucy number. Its worth ordering despite the fishy smell because the broth,flavoured with butter,gently hints of garlic and is delicious enough to slurp straight from the bowl.

The Vegetarian Fettuccini Noodles come with bell peppers and broccoli but the paprika cream sauce overpowers everything with its cheesy layer of white. The Kingfish on a Bed of Spinach comes with a delightfully light cup of lemon-butter but can go wrong if the chef keeps it in the oven too long,leaving it hard and stringy. A clear winner is the Parmesan Crusted Grilled Chicken two crisp slices of meat served with a cup of grape sauce (with actual pieces of black grape). Somehow,the expectations from dessert arent quite so high but that changes after one bite of the soft blueberry cheesecake that has hidden pockets of the purple sauce that ooze out as you get to the centre.

With pleasant food,good service and reasonably priced alcohol,inclusive of alcohol taxes,the place looks like it is here to stay. The only complaint would have to be filed against the name Lagerbay. With seven varieties of beer on the menu,the name could have been saved for a microbrewery or a pub with a lot more lagers on their menu.

Meal for two with alcohol costs approximately Rs 1,800. This review was conducted anonymously.

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