With Love from Pune

Signature chalk art, floral sofas and bare walls may not be new to the city, but Terttulia’s signature pizzas is refreshing.

Source: Vasant Prabhu

Shrewsbury biscuits from Kayani, a tipple at one of the many micro-breweries, and a meal at Terttulia have been on many a “Must do when in Pune” lists. So when we heard Terttulia is making Mumbai its second home, we had to be there to spend a lazy weekend afternoon with their signature Sunday sangria.

Though the popular eatery from Koregaon Park in Pune has given the city a taste of its health-friendly offerings with a collaboration with Barrio in Versova, its recent Shivaji Park-based outlet looks to do more than just tease our senses. Inspired by French country homes, the restaurant is set up like a spacious drawing room — large windows that open onto the road, an antique dresser and bare bulbs tied to ropes in one corner. The mismatched seating gives one the sense of a relaxed and cosy space.

The outdoor section — rather small compared to its Pune counterpart — is perfect for Sunday afternoons with muted sunlight filtering through the glass ceiling. As soon as glasses of its special sangria were called for, we peered through the menu to look for our favourites. Most of the menu, which includes salads, sandwiches, signature pizzas and some modern European dishes, is the same as at its Pune outlet.

Our favourites were Karari Roti (Rs 150), a crispy naan dressed in butter and coriander that turns into a great bar snack and the bacon-wrapped dates served with mustard creme fraiche (Rs 405). This dish has been a hit for many reasons, but chief among them is the perfect marriage of contrasting flavours — the sweetness of the dates with the smokiness of the bacon. After our near-perfect experience with bacon, the olive feta-stuffed portobello mushroom failed to match up and was a tad too salty (Rs 315).

For those who love seafood, try the sauteed basa in chilli cilantro pesto (Rs 365) as its zesty flavours work well with the soft fish. For mains, the melon (seeds) crusted basa served with brown onion pilaf once again hit the spot with an unusual pairing of European and Asian flavours. We also tried the homemade ravioli stuffed with caramelised onions (Rs 435).

While the buttery sauce was a good addition, the dish was bland and can be easily skipped. For vegetarians, the Pizza Terttulia-aah (Rs 425), a creamy spinach, ruccola and scarmoza tossed pizza, is perfect. The dessert menu includes the usual suspects, such as red velvet cake, mud pie and gooey chocolate cake. But we recommend the Crème Brulee Cheesecake (Rs 255), for its crispy top and buttery base turning a simple Philadelphia into an indulgent experience.
meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com

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