As Good as it Gets

Cape Town Bistro,the latest restaurant at Koregaon Parks famous Lane 7 offers delectable food and hope of finer things to come

Lets begin with a confession: we really enjoy lazy afternoons spent at alfresco restaurants,eating scrumptious food and watching others go on with their busy days. So the first look at the pine wood table tops and white wicker-like chairs laid out under the shade of a mighty tree at Cape Town Bistro,Koregaon Park,threw us some happy ideas of how our lunch time could turn out. But the test of a place for us is really in the taste,and we wondered if the new restaurant would come good on the hopes it had raised.

A look at the menu confirmed the announcement made on a blackboard proudly stationed outside the restaurant that it serves Italian,Continental and Oriental food. We decided that we will begin at the very top,so we ordered what looked like an unusual combination of ingredients Herb chicken and broccoli soup. To go with it,we selected Fish fingers and Black bean grilled chicken the second for an Oriental flavour. The steaming soup was a creamy blend of pesto,with finely chopped broccoli and small bite-sized chicken balls. The mix of herbs gave it a very refreshing edge. Biting into the fish fingers,we found them to be crisp on the outside and soft inside,while the Black bean grilled chicken had a lightly pungent flavour we enjoyed.

Next,we decided to order a pizza and went for what seemed like the most uncommon mix of toppings squid,prawns and fish. The Marinara pizza came in thin crust with a generous topping of cheese an in-house blend of four kinds,we were told. It was drizzled with basil-flavoured olive oil to keep it moist and garnished with rocket lettuce tossed in vinegar dressing. Small chunks of prawns,rings of squid and basa fish made it a thorough treat. The rocket lettuce was a little bitter,which cut the cheesiness. We downed the pizza with a large glass of lemon ice tea,which the restaurant serves even though it isnt on the menu.

Though quite full,we thought it would be sacrilegious to not try one of the pasta dishes,so we went with the recommended Penne Roman. Cooked in mushroom stock,it had an almost-perfect consistency that really impressed us.

Going by the food we enjoyed,Cape Town has surely got its foundation right. The chef knows what hes doing and hes doing it well. Yet,the three-month-old restaurant does have some rough edges to smooth out such as attention to detail in the décor,menu card and even quicker service. All in all,we are surely going back for lazy afternoons and scrumptious food.

Meal for two: Rs 1,300 (approx)

Address: Shop 2/3,Mira Nagar Society,Lane 7,Koregaon Park,Pune

Contact: 9823011333

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