19 January,2017 08:35 AM IST | | Joanna Lobo
Club Royalty’s replacement in Bandra is a spacious, quirky space let down by average food and drinks
Is was an evening that didn't start well, and steadily went downhill after. The Google maps direction we were following left us stranded and it was only after taking many wrong turns, did we finally find ourselves at Drop, the new European resto-bar.
Bandra's Club Royalty replacement on Waterfield Road is cavernous and they make good use of all that space. There are high ceilings, seating lounges that can fit a big party, a long bar and lots of open space in between. The theme is all-metal, with dull greys and blues and weirdly, an entrance area that is stacked with massive rock-like sculptures.
On a weeknight, a few days after the resto-bar launched with much fanfare, we found ourselves the only ones there. It meant all eyes - we counted about 15 waitstaff - were on us. There was a DJ too, looking lost behind the console without an audience.
Whiskey Sour
We dismissed it as early day blues and settled in with the menu, looking forward to European treats promised by the kitchen helmed by chef Kshama Prabhu. Things didn't start well. We were told that they had a beverage menu featuring specialty cocktails but on that day, there were none. On asking, we were offered the usual fare. We settled for a Whiskey Sour (Rs 350), an ice-laden drink with not enough sweet or sour notes and only a thin layer of froth from the addition of egg white. My companion played it safe, ordering a quarter of Old Monk (which came cheap at Rs 50).
Our Roasted Pumpkin Quiche (Rs 265) promised much and delivered little. The quiche was heavy on the blue cheese, masking any pumpkin in it and the crust was too doughy; the saving grace was the garlicky spinach salad on the side. The BBQ Pulled Chicken with Peppers, Red Onion & Cilantro Pizza (Rs 285) looked like a home dining experiment. The cheese, boiled pieces of chicken topped with BBQ sauce and bell peppers looked like they had been just dumped on a thin-crust base. A few bites in and we found the chicken tasted a bit off (my companion thought it was spoilt), so we sent it back.
Tenderloin Burger
The Tenderloin Burger (Rs 350) looked attractive enough - a beef (buff) patty bigger than the burger buns, topped with a fried egg, soggy caramelised onions and sauces. The patty had meat that was well done - we had asked for a medium rare - but was juicy and well-seasoned. It was the only dish we managed to finish.
Slow Cooked Chicken Stew
The Slow Cooked Chicken Stew (Rs 375) went into the pile of dishes we barely touched. The stew lacked seasoning. On giving feedback, we were told this was how the dish was meant to taste because the chicken is supposed to cook in its own juices. Could somebody please tell us the difference between a broth, stock and stew again?
Given the trend of the night, we didn't want to end up wasting yet another dish, so we skipped dessert.
Drop has attractive offers on drinks and a good dance space. But, on a street that offers better and more attractively priced food and drinks, there's nothing that will make us want to drop in here again.
