New Versova lounge has great food but needs to have better cocktails

The Mandarin Fish turned out to be our favourite

Take it easy
Food: Good
Service: Courteous
Ambiance: Relaxed

Lovated on New Link Road, in Andheri (W), Take It Easy, a recently-opened lounge in the suburb is easy to spot. The spacious exteriors enhanced by comfortable couches and a white shamiana set up, lives up to its name and invites you to slow down. Had it been less humid, we would certainly have opted for the al fresco section. This time however, we chose the dimly lit interiors that includes a stylish retro bar.

The Mandarin Fish turned out to be our favourite

Ease into the evening
The bar menu offered a mix of the usual fare in terms of beer, wine, mocktails and classic cocktails. We picked our drinks from the house specials section. Our first drink called, Peach Passion, a mix of vodka, peach liqueur, lime and mint (Rs 299) was refreshing. It was mild and sweet.

Peach Passion was a refreshing cocktail

We also ordered a Melonie (Rs 249), another vodka-based drink with watermelon, lime and mint. The flavour of the mint in this drink, however, was overpowering and we even had to take a few mint leaves out to be able to taste the melon. The staff offered to take the leaves out for us, and replace the drink too.

We loved the cornflakes coated Las Vegas Chicken

The food surprised us. In a good way, that is. For starters, we ordered the Las Vegas Chicken (Rs 295). The crisp, cornflakes-coated chicken strips were delightful. Served on a platter, we found the eight pieces quite filling. The Thai Curry with prawns (Rs 395) met our expectations but the Mandarin Fish (Rs 395) stole the show. The fish was braised with peppers, mushroom and carrots in soya sauce; its mild flavour and crunch wowed us.

The outdoor sitting area at Take it Easy

Something for all
The restaurant has options for vegetarians, including salads, pizzas, pastas as well as other mains. We tried the Baileys Kulfi (Rs 175), which looked like the only unusual dessert on the menu; it didn't disappoint. The dessert was served with Kiwi Falooda, which gave it an interesting twist. The portions served were large.

Since we had chosen a Thursday night to visit, we found the place almost empty with just two tables occupied. The music inside was a bit too loud for our liking, considering that it was a fairly quiet night, where the dance floor was empty. We were offered free vodka shots on account of it being a ladies night. The lounge also hosts Bollywood, Sufi and Commercial nights on various days of the week.

It was pouring on the night we dropped by. The staff deserves a special mention for checking if we needed help with transport. Since we had ordered a cab, they guided him with directions and asked us to wait inside and called out to us after they spotted the cab.