Mumbai Food Review: This Andheri resto-bar is pocket-friendly for drinks

Chocolate-raspberry-mousse

The dual masks of comedy and tragedy, a common feature at most drama outlets, welcomes us at this little den tucked away in a corner of an Andheri by-lane. Only, the symbol of the Greek muse, Melpomene, synonymous to tragedy, is replaced by another happy face, in what appears to be a promise of the kind of experience this resto-bar hopes to give its customers.

Paneer Tikka

But, the faces we carry while leaving The Bombay Thekka are far distanced from these lit up ones. The multi-cuisine restaurant, that kicked-off business last month, gave us little to remember it by, given the mediocre dishes, unflattering interiors and, to a certain extent, its service too.

We book a table for a Saturday evening to skip negotiating a queue. The peppy beats of Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You, the only English number to slip into a desi playlist, welcomes us, but the pleasant introduction into this thekka doesn't last once we arrive at our table. A generous sprinkling of crumbling on the couches sends a hygiene-conscious companion into a tizzy, but the staffers are quick to work up a brush. "Sheesha," a young receptionist asks us soon after we're settled.

Penne pasta

We browse through the assortment on the menu as we sip on an excessively sweetened Pina Colada (Rs 350), scouting for a few appetisers, as the sundried tomato pizza (Rs 180) catches our attention. We also order a panner tikka platter (Rs 300) as its accompaniment. The layer of cheese on our first dish is rather overbearing when compared to the wafer thin crust of the pizza, but makes for a delectable beginning. While we did head for seconds, we couldn't help but lament the lack of a tomato preparation, in the absence of which this dish could essentially qualify as an exceptionally toothsome cheese toast.

Raavioli

A penne pasta (Rs 380) in pink sauce and a pesto risotto (Rs 450) are decided upon as per our waiter's suggestion for our mains. When it arrives at our table, the portion sizes disappoint.The overbearing taste of basil hits us as soon as we dig into the ravioli, the flavours of which fail to complement each other. The pasta, which would otherwise only qualify as an average preparation on another occasion, emerges a star on this table.

The grilled chicken (Rs 390) takes an additional 45-minutes to arrive because the waiter "just forgot" to place the order, and does little to justify the time spent on waiting for it. What keeps us going through these long periods of breaks though are the up-tempo beats belted out by a DJ who will not let customers slip. We almost had half a heart to skip the meal and hit the dance floor instead.

Hoping to close the evening on a sweet note, a Raspberry Chocolate Mousse (Rs 199), we assumed, would ease some of the damage done, but the layers of chocolate were far too thick and overpowered the thin spread of Raspberry atop.

If you're looking to simply enjoy an evening of alcohol, heading for the well-priced cocktails may make for a wise choice, but The Bombay Thekka will need to do a lot more to appease with its food.

AT: The Bombay Thekka, 244-A, S.V.P. Nagar, Four Bungalows, near Versova Telephone Exchange, Andheri (West)
CALL: Tel: 022 6022 3444
TIME: 12 noon - 4 pm

NOTE: THE GUIDE REVIEWS ANONYMOUSLY AND PAYS FOR MEALS

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