Unwind at this roomy tea house in Bandra

Karipatta Delight tea with Crispy Bread Upma and homemade chutney

Step into the Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea House, a newly-opened tea restaurant at Bandra, and you are transported to a quaint bungalow-like setting where one spacious room leads to another. Warmly-lit with ample space, the outlet presents different tea-related elements in its setting. From quintessential Irani café-style chairs for seating to old-world cast iron and enamel teapots dotting the walls, the space houses a tabla gifted by Zakir Hussain and a sitar by Niladri Kumar. You can also unwind with a book from their stocked pile or play chess as you tuck into their fare over strains of classical music.

The interiors of the tea house. Pics/Sameer Markande

Tea talk
Quite expansive, the beverage menu comprises 30 different varieties of tea - milk teas from different regions of India, iced teas, tea lemonades, tea lattes and even tea smoothies. While most of their tea is sourced from Darjeeling and Assam, it is brewed in-house and comes infused with unusual ingredients such as cumin and coriander that feature in the Jaipur Royal Tea (Rs 130), or the toasted coconut that goes in the Malabari Vanilla Coconut Tea (Rs 160). Some of these varieties are sold in their retail section too. Designed by French chef Gregory Bazire, the food menu includes a breakfast section (till noon), lunch and dinner options, along with fare that can be paired with tea.

Karipatta Delight tea with Crispy Bread Upma and homemade chutney

What we liked
Among the items we tried, we loved the Karipatta Delight (Rs 130), a warm cup of slightly spicy tea with an aftertaste of curry leaves. It was paired with Crispy Bread Upma with homemade chutney (Rs 220), and Ragi Masala Dhokla with roasted anise tomatoes (Rs 220). While some bread pieces in the upma were chewy, we liked the crispy ragi dhokla stuffed with tangy tomato chutney.

Another favourite was their Special Fluffy Omelet with toasted besan bread (Rs 220) paired with Pink Jasmine tea lemonade (Rs 190). Topped with a savoury gravy, the puffed-up egg omelette was of melt-in-the-mouth variety and the bread, made in their in-house bakery, added to the crunch. With a range of unique options, this is one tea party you should attend.

Time: 7.30 am to 11.30 pm
At: Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea House, St John Baptist Road, near Bru World Cafe, Bandra (W).
Call: 26420330

This was a preview and hence, not anonymous.