Where's the drama?

You won't find dramatic chow on Prithvi Theatre Cafe's new menu

For theatre, music, literature and art lovers, there was a time when Prithvi Cafe was the place to meet fellow cultureatis. You could sit here, sip onu00a0 cutting chais or cups of frosted Irish Coffee (depending on what your pocket could afford) and continue a conversation on Brechtian theatre from noon till sunset. If you ran out of company, you'd simply eavesdrop on conversation at the next table.



Over time, the chai has become expensive and the piping hot Methi Parathas have disappeared. The crowd has changed too -- more wannabe television and ad guys hanging out than genuine theatrewallahs. When a colleague informed this writer about the new Mughlai and Indian menu at the cafu00e9, we hoped the food would be redeeming. With a fervent prayer, we waited for a table and watched Pt Satyadev Dubey interact with theatre enthusiasts. Two easily missed boards inform you about the self-service policy. We ordered for the Non Veg Combo (Rs 180) and Aloo Paratha, and were handed a receipt without so much as informing where the slip needs to be exchanged.u00a0

This wasn't going well and we hadn't even begun our meal. The food arrived 15 minutes later. The combo came with two pieces of average chicken kebabs with green chutney that had been lying in the refrigerator for long. The chicken gravy and biryani had one piece of bone each to certify they were non-vegetarian, and the roomali rotis were stale. The saving grace was the kheer.

In case you plan to drop by, despite this review, stick to a Cappuccino (Rs 35) or Sulemani Chai (Rs 15). The Chocolate Doughnut (Rs 25) we tried, in a bid to forget the horrible dinner, didn't help. Best idea? Drop by for a play, and dine elsewhere.

At: Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Vile Parle (W). Prithvi Cafu00e9 didn't know we were there.
The GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals