A RESTAURANT REVIEW - WOODSIDE INN CAFE

Woodside Inn 

(Colaba , Mumbai)

First Impressions

This place has changed so many avataars in the past so many years, I had forgotten about its existence, expecting it to be a dark, dingy, stuffy, smoke filled pub filled with beer guzzling, office executives from the near by business district. But when we stopped by for a beer last Saturday, I was pleasantly surprised by the airy ambience and the absence of beer guzzling bozos chain smoking into the dark. Woodside Inn has gone through a revamp and I was impressed.

Service

The staff is pleasant , friendly and very knowledgable, especially the guys at the bar, they know their beers from their beers for sure!

The Food

Once again expecting it to be typical beer bar with nothing more than potato chips and sandwiches I was shocked at the very smart, appropriate and innovative menu. Smart because they took care of people who wished to be healthy with a variety of salads, egg preparations , appropriate because there was food which goes well with beer like beer battered potato skins (heavenly!) with a wasabi mayo, jalapeno poppers which oozed cheese and bits of corn and jalapenos the moment you bit into them and innovative bexause of the various combinations of flavours they had on offer. On the first occasion I tried the healthy Egg White Omelet with Goats cheese and caramalized onions which was absolutely fantastic and a superb combination for sure. The melted salty goat cheese mingled beautifully with the sweet and sharp caramelized onions. Even the Portobello Mushroom salad was crisp and warm but had fewer mushrooms that what I would have liked. With more people the second time around we could try a lot of their offerings starting with a Tomato Lemon Grass broth with mozzarella bread, just light for a broth with the refreshing taste of lemon grass, super healthy and super delicious. 

The mains included a Blackened Carrot and Beetroot burger which was amazing, sodifferent with a beautiful blend of carrots and beetroot, one charred and the other naturally sweet, Their Pappardelle or thick ribbon pasta with caramelized veggies was also fantastic, with the pasta smooth enough to melt in your mouth, and different flavors with every bite. 

The Spinach and Asparagus Risotto was just perfect, ( our combination) but it went down very well, textures just perfect, not too creamy nor too starchy! All of this guzzled down with chilled bottles of Schneider Wisse German Beer.A Sunday Lunch couldn't get better. The meal ended with a Spicy Hazelnut Ganache which was the only average dish in the entire otherwise fantastic meal. I can see this becoming a regular hangout !!!

Value For Money

The sides being about 125 each and the main between 250 -325 I think the dishes were reasonably priced. We were 5 of us and the bill came to about 1050 a head including the beer. But every penny was worth every bite! 

PIZZA

The Verdict

The two visits to Woodside have brought this small, cheerful and cozy eatery right on the top of list of favorites. Woodside Inn turned out to be everything I imagnied it NOT to be! 

So guys at Woodside Inn- keep up the quality, the innovation and the service !

A Restaurant Review - Di Napoli

Di Napoli 

(Nariman Point , Mumbai)

First Impressions

Almost missable, tucked away into the sides of Dalamal Towers in the corporate and financial district of Nariamn Poitnt, Di Napoli can be overlooked unless you are sure the address. A small pizzeria, bright, warm and welcoming, Di Napoli the brainchild of banker turned restaurateur Jai Thakur, it gives you an almost New York cafe feel with its glazed red tiled walls, bright lights and ikea furniture, both modern, trendy and fun. The menu basic simple with its focus on only one thing - Pizza Napoli stile!

Service

Service was quick and friendly, with the waiters knowing their stuff, but it was Thakur’s presence which made a lot of difference. It was nice to see that the owner cares about his patrons. Molto Buono!

The Food

Pizza Margherita

Pizza Funghi

Di Napoli is a PIZZERIA, with its focus on Pizza, Napoli style. A bit of warning here if you go there expecting regular thin n crispy or deep pan options think again. These are TRULY Napoli style soft based, oven baked hand rolled pizzas with just the right amount of gravy to make each bite wet and juicy! We ordered the Funghi & the Quattro Fromaggi.  12’ Pizza, warmly out of the oven smelled absolutely delicious with bits of the crust charred adding more to that wonderful aroma of a brick oven. On the first bite, the freshness of the italian tomatoes oozes out with warmth of the base. Almost naan-like consistency easy to fold an bite a la calzone, the base melts in the mouth leaving with delicious flavors of juicy tomatoes, wild mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. The charred bits of the curst make the pizza  rustic and oh so light. The Quattro or the four cheese pizza was wonderful as well, devoid of tomato gravy and the base topped with gorgonzola, mozzarella , feta and parmesan. Every bite oozed out a fresh cheese flavour be it the sharp gorgonzola, the mild feta, the stringy mozzarella or the rich parmesan, every cheese complimented the other! Inspite of so much cheese, the pizza was extremely light on the stomach and delicious on the palette!

Thakur informed us that the dough and the gravy were imported from Italy and cheese from some of the finest cheese makers in north India. The open to see oven emanates various aromas of pizzas being cooked. In one word superbly delicious!

Value For Money

If the ingredients remain the same, the pizza as light to eat, light on the stomach and light on the pocket as well, with a price tag of about 350 for the veg pizzas, the italian feather light dough and the italian juicy tomatoey gravy... its benissimo!!!

The Verdict

A much required genuine pizzeria in south Mumbai, the warmth of the restaurant and the rich flavors are worth a visit to this small joint even it means a long drive to get here. Buono Appetito!