Food review: Cafe by the Beach in Mumbai

Cafe by the Beach
Mumbai

You fight your way through a local train all day and run through the busy streets in the hope of discovering a new restaurant. “It’s very romantic, forget the food, the ambience is to die for,” I am told. Expectations have never been higher.
 
As we risk our lives to hop across the ever-so-busy Marine Drive, we have worked up an appetite. We walk into the soundtrack of trance music and the headlights of the oncoming traffic have been replaced by tea-lights, fairy lights and the light emanating from the well-lit pier at the H-2-O complex at Girgaum chowpatty. By the time we settle into our sea-facing table on the deck, we find it hard to believe that we’re in the city.

The Air India building reminds us of the harsh reality and we get back to the task on hand — sampling the food at the café. But we decide to have a couple of drinks to aid us in the process. With much trepidation about the fact that we are right next to the sea, we order a Chocolate Tsunami shake which is smooth and chocolaty; I’d gladly drown to my death in this rich dose of theobromine. The Rose Tea on the other hand is a warm, light accompaniment to a cold, windy — by Mumbai standards — evening.
 
A tablet, the traditional kind, holds in place a simple menu with three main course options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians each. The regular menu is elaborate in comparison as it offers croissants, cheeses, teas, shakes, bouché, sandwiches, wraps and more. Upon investigation, we discover that the scenic property does not have a licence to cook on site and hence most of their food comes partially prepared from a central kitchen. My love for freshly prepared food does lead to a raised brow, however it would be unfair to judge a restaurant by its menu and hence we decide to start with a watermelon and feta cheese salad and upon staff recommendation, we get the Mushroom Stroganoff Bouche.
 
The bouche is not the usual size (I have always eaten bite-sized amuse bouches) and is a hefty affair with veggies and mash on the side. The watermelon salad looks very much like the one we often enjoy at The Tasting Room, but the slices are a little too thick, the cheese isn’t crumbled across evenly and the balsamic vinegar is a little more than we can handle. What the salad lacks, the bouche makes up for with its heady herb flavoured mushroom sauce packed in a flaky puff pastry.
 
The evening moves forward and every table at the café is filled up, even so, you don’t feel like you’re in a crowd. The open setting, the music and the spaced out seating probably gives each table the privacy it requires -- a luxury in Mumbai restaurants. The Lemongrass Cooler keeps us company as we chit-chat while waiting for our main course.
 
The Ravioli of Sundried Tomatoes, Pine Nut and Ricotta comes dressed in a rich creamy sauce, which is delicious but rather too rich for our liking. We preferred the light and fragrant Wholewheat Fettucine with Basil and Bocconcini which with its cherry tomato, cheese and basil topping almost recreated the Italian flag on our plate! The Chicken stuffed with asparagus and leek was definitely a winner but then we tasted the Ravioli of Prawns which had perfectly cooked prawn meat with a fragrant garlic sauce -- aromatic and yet, quite delicately flavoured. Any doubts about the taste-factor going down because of meals being pre-cooked certainly went out the window, err pier.
 
We finished our meal with an assortment of desserts on the menu that leaves you spoilt for choice. Café by the Beach is one of the few places in Mumbai that makes tangy Lemon Meringue Tarts, but these ones could use a little more of the lemon curd and a little less of the meringue and there’s banoffee pie which with its incredible sweetness is only meant for those with an insatiable sweet-tooth. Upon the chef’s insistence we try the Philadelphia Cheesecake with an orange drizzle — low on sugar and rich as a cheesecake should be — and the rich Tiramisu which is pure mascarpone.

Of course, the café, as impressive as the ambience is, leaves you wanting some more. You’re seated by the sea, there’s sand at your feet and the only thing missing is drink to lighten your senses. Given the licence limitation, chef Ashay Desai makes a formidable effort to serve quality entrees but to me, it would be perfectly okay to nibble on cheese or croissants by the sea.
 
Make a trip to Café by the Beach for a date over a cup of coffee and croissants or chill with some shakes and nibbles with your friends. Make it a dinner destination only if you must. While the main course is dishy, do not expect elaborate fare. 

In any case, if you’re at CBB, the focus is on the experience, which is governed by the service and ambience, and the romantic seaside outdoor setting is worth relishing!

Café By The Beach, H-2-O Complex, Girgaum Chowpatty, Mumbai.  Tel no: 022 65650040

We recommend: Mushroom Stroganoff Bouche, Chocolate Tsunami Shake, Seafood Ravioli, Tiramisu, Baked Cheesecake

Average cost for a meal for two: Rs1200