Food review: Trattoria, Vivanta by Taj — President in Mumbai

I have been quite a regular at Trattoria for a long time now and there’s really a very good reason for that — the food. I think they are one of the best pizza-makers in town and I would strongly recommend my personal favourite there, the margherita. I think the cheese is just perfect and the crust couldn’t be better. To go with the pizza, the best bet would be a prawn salad, which is again to die for.

You know, I’m not particularly a diet person and I love my food, but even for those who are extremely fitness and health conscious, a once-in-a-while indulgence of the taste buds here is what I would suggest. Next up would be their three cheese risotto, which is again one of my all-time favourites here. I’ve had these dishes at several restaurants, but I keep returning to this one over and over again, for more than just the food, which has been consistently good over the years. Their fresh juices are well done and you can be sure that no matter what the time of the day you order them, you’d get them absolutely fresh.

These juices also go down well with the pizzas. I think by now I’ve had almost all fresh fruit juices they’ve got on their menu and liked each one of them, so when it comes to having a juice, just call for any and, trust me, none will disappoint you.

One of the good qualities of the restaurant is that it’s open till late in the night and there have been times when I’ve walked into the place with my friends at really late hours. But their service is commendable, round-the-clock and, no matter what the time that we have visited, we’ve been very well-attended to. And this is not just because I’m an actor getting special treatment, but in fact, it’s because of the combination of the food, the service and the ambience that I’ve become a regular there. Talking about the ambience, well, it’s not exactly the place you’d want to go for an intimate dinner, but it couldn’t be more perfect for a fun night out with friends or family. The tables are well-spaced and despite the rush, you won’t feel like your personal space is being invaded.

Neil Nitin Mukesh is an actor and a foodie.

Name:Trattoria, Vivanta By Taj — President, Cuffe Parade 
Meal for two: Rs 3,000 (exclusive of drinks) 
Call: 022 66650808. 
Ratimg:****