Cafe at the NCPA

Rest : Cafe at the NCPA
Meal : Dinner
Loc : NCPA, Nariman Point.


I was hoping to check out the Cafe at the NCPA later this month, as i had tickets to Pagliacci however it was not to be (shall have dinner after the show at Amadeus instead) and we ended up there for dinner this past week.

Owned and managed by the same folks who run Amadeus, NCPA cafe is an cozy outdoor space, perfect for the cooler months. Once the summer/monsoon comes, i hope they have a plan in place, like Flamboyante in Cuffe Parade or Dome which is primarily outdoors but managed the summer/monsoon well with an awning and coolers.

The menu is more or less Cafe centric,  and the influences range from Europe to Asia with Indian accents. So we have sandwiches, salads, some soup, kathi rolls, however they also have a selection of mains as well including Indian and alsoa few Dim Sum selections.

In keeping with the Cafe theme, they serve a few smoothies, i chose the mish mash of berries which i liked a great deal, not a big smoothie fan but im sure this will find takers.

i forget this one, the wife ordered it and was quite happy with her selection. 

They have an open kitchen which is a great, ergonomic solution, however, to anyone seated across from the space, it can get pretty loud with the banging of utensils. Try and pick a table towards either end and you will be fine.

The baked Camembert was infused with garlic and then served with a side of garlic toast as well. Fantastic lill job, the garlic toast was perfect and one can never go wrong with a hunk of Camembert.. the balsamic pistachio drizzle was not bad but did nothing to elevate the dishes.

Grape salad with chevre.. dissapointing. This one works better if its cold, served with bitter rockter leaves, which can then play off the sweet grapes, throw in some olives perhaps.. idea is sound but needs reworking. Had a nice little version of this at the Cafe by the Beach.

The Dim Sum was a complete impulse pick, not bad, the mushroom filling was okay, a little sticky in the mouth but not bad.

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The wife ordered the sandwich, tomato, basil and i think it was mozzarella, she is a big Caprese fan and i thought the sandwich was pretty decent.

For my main i ordered the jacket potato but it just had way too much going on, as i asked for mushrooms as additional topping. Less is more sometimes, perhaps need to rework this too, a jacket potato topped with some cheddar and just baked beans is good enough.

Okay, in all honesty, this was the best cheesecake i have had in a long LONG time served with seasonal fruits, which happened to be Strawberry.. freshly made, the cheesecake was so delicate, the ricotta so lush that it did not take very long to run through the dessert. Tremendous, i hope this was not a fluke.

Lastly, the chef recommended a filo with strawberry and what seemed like ricotta as well, this was excellent too, the wife loved it, although i think the cheesecake was stronger.

Overall, the space is outdoors and the ambiance lovely  especially this time of the year, they have thankfully not blared music which is a huge plus. The menu itself has a bit of variety to appeal to a widish audience. A few dishes are good ideas but need to be reworked.

Service was quick and friendly and the pricing is lower than an Indigo Deli with a far superior ambiance.

Food : 7/10

Service : 8/10
Damage : 2000 for 2