Verandah
Verandah

Successful restaurants are rarely only about the food they serve, but rather the overall harmony of its menu, service, and ambiance. (More pix here.) Not only do these all have to be of an appropriate standard, but they also have to complement and support each other into an overall pleasurable experience. Verandah, a new vegetarian cafe recently opened in Raghuvanshi Mills, unfortunately struggles to find this balance. Of the three, we found the restaurant’s food to be a potential strong point, while ambiance, and particularly service dragged. While Verandah’s modest menu sports many lunch-friendly salads and sandwiches, we found the heavy marble, granite and velvet stylings a bit weighty for the lighter-hearted fare (not to mention the carnivorous mosquitoes we complained about to no avail). Meanwhile, clueless waiters not only struggle to recognize – let alone describe – a large number of menu items, but they seem to forget a few of our orders all together. On a bright note, some of the food selections that did show up managed to pleasantly surprise our group of four decidedly non-vegetarian diners.

Verandah
Verandah

Salads

We started with three salads, all of which, while not necessarily authentic, were a satisfying combination of lettuce, veggies, and in one case fresh fruit and nuts. The Verandah Caesar Salad was a mix of iceberg and romaine lettuce tossed with grilled veggies and focaccia croutons while the Rocket and Granny Smith used a well-balanced pairing of crunchy walnuts and sweet orange honey dressing to complement fresh apple and pear slices. We found the Greek Salad more akin to a run-of-the-mill garden salad with a few olives thrown in, but again, the combination satisfied.

Sandwiches/”Appetizers”

The real stars of the menu are the various sandwiches on offer. The Balsamic Roasted Mushroom came as a savory spread between two slices of thick, perfectly grilled tomato and olive focaccia bread, while the Tomato, Basil and (not quite) Buffalo Mozzarella made for a gooey, comforting filling between crusty baguette. The oddly classified “Appetizers” appeared with mixed results – the Sweet Potato and Truffle Raviolis in Kaffir Lime Emulsion tasted fresh with a subtle garlic and spice kick, while the Grilled Organic Zucchini and Baby Eggplant Lasagna tasted bland and earthy, pushing our vegetarian limits.

Balsamic Roasted Mushroom
Balsamic Roasted Mushroom
Tomato, Basil and Buffalo Mozzarella
Tomato, Basil and Buffalo Mozzarella
Sweet Potato and Truffle Raviolis in Kaffir Lime Emulsion
Sweet Potato and Truffle Raviolis in Kaffir Lime Emulsion
Grilled Organic Zucchini and Baby Eggplant Lasagna
Grilled Organic Zucchini and Baby Eggplant Lasagna

Dessert

Dessert was an equally mixed affair – the Organic Carrot Cake was moist but heavy on frosting; the NYC Baked Cheesecake tasty but grainy; Grandma’s Apple Pie well filled but poorly crusted; and the Baked Chocolate, Maple and Walnut Tart – well, that lacked in most departments.

NYC Baked Cheesecake
Organic Carrot Cake
Maple and Walnut Tart
NYC Baked Cheesecake
Grandma’s Apple Pie
Grandma’s Apple Pie
Baked Chocolate, Maple and Walnut Tart
Baked Chocolate, Maple and Walnut Tart

Saving Grace?

As we prepared to wrap up, we glimpsed at what may be the real potential for this otherwise confused café – an impressive selection of bagged, loose leaf and “blossoming” organic teas including herbal and flavored variants that promise to satisfy even the most picky of tea drinkers. So if you’re looking for a light lunch or a leisurely afternoon tea, Verandah may be an option worth exploring – but if it’s a more serious meal you’re after, we’d suggest holding off on until all the kinks and identity crises are sorted out.

Blossoming Tea
Blossoming Tea
Blossoming Tea
Blossoming Teas
Blossoming Tea
Blossoming Tea

WTF is a Meal for Two?

Average Salad: Rs. 200-250
Average Sandwich: Rs. 200-250
Average “Appetizer”: Rs. 200-250
Average Desert: Rs. 150-175

Average Tea: Rs. 100-200
(all prices as of early 2011)

The Details

Verandah The Cafe
Raghuvanshi Mills Compound
Inside Elegant Marbles
Senapati Bapat Marg
Lower Parel, Mumbai – 400013
T: +(91)-(22)-32255122