Unfortunately, this fine-dining restaurant is located at a jinxed spot. It’s where Copper Chimney was once situated and then shut down, as did Pebble Bay, which came after. Now, Mangiamo stands in its place.

The seating area outside is somewhat similar. Dim lounge music complements the lighting and unusually comfortable seating. Then there’s the inside area for those who prefer their meals served hot with some Rihanna and ‘Empire state of mind…’.

The menu offers an extensive range of soups, salads, pastas, risottos and dessert, apart from wines and other alcohol. The cocktails are priced in the range of Rs. 400 and Rs. 550, a pint of regular beer costs Rs. 225 and a 30 ml of dark rum is for Rs. 225. Patron tequila (Rs 500) and Absinthe (Rs 450) stood out as unusual contenders.

You tend not to expect too much from the joint at first, fearing it too shall shut shop soon. But the food tests our theory. Within minutes of the bread basket being served along with three buttery dips, arrive your drinks.

The highlight of the meal, which deserves first mention, was the Asparagi Proscuitto Di Formaggio (Rs 495). The grilled asparagus wrapped in parma ham and served with melted cheese isn’t a common sight on Indo-Italian menus for a reason — not everyone may get it this right. The Alla Romana (Rs 525) is a recommendation for fans of white sauce pastas.

The chicken and wild mushrooms tossed in cream sauce melt in your mouth. For a change, you feel like the pasta was indeed tossed with the chicken, which stood out above the flavour of the  ‘tadka’.

The Quattro Formaggi (Rs 595), a four-cheese pizza topped with Mozzarella, Fontina, Gorgonzola and Parmesan, was served hot out of the oven.

If left uneaten, for a reason unknown to us, the paper-thin crust becomes biscuit. Some may enjoy the crispy after-base, but we personally felt it cooled a bit too soon. We can safely say the closest we came to being disappointed was the Grilled Tenderloin Steak (Rs 595), which was served with the usual sides — mashed potatoes, butter vegetables and green peppercorn sauce. Ordered well done, the meat didn’t arrive as charred as expected and was powdery on the inside.

On the whole, Mangiamo is relatively harsh on your wallet, but if you believe money spent on food is money spent well, this is the place to be at.

What: Mangiamo
Where: 11/1, Kalpak Corner Building, Off Linking Road, Bandra West , Mumbai
Call: 26510077, 26510044
What’s on the menu: Italian, pastas, pizzas
Drinking: Yes
Smoking: Yes

What we like
The food
The ambience
Contrasting music
The service

What we don’t like
The residential building looming over the outside seating area
Traffic noise
Rating: ****