Bar bar dekho

The Miss India of city bars opens at Tote, Mahalakshmi. Rochelle Pinto tells more.

Welcome to Tote, the obscenely spacious venue in a claustrophobic Mumbai.
With a restaurant, garden dining, bar and banquet area, all at one location, you won't be bumping elbows or unintentionally eavesdropping on the conversation next to you. The white washed walls and green picket fences are flavours of colonial India… You will either feel inspired or horribly pretentious. The décor features supporting beams resembling the trees outside, a leitmotif that also dominates the shape of the chairs in the al fresco dining area (they may look uncomfortable, but you'll be surprised.)

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Drink up
Save the restaurant for later, head up to the bar and sample the cocktails first. The bar, with wooden irregular panelling and a huge counter, needs a moment for itself. It also features a suspended floor space that could make a tipsy customer very uncomfortable, but offers a great aerial view of the busy bar.

Even a disastrous cocktail will go down smoothly if a good bartender is serving you. Don't worry, the merry men behind this particular bar don't get it wrong. Trust your server when he recommends the Sour Passion cocktail (Rs 385), a mix of vodka and fresh passion fruit juice, that's tangy and crisp. The Quenilla (Rs 385), vodka, blueberry and smoked rosemary, may be too sweet for some palettes. Beer drinkers needn't care, a pint of Kingfisher Ultra is a budget-friendly Rs 180.
If you order the Stir Fry Prawn as an appetiser, you'll be disappointed with the itsy-bitsy prawns cowering inside a giant white bowl. It's only when you start eating, that you realise the place is doing a great disservice to itself because the portions are not too bad.

The music helps conversation, though Friday nights might not follow the same rule. Smokers, be prepared to schlep yourselves all the way outside. If there ever was a good time to quit, it’s now.

Garden food
If you plan to dine there, al fresco is the way to go. Service is quick and if you don't mind the occasional cat joining you for dinner, the setting is memorable. (Perfect for a third date... The speakers spout the kind of music that will have you planning for your very own after-party.)

Try the Braised Pork Belly (Rs 685), though a little more sauce would have been nice. The unadventurous can safely opt for the Roast Chicken with Idlis and Sambar (Rs 585). For dessert, the Prune and Chocolate Macaroon with Rum and Raisin ice-cream and Honey Jujubes (Rs 385) offers a short trip to heaven.

At the end of the night, your wallet will seem to have shrunk, but your tastebuds will thank you for a good time.