Mumbai’s flagship wine bar finally makes its way to the city’s most popular suburb, Bandra. Replacing the Tex-Mex eatery Taco Fresco on Khar Pali Road, Ivy Grande Wine Café and Bistro is hoping to increase lane traffic in the area. Done up in a true vineyard tasting-room style, mimicking its Andheri and Worli outlets, Ivy Grande has an alfresco area with wooden barrel stools.
The inside section is done-up with red walls and mahogany brown leatherite low seating. Saluting its two-year presence in the city, the bar shelves are stocked with some of the cheapest and freshest wine money can buy – from Tiger Hill, Vino, Indage and even Sula.
Ivy Grande’s grand Bandra opening was a long time coming, which is why the menu is that more extensive than its counterparts. Though there are old dishes like Hyderabadi keema, Thai curry and their hallmark sausage and cheese nachos, there is also a rather surprising addition — Indo-Chinese food. Before we got lost in the six-page menu, we attacked the wine first.
For a balmy evening, we ordered a bottle of their house wine, Ivy Chenin Blanc (Rs 479). Fresh, aromatic, earthy and sour – our tall glasses kept us company through our social sins – gossip and gluttony.
For starters, we ordered house favourites Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (Rs 155) as the melt-in-the mouth white wine accompaniment and Chicken Spring Rolls from their new oriental menu (Rs 99). While cheese and vino is a match made in wine-barrel heaven, oily fried rolls are really the last thing you want to have.
For main course, we braved the orient express again with the Chicken Schzewan Triple X Combo (Rs 139) that included lumps of gravy-covered chicken served on a bed of rice tossed with garden-fresh vegetables.
Now this is the perfect blend of east and west, with the light, spicy flavours blending well with the organic wine. Ivy seems to have hit the perfect vino run again.
Now this is the perfect blend of east and west, with the light, spicy flavours blending well with the organic wine. Ivy seems to have hit the perfect vino run again.
What: Ivy Grande Wine Café and Bistro
Where: Mangal Bhavan, junction of 14th and Khar Pali Road, Khar
Call: 022 65347788
What’s on the menu: Fresh and preserved Indian wine, Mexican, Italian and Chinese cuisine
Drinking: Yes
Smoking: No
What we like
1.Prompt service
2.Extensive wine menu
What we don’t like
1.Chinese starters
2.No seafood
Rating: ***