Villa Vandre recently set up shop in a quiet corner in Bandra. Yamini Walia visited the restaurant to find out what they have on offer
A few days before I visited Villa Vandre, a friend, who had been there before, was gushing about the food. So, when I was asked to review the place, I was incredibly excited, to say the least.
Villa Vandre is a tiny, quaint eatery, nestled in a small corner in Bandra. Its blue and white interiors will remind you of a French villa and the lighting sets the mood for a relaxed evening. The restaurant has tiny tea pots and jars placed on the wooden shelves, which add a vintage touch to the décor. The open kitchen is a nice addition as well.
My dining companion and I began our meal with their Caesar Salad (Rs 245), which left us extremely disappointed. It was way too salty, making it inedible. So, right from the beginning, our expectations were lowered. Moving past this, we tried their Smoked Salmon (Rs 300) — the salmon was cooked perfectly but again, the excess salt was an issue. Nevertheless, the delicious salmon did manage to salvage the dish .
Next up, we moved on to local cuisines such as Goan and Parsi. We ordered the Homemade East Indian Sausage Fry (Rs 315), which had the potential to be a great dish, but unfortunately, failed to leave a mark. The overwhelming mashed potato base was what let it down. After all, who expects to eat more potatoes than sausage — in a sausage dish?
However, the Mutton Dhansak with Brown Rice (Rs 295) proved to be the highlight of our evening. The mutton was cooked to perfection and the gravy was spot on. We would have preferred a larger portion of the rice, but this is one dish that I wouldn’t mind visiting Villa Vandre again for.
Inspired by the chef’s travels around the world was the Homemade Ravioli with Nutty Sage Butter (Rs 345) and Miss Brown’s Jerk Chicken (Rs 315). The well-presented ravioli was too thick and didn’t taste very nice. The jerk chicken was an all-round star in terms of taste, presentation as well as quality. The only grouse I had was with the quantity — I wasn’t expecting a main course dish to have just three pieces of chicken!
As usual, our bulging bellies were not going to stop us from ordering dessert. So, we picked the Vanilla Crème Brulee (Rs 160), which was so light and delicious that we managed to finish it off in a matter of seconds.
All in all, my experience at Villa Vandre was average. Although the varied menu aims to offer you an array of cuisines, at the end of the day, it’s just confusing, especially since they don’t really get most of them right. From what I tried, the only two dishes that I would recommend from what I tried are the Mutton Dhansak and Miss Brown’s Jerk Chicken — and of course, the dessert.
Where Villa Vandre, Shop 3, May Flower, Off Perry Cross Road, Pali Hill, Bandra (w)
Meal for two Rs 600 Alcohol served No
Contact 265279009