This new café in Bandra offers an oasis of calm with comforting food

Kunafa nest

Finding a quiet corner in Mumbai is rare. Restaurants and cafés are always buzzing with people, and tend to get pretty noisy. In a not-so-quiet street in Bandra however, a quaint new café called The Nest lies tucked away on the first floor of Hotel Metro Palace. The place is spacious and pretty. There is an indoor air-conditioned space as well as an al fresco section. The interiors are dressed in off-white and earthy tones of beige. The mute green furnishing is complemented by bamboo furniture, jute mats, macramé wall hangings, rope chairs, pretty plants, and warm fairy lights. There's a selection of books and boardgames on display replicating the cosy corner of a home.

Chicken shish tawook. Pic/Shadab Khan

The menu features a mix of Asian, Continental, European and Lebanese cuisines along with café staples. There is a wide selection of specialty coffees sourced directly from farms, and an all-day breakfast that includes toasties on sourdough bread, sandwiches, eggs, uttapam, waffles, idli skewers and salads. There's also a special menu for kids and special pet treats at this pet-friendly café.

Shoyu ramen with tofu and chicken makes for a comforting meal

When we drop by for dinner, we choose to start with the Middle Eastern and European small plates. First to arrive at our table is the chicken shish tawook (Rs 570) with pita bread, pickled vegetables and garlic sauce. The meat is perfectly cooked and the mildly spicy marination worked brilliantly for us. The lamb meatballs in garlic sauce (Rs 600) served with sourdough bread and feta, is disappointing as it tasted dry and practically favourless. Of the mains, the Tuscan mushroom (R650) gets a thumbs-up; it is cooked with a deliciously thick and creamy tomato sauce and comes served with a side of mashed potato, sautéed vegetables and house-baked garlic bread.

Bamboo furniture at the eatery

From the Asian section of the menu, the broth of the shoyu ramen (Rs 550) with broccoli, bean sprouts and spring onion, is most comforting. The best though, is saved for the last. We highly recommend that you don't skip dessert at this peaceful haunt. The delicate, crisp kunafa nest (R550), paired beautifully with warm gulab jamuns and cream cheese, is the highlight of our meal.

The staff deserves special mention. They are warm, attentive and efficient. We love the fact that unlike what has become the norm, the ambiance at the terrace café allows us to have a quiet, relaxed meal where we can lounge, chat and unwind.

The Nest
At: 1st Floor, Hotel Metro Palace, Hill Road, opposite Marks & Spencer, Bandra West.
Time: 7 am to 12 am
Call: 9619814650

'''' Exceptional, '' Excellent, '' very Good, ' Good, Average.
The Nest didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals