Sweet and savoury

As a kid whenever I went out for lunch I invariably heard my mother say lsquoFinish your food if you want dessertrsquo And since then the mind has been trained to wait for the bestu00a0On a hot summer afternoon on Thursday I walked into Vinoteca by Sula the newly opened wine and tapas bar at Worli I almost missed it for its grey walls and meek nameplate Fresh smiles greeted me as I slid into a high stoolchair back facing the restaurant A pleasantlooking waiter suggested I sit on the opposite side ldquoSo you can enjoy the ambiancerdquo he added Impressive Vinoteca by Sula at Worli The outside seating is casual with high and normal tables The warm maroon walls are adorned with pictures of vineyards and grapes The bottlechandelier made of green glass with yellow bulbs above the bar reminds one of a sleek and adventurous anacondau00a0From a wide variety of international and India wines we settled for a glass of Cono Sur Bicycle Pinot Noir 2010 Central Valley Chile mdash a rich fruity wine with notes of cherry raspberry plums and strawberry mdash and Ruffino Chianti DOCG 2008 mdash made from Sangiovese grapes Both the wines were deliciously woody and wellaged If the wine menu spoils you for choices ask for a tasting Salteado De Setas Y Esparragos PicsSunil Tiwari The food menu has tapas Spanish appetisers and pintxos skewered snacks available only at night We ordered Salteado De Setas Y Esparragos salad Rs 400 a combination of sauteacuteed mushroom asparagus walnuts and cherry tomatoes with cheese and white wine The tangy taste of tomatoes was balanced by the fresh taste of asparagus feta cheese and delicious mushroomsu00a0Next up was Tapas Patata Bravas Rs 250 mdash diced potatoes fried and served in a delicate spicy pink sauce While the potatoes needed more salt the sauce made of egg and mayo was a hit We also ordered Tapas Escalivada Rs 250 mdash grilled eggplant capsicum cherry tomatoes baked in parsley and garlic It was almost drowning in raw olive oil On informing the waiter out came chef Silvia asserting this was the authentic healthy way to eat it She offered to drain out the olive oil and serve some warm bread Then we ordered Tapas Del Mar Marinera Grill Kingfish Surmai Rs 450 in fishermanrsquos sauce from Ibiza ripened tomatoes with fresh garlic prawns and clams which were not available when we visited The fish was lightly grilled to perfection and had the right amount of tanginess Since it was a fairly dry dish we had to take sips of wine occasionallyu00a0As they say save the best for the last The Pollo Ala Narenja Rs 300 mdash chicken breast glazed with piquant orange herbs and liver pateacute and light soy sauce mdash was the winner The strong citrusy notes of orange sauce uplifted the dish teasing our taste budsu00a0 From the dessert menu the Lemon Tart Rs 175 was a tad strong and on the bitter side But it was the Cabaret Shiraz Gelato made by Amore that bowled us over It left us with a sweet spirited high that was well worth the wait Food Good Service Excellent Ambiance Warm At Ground Floor Sunville Building 9 Dr Annie Besant Road Worli Call 8691022900 40046234u00a0