The Tasting Room, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Hungry customers stretching their necks out like turtles, eager to be allotted a place. Every small, medium, large table occupied. Hip youngsters larking around pitcher laden tables. Families lunching in quiet. Waiters scurrying with loaded trays.
This is a constant racket at The Tasting Room, an upscale restaurant nestled in the famous Raghuvanshi Mills Compound of Lower Parel. It sits peacefully on the first floor above Good Earth, a place for great interiors shopping.

I love the wooden staircase that climbs up to knock the door and let us in. Dont let this humble door fool you.
It opens to this…
Walk in straight from here and you’ll enter their in-house boutique for some ethnic cotton-wear shopping.

Ambience: A chandelier here, a chandelier there and a rustic vibe everywhere. They gleam happily at you; with price tags attached. Wonder if they were for sale.
The ambience of an old run down mill has been retained – stoned floors, tall ceilings, et al. Kitschy decor, rustic book shelves, vintage wall murals all add to the beauty. People across ages and nationalities are seen lounging for hours.

Seating: With huge floor space inside and in the veranda, you wont have to wait too long. Variety of themes are beautifully incorporated for interiors. Corner couches, wooden benches, bar chairs, wing chairs seamlessly blend into each other. Tables suit all sizes of groups – from couples to a group of 10. Business lunches and dinners are hosted here too.

Menu: Beautiful juxtaposition of modern European and exotic Italian cuisines.  A smorgasbord of sandwiches and salads, array of coffees, assortment of teas, a bevy of desserts…. you name it and guess, they have it.  You’ll have your eyeballs rolling all over.
What more, there’s also a Kids Menu for your tiny ones.
Be gladly befuddled by their exquisite and exhaustive menu for wines, many from the much acclaimed Sula vineyards. Guess that’s suggestive of their name 🙂

The Beer Batter Prawns in Tartare Sauce were cooked to perfection.

We loved the Smoked Chicken and Mushroom Sandwich with Garlic Aioli.

The Wild Dried Mushroom Risotto was just about okay. A sizable portion too.

We washed these down with an Orange Blossom, a tangy cooler with mint and peach syrup and a glass of Edmara Pinot Noir.

Service: Although you are attended to quickly, the order takes time from kitchen to the table. Considering the number of patrons they serve, its okay to ignore.
If you are lost hovering, pondering and flipping over the menu, don’t hesitate to ask the waiter for suggestions. He’ll gladly oblige.

My Say: Food is delectable. Full marks (plus few extra) for the inviting ambience. Service is great.
Negatives could be the price. 2 to 3 grands easily for a meal of two.
Its tad difficult to locate for a first-timer. They could place couple of signboards to make the place easy to locate.