Cafe Mambo

Critic´s Review

• Buzz: 3.5 / 5
• Service: 0/5
• Decor: 3.5 / 5

-By Odette Mascarenhas

There used to be an old song Hey mambo Italiano, written by Rosemary Clooney and sung by Dean Martin. The song might have been redefined over the years. But Mambo's, the cafe with a nightclub, an all-night concept of David and Ricardo de Souza, is still going strong. So why has Mambo's become a household word? The busy Tito's lane is thronging with people both young and old seeking an avenue to 'chill' out. Listen to the lyrics of that age-old number: "Hey mambo, don't wanna tarantella/….no more a mozzarella/Try an enchilada with da fish a bac a lab and then a hey goombah/ I love a how you dance a rumba …” Well, you might not get to rumba here but with English hip-hop and house music played within an AC environment, there is no chance "you ain't a gonna go nowhere.” Just the lyrics, but true. The mood is infectious, the pulse rocking. And when there is a need to 'chill' down with some spirit, the bar has an exhaustive menu with old favourite mixes - Bloody Mary, daiquiri, martinis as well as those shot glasses which have to be knocked back in abundance, filled with tequila of course. Play hookey with the hookah; match the strawberry flavour with a strawberry daiquiri… Great combo. As for the finger foods, the cafe has a wide variety of 'snaky' favourites. It reminds you of Lou Bega's jive number Mambo No. 5 - a little bit of everything on the side. Momos, dosas, pizzas, Tandoori delights, grills… A concept very similar to a sidewalk cafe. Come dawn and the party hoppers could still be doing their very own style of surya namaskar to the music at Mambo's. Hey Mambo's! You know how we love to dance.