Waterstones Bar + Grill

Critic´s Review

• Food: 3.5 / 5
• Service: 3.5 / 5
• Decor: 3.5 / 5

-By Rashmi Uday Singh

Found it. In Mumbai. An elegant glass-walled restaurant with trees all around it. I'm so passionately in love with trees and nature, that Im willingly to overlook the plastic creepers that hang in upside down pots from the restaurant ceiling, or the Astroturf grass on the lawn outside (alfresco dining too). Lush greenery and a breezy, laid back feel here. Yet another unique feature is the fact that all the dishes (world cuisine fare) are grilled on the Robata grill.nnDECOR 3.5nnIn the dusty, grimy, traffic choked underbelly of Sahar airport area, this lush nature-filled space delights. Enter Waterstones hotel and club, take the lift (why wallpaper of snowladen trees in the lift?) upto the second floor lobby, go past plastic sunflowers, over a charming winding pathway into the glassed in restaurant. Simple yet elegant, open kitchen, moulded plastic chairs complete the decor.nnSERVICE 3.5nnPolite. Attentive. Bound to be, except for one other person, we were the only ones in the restaurant for a Sunday lunch. I booked in Sushil and Sara Billaney's name ( our Dusseldorf buddies who accompanied us and gave it a thumbs up too) FOOD 3.5 Im a fan of the ancient Japanese Robata grill (London's Roka perfects the modern Japanese Robatayaki ) which has been hailed as the Cadillac of grilling". Even though the brilliant chef Zubin D Souza's Robata grill is not fired by the Japanese Binchotan coal, he still coaxes great flavors and textures out of the freshest produce. Be it the delicately feminie, melting, soft, plump brie wrapped in vine leaf (spiked with jalapeno relish and onion jam) or the very macho, hearty Half pounder juicy burger lush with tomatoes and caramelisd onions and superb thick, hand cup potato chips.nnHappily the Indian tenderloin steak is grilled to perfection, as is the seer fish which glistens with the herbed butter sauce. Veggies have some choice (veg pancakes, artichoke, achari paneer ) the grilled Polenta cakes layered with creamed mushrooms delight. Must end with the Lava cake in a pot, oozing dark chocolate and madras filtered coffee, accompanied by a home made chikki icrecream. Never eaten such a light crisp Baklava pastry before or such as superb (torch fired) Pineapple carpaccio.nnMINUS POINTSnnStay clear of the overpowering hickory wood smoked Tomato soup. Over cooked prawns take away from an other wise tasty orange and basil sauce. While the fish, Calamari and prawns of the Seafood platter are perfectly grilled, the lobster is tough. Sauce bearnaise (with the steak) is lackluster as is the chocolate and orange drippy mousse in a glass. And sure it's a brand new restaurant, but still an empty, desolate restaurant can be off putting. More vegetarian dishes are needed and Im informed that these are in the pipeline.nnMY POINTnnBe warned its a traffic choked drive to this Robata grill driven restaurant set amid lush nature.. Stay clear of the patchy dishes, be alert to the prices of the imported ones (eg US sirloin Rs 3150 ). Since I order extra dishes. I pay around Rs 9000 for four (no alcohol), however, average price pre head Rs 1800. Waterstones grill doesn't get everything right, but for most of it's outstanding grilled dishes (separate grillers for vegetarian and non vegetarian food), delightful desserts and the breezy-on-a-holiday feel, it deserves a big applause."