Saturday afternoon and I am getting ready for TabulaBeach Cafe. Somehow this place was always jinxed for me, whenever I made a scene for this place, either it got cancelled or the venue got changed (:p). So when I got an invite for the launch of TabulaBeach 2.0, I was really happy-“the jinx was finally getting over”(ta-daaa).
On a warm sunny afternoon, the cafe interiors were a welcome sight. Open space with rustic interiors, sand used as a flooring, waterfall in the background, rustic dreamy curtains and beautiful hanging cages with lights in them. It feels as if you have entered a shack in Goa, the beautiful interiors make you feel sooo relaxed.
TabulaBeach -Beautiful ceiling
What made me feel super-duper-truper happy was the sign which said “Dog Friendly zone”. Finally a cafe in Delhi which allows Dogs (God you have been listening). Being an avid Dog lover this made me really happy and pissed, happy- as I finally have a place where I could take my little pooch to and pissed-if my editor had informed me earlier, my plus one would have definitely been my dog (:p). There were small goodies and treats kept for the pets and I was even informed if this idea works, the owners would love to introduce a menu specially for the pets (woohoo).
TabulaBeach is c0-owned by Sahil Gupta. After having successful restaurants like Ploof Deli and Hungry Monkey, he decided to start a temporary pop-up cafe by “TabulaBeach Cafe” but he got such a good response, he decided to make this idea permanent, thus the name “TabulaBeach 2.0”. With a lease period of 9 years, TabulaBeach is here to stay. Sahil is opening up another cafe soon by the name of “Arriba” which is going to be a mexican bar and is going to be the new neighbor of TabulaBeach (by the way I am just loving how the Baniya’s are taking over the hospitality sector in Delhi #GoBaniyas :p).
I sampled a lot of dishes and drinks that afternoon, really enjoyed my meal. Almost everything worked but I am going to list down my favorites of the afternoon:-
Drinks:-
1. Coconut Iced Tea- Somehow I thought this drink is going to be quiet stupid but it worked sooo well. The coconut and iced tea somehow blends really well together, highly refreshing and much recommend drink for summer afternoons.
2. Pink Panther- a slush of rum, strawberry, pineapple pulp, fresh coconut and lime. This drink is absolutely fabulous and I quiet enjoyed it. A must for those girly night outs.
3. Vodka Chikoo Eclair- So the combination sounds really weird (and that is why I ordered it :p) but somehow it works. That is what I find quiet amusing about this place, the drink combination sounds funny but somehow they all work. Just a word of warning, this drink is for those who like their liquor strong (:p).
Food:-
1. Red Wine Poached Beetroot and Mascarpone salad- On a sunny afternoon, this dish was an absolute delight.
2. Slow roasted Mushrooms- The caramelized onions with the Parmesan spinach and the roasted mushrooms were a burst of beautiful flavors on my tongue.
Art on my plate
3. Mushroom Risotto- I quiet enjoyed the dish, the rice was cooked beautifully and the fungi mushroom complimented the dish really well. Though found the dish a little dry (for my personal liking), a little more gravy would definitely make this dish perfect.
Risotto
4. Kerala Pepper curry- This dish is finger-liking good. Really enjoyed the bold flavors of the spices in the dish.
5. Banana Nutella Cheesecake- This dish stole my heart. I am not a “sweet” person but I really enjoyed this dish. The cheesecake was such a happy ending to my meal. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED DISH!
All in all a beautiful Saturday afternoon with warm hospitality both from the staff and the host. The afternoon ended with an interesting debate on Mumbai vs Delhi (turns out Sahil is from Mumbai but obviously we Delhites rock! :p). Overall an afternoon spent well, shall be returning soon with my lil pooch! 🙂
