Flamboyante, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai

Restaurant Name: Flamboyante, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai
Phone: +912240647700, +912240647745, +919930077373
Address: Shop No: 7, Ground Floor, The Arcade Building, Gate 2 World Trade Centre Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005 India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 12:00 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 2,000
Cuisines: Pizza, North Indian, Asian, Chinese, Desserts, Continental, Rolls, Italian
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Free Parking, Indoor Seating, Bulk Orders Accepted, Vegan Options, Brunch, Desserts and Bakes, Outdoor Seating, Table booking recommended, Catering Available, Gluten Free Options, Buffet

Consistently high quality, moderately priced fare, is our verdict. And that’s saying a lot considering that Cuffe Parade’s Flamboyante has stood the test of time since the past 15 years. And this, in spite of being a huge 200 seater space, which continues to be packed. I give Flamboyante this four-starred verdict even though I’m not a fan of multi-cuisine restaurants. We have been dining and attending high-profile parties here and were delighted each time.

Celebration Time: Flamboyante, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai

It happens again and again. How does one satisfy a discerning family of foodies of varying age groups, each one with a different cuisine preference? Enter Flamboyante! Last year, we celebrated the award winning photographer Dabboo Ratnani and wife Manisha’s double birthday. We come back now for the dapper, Nishant Mahimtura’s 75th birthday celebration. He’s a foodie, an award-winning exporter turned partner of a couture house by famed designer Riyaz Gangji. Masterminding his dad’s week long birthday celebrations is his charming and thoughtful son, Pawan, whose experiential travel business in his beloved Kashmir and in South Goa is now back in huge demand. He’s also a great gourmet and home chef. So, I hijack their birthday celebrations into a systematic restaurant review with their family all with diverse palate opinions. The high powered Darshana Vasa makes time to dine with us in spite of her busy schedule as president of a Rotary Club, hon secretary of the Indo Japanese Association and runs a popular marriage bureau. She gives us her vegetarian take on the food here. Yes, we will be back. Again. Again.

Courting Nature

Cuffe Parade’s World Trade Centre’s large, 6,000 sq ft bare courtyard has been transformed into a vibrant restaurant. The 60 ft high ceiling, gives whites with splashes of colour add to the pleasant ambiance.

Thrice As Nice

Three specialty kitchens serve the tri-cuisine menu of Kebabeque (Mughlai) La Piazza (pizza, pasta and Lebanese) and Oriental (sushi, Chinese, Asian), all curated by chefs trained by the world’s best. We eat our way through the three menus. Space constrains us from including the huge number of dishes we ate. Some highlights: Nalli Nihari’s silkiness and succulence, Amritsari Chole Kulcha’s taste, fragrant Dum Biryani and creamy buttery daal. Ask for the new dishes, especially the large, moist and flavorful Tiger Prawns done in the tandoor and the fall-off-the bone Lamb Chops. It’s the Khowsuey that has been a perennial favourite here and both vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions sparkle with flavour and the right accompaniments. Also try the Dimsum (especially the Edamame Truffle and Spicy Shanghai). The other vibrant new dish of Water chestnut and Cashew nut in Thai Red Curry Paste is a must-try. As is the tangy, sweet and crispy Lotus Stem Nacho. Crazily addictive varieties of pizza toppings on crusty pies are worth trying, too. End with the sweet finale of the light and lemony Atlantic Beach Pie and the Mississippi Mud Pie for chocoholics!

As Flamboyant As Ever

Tried, tasted and tested. My review remains the same. Perched in the southernmost tip of dagger shaped Mumbai, the 15-year-old Flamboyante continues to magnetize diners to its World Trade Centre location. Owner and Chef Amrish Arora and now Ayush (currently in Oxford) and Aryan, his dynamic sons ,work hands on to ensure that the head chefs of Continental, Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Italian kitchens deliver consistently good and well-priced fare. They keep refreshing the menu and adding new dishes. VFM large lunch buffets daily are another plus point. Always hospitable, Prema Jagtiani, the head of the restaurant, ensures a seamless and friendly experience. The menu may zig zag and wander all over the globe, but sticks to the principal most valid and valuable compass of all — to stay steadily high on taste and moderate in price.