Phone: +918043755274
Address: No. 18, Ramanashree Arcade, Ground Floor, Ashok Nagar Post, MG Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Time: 12 Noon – 11 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,500
Cuisines: Italian
Facilities: Wine, Table booking recommended
Chianti, MG Road, Bangalore: Decor
The old Kid’s Kemp has been given a makeover (as many of the old buildings on MG Road have) and is now a row of retail stores and restaurants. One of them is Chianti, the brand acquiring a downtown address with this outlet. The glass frontage allows you to look at the bustle of MG Road while you dine. Tables are packed quite close and the high-decibel exchanges of a gaggle of ladies right behind me gave me a sense of being crowded in.
Chianti, MG Road, Bangalore: Food
I ordered a glass of white wine and a half portion of the Piatto de Carne e Pesce, the non-vegetarian platter that holds a mix of meat and seafood. I didn’t want the chicken and the waiter readily agreed to replace it with something from the vegetarian selection – that happened to be some forgettable fried mozzarella. The seafood comprised a quite nice fried calamari and some small prawns tossed in garlic, olive oil and chilli. The prawns were fresh and sweet, and the seasoning was perfect. I couldn’t bring myself to eat the crumb-fried fish when I discovered it was basa. Restaurants that consider themselves fine-dining destinations should put better fish on their menus. I ordered pasta in puttanesca sauce. Penne is the pasta listed on the menu, but I asked for fettuccine because they make it inhouse. The fresh pasta was excellent. The sauce with its risque origins was pleasing with the tang of capers appearing between mouthfuls and I didn’t miss the anchovies. For dessert, I chose the Blueberry Cheesecake. It was the classic, baked version and had a lovely, creamy texture. This was, in fact, the best dish of the evening for me.
Chianti, MG Road, Bangalore: Service
Service was exceptionally good, accommodating special requests with ease and delivering with a smile.
Chianti, MG Road, Bangalore: Plus & Minus
Chianti now has a great address – right on MG Road. I thought the prices steep for the quality.