ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: +91 9324404335
Address: Carlton Court, Near Citibank ATM, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Time: 12 Noon – 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM – 12 Midnight
Meals for two: Rs. 2,000
Cuisines: Fast Food, Spanish
Facilities: Indoor Seating
Stop press! A star is born. And this one is so small that if you blink, you may miss it. But, please don’t. I found it just by sheer chance while on my usual drive around “discovery rounds”. We side stepped an empty, morose Italian eatery, and hola! We walked into La Loca Maria and a good-looking, young Spanish chef emerged from the kitchen. It was 7 pm and the restaurant had just opened.
La Loca Maria, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai: Decor
Go past its quaint blue gates and Spanish tile name plate into a brightly lit, small, boxed in room with painted art murals about independent spirited women. I found out later that Chef Manuel Olviera’s mother, Maria, is his inspiration; she opened the first restaurant in her Spanish village. Bustling around was the Pratima Tuljapurkar, the chef’s wife, a realtor who has also done the decor.
La Loca Maria, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai: Food
We love the vibrant explosion of flavors, fresh local produce in the short succinct menu of tapas, burgers, pasta and main courses. Must trys: Crazily addictive, plump prawns in olive oil with a thrilling chilli, garlicky charge, spiked with Spanish pimento. Tender, flavorful red wine braised buff, sparkled with pineapple chutney and a kiss of chocolate. Also, do try the brined overnight, slow cooked sous vide roast chicken. Melting soft croquettes intense with mushroom truffle, light and bright excellent sea bass crudo. Fish burger with wasabi mayo and chevre is good, too. I’m not a burger fan.
Go for that dreamy, creamy deconstructed tiramisu, coffee ice cream topped with Mascarpone Spuma. That snowy cloud of Crema Catalana, melting in consistency, could have been a snowdrift, except it was spiked with orange and cinnamon and the chef torched it on the table.
Minus Points:
The small space can be charming but also crammed when busy. Out of the 25 dishes, only eight are vegetarian. More needed. Beetroot hummus lacked punch, ditto for the Patata Bravas. No alcohol. Parking, a pain.
My Point:
Go on. Make a special trip to Bandra. Go prepared to encounter a boxed in tiny space. But the food is big on bold flavors. Having worked in many a Michelin starred restaurant, Chef Manuel Olveira distils sunny Spain and serves up Mumbai’s best Gambas al ajillio (prawns in chilli garlic olive oil) and the lightest, airiest tiramisu. What’s tiramisu doing in a Spanish restaurant, or for that matter juicy burgers? Torched panacotta? Is that why the Spanish chef owner named his first restaurant La Loca Maria? It translates to Loca (crazy) Maria (his mom)? We love the oomph and exuberance, which distils into the moderately priced fare. This loca babe is a must-visit. Hola Maria!
