Restaurant Review : Portobello, Vimanagar, Pune

Hey from EL The Cook!

Today we explore one of the upcoming Italian restaurants in Pune, Portobello. 

AMBIANCE:

What can qualify as a loft is turned into a super small,cozy restaurant boasting an open kitchen and a large blackboard, Portobello manages to dish out some wonderful food from a squeezy space!

Scribbled on the blackboard, is what's on the menu for the day. We quite liked the concept of a new menu everyday depending upon the freshness of ingredients available.

The tables and chairs are quite basic and we'd like them to be cleaner even though the place has got a rustic feel to it.

FOOD AND DRINK:

VIRGIN MOJITO

We love mojitos, the refreshing burst of lemon, cooled by large chunks of ice, jammed with fresh mint forms a classic combination of flavours (missing the rum of-course!)

Portobello's version lives up to the refreshing mocktail flavours, giving us a passionate blast of lime!

BUFFALO MOZZARELLA WITH TOMATO & BASIL

The shocking simpleness of the dish is quite misleading.

Super succulent cubes of mozzarella are sandwiched between think slices of fresh tomato. The tomato and cheese interlacing, is garnished with fresh basil leaves.

The most stunning element though is the balsamic reduction encapsulating the ingredients on the plate. The depth of flavour is astonishing and with its smoky tones ties the whole dish together! 

BACON AND EGG PIZZA

Wait. Is this right? 

Hell yes! You heard that right! Bacon and Egg PIZZA!

We were really looking forward to this one. A large rectangular portion of pizza is served divided into 8.

The smokiness of the bacon can be smelt from the other side of the room as the waiter walks the food to your table!

It does look spectacular! On the thin crust of the pizza is a wafer thin layer of omelette and cheese, topped with that rich bacon. One bite into this and the flavours jump at you!

The only drawback is that as you near the end of the pizza, the taste of the omelette does get a bit monotonous, but in a group, it really doesn't matter. Its a bacon and egg pizza after all!  

WHITE CHOCOLATE PANNA COTTA

This is pure beauty on a plate!
We usually don't like white chocolate, and were tempted to order the banoffee pie, which Portobello boasts of, but we took a risk!
And boy, did that risk payoff! 
The delicate looking wobbly panna cotta is served on a base of cherry reduction and marinated cherries.

The flavour of the panna cotta is light and creamy, texturally though, it isn't, all smooth. The cherry reduction isn't too sweet and compliments the white chocolate superbly.
With lovely fruity notes and light tones of chocolate, through the panna cotta, this dish is fit for a disney fairy tale!



Portobello, a new Italian restaurant, in a loft with barely 6-7 tables churns out some great food!
The chefs and staff are courteous and offer prompt service.
The food is distinguished with a contemporary look. The ingredients are fresh and we were positively impressed with the changeable menu.
The desserts are spectacular and are almost a must-try!


Try Portobello this weekend for a generous helping of delightful Italian fare!