The name – Quesso Bar Ristorante – and its elaborate cocktail menu convinced us that this was the place to visit when facing a mid-week crisis.
On entering the place and taking in the fancy interiors with the dim-lit environment, we wondered whether we had made the right choice. Shouldn’t we be dancing our worries away and getting wasted? Wait! That’s what Friday nights are all about, duh!
So, we decided to walk in and take our assigned seats since our attachment to the promise that the bar-menu held, became the driving force. Such was our thirst that we were unfazed by the throng of families occupying every available table (yes, even mid-week!). A full-house was the result of this ‘Ristorante’ being the only upscale all-veg place in the Oshiwara-Andheri belt, popular for serving some of the most cheesiest and scrumptious dishes; claims that we found are all true in the hours that followed.
As is the norm, the universe plonked us right next to a family with a screeching 4-year old. Perfect! We demanded we get the cocktail soon to get our evening started. So, we called for the classic LIIT. The concoction came to us within minutes and we have to admit, it wasn’t the best we have had. The small straw in the tall glass also posed a minor problem. The drink was missing the sour-ish element that completes any classic LIIT. With that, our desire to order any more cocktails for the night vanished.
However, when the four-year old quietened, we realised that the ambiance was actually quite great to have long conversations with colleagues, or for date-nights and of course, for families to dine together.
What takes all the brownie points is the service – it was top-notch. We say this because when we raised the issue of no guacamole on the Tex-Mex Wedges (INR 315), no questions were asked and they were willing to replace our half-eaten dish. However, we felt that that was unnecessary, so they served us with a bowl full of guacamole. Now, that’s what we call service.
The evening progressed with the squad taking advantage of bar deals like ‘buy one get one free’ on beer and domestic spirits, the other offer included ‘buy two cocktails and get one free.’ Beers continued to flow and we bit into some of the cheesiest garlic bread (INR 220) we have ever eaten and that left us wanting for more.
Along with this, our nibbles included a plate of Nachos El Classico (INR 425) and the aforementioned wedges. Nachos again get a high-score on taste, while you won’t miss out on much if you skipped the wedges.
It is definitely worth a visit at the beginning of the month when your wallet is ringing with ample cash since the not-so-fab LIIT cost us Rs. 435. On the other hand, a Kingfisher pint for Rs. 205 worked out at round-about Rs. 100 each, which wasn’t bad. Their bar menu boasts of ‘Italian Mishmashes’ – gin, rum and vodka based cocktails and ‘Mexican Medleys’ – Tequlia based cocktails as well as Vinoctails – sparkling wine infused with different flavours.
We hear some of their in-house cocktails are quite the show stealers. We will definitely be going back to test some of their signature cocktails to see whether they fare better than the LIIT we consumed. Until then, we will put it under our worth-a-visit tab to enjoy some good food, service and ambiance.
Where? Oshiwara, Andheri West
Cuisine: Continental, Mexican, Mediterranean, Lebanese, Thai, Italian
Food you must try: Cheese Garlic Bread, Nachos, Chimichangas
Cocktails you must try: Hawaiian Skunk and Purple Haze Bongtails
Is there a dance floor? Nope
Avg price per head: INR 800
Header Image Credit: Zomato
