Cocoa and Cream, Adyar
Cocoa and Cream, the rooftop restaurant serving continental, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine seems to be the popular hangout place for college students and working women. The new brand, by the 100-year-old Mathsya Vegetarian Restaurant, has brought in the fourth generation of the family. "We turned away from our signature idli-sambar, dosai and chutneys to wood-fire pizza, pastas and ravioli," says Ram Bhat, managing partner, Mathsya. He has brought in his nephew Prahalad Bhat and his wife Sruthi to develop the continental menu and also a full fledged bakery and dessert section.
We walked into the open-air restaurant at 6.30 pm, when the moonlit sky and a gentle breeze set the mood for the evening. The fragrance of nityamali (a variety of jasmine flower) in full bloom engulfed the terrace, which has a seating capacity of over 100. We get a view of Sardar Patel Road on one side, and Gandhi Nagar on the other from this fourth floor rooftop restaurant. There are two truck-themed kitchens on one side and a big screen TV mounted on a wall on the other.
It was Italian cigar rolls (pastry stuffed with cheese and rolled like cigars) and a hummus platter for starters. The assortment of hummus is served with pita bread and falafel. The beet root hummus especially caught my attention. The rooftop gathers a good number of young people as there are various events lined up during the weekends. "We have a big screen for cricket, football and F1 racing events. Going forward, we will be organising movie nights, stand up comedy and live music performances," says Ram.
The restaurant also has an airconditioned space that houses the patisserie and seats about 30 guests. This space can also be used for private parties.
Cocoa and Cream, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar is open from 4pm to midnight. A meal for two, costs approximately ₹ 1,200. Phone: 9840223428.
Finding Rumi, Nandanam
Milky while walls, and red curtains.... the mood here is meditative as well as mystical, and the Sufi music that plays in the background renders a calming effect. As we soak in the ambience, we are served Moroccan tea, along with spanakopita. A mild flavoured tea, infused with herbs and mint, it had a soothing effect and the starter, spanakopita, in samosa-like triangles, was made of fried phyllo pastry filled with feta cheese, nuts and spinach. This melt in the mouth dish sets the mood for the entire evening. The airconditioned indoor seating has a capacity of 38.
Junaid Ahmed, the proprietor of Finding Rumi says that he has travelled across the globe and tasted a wide range of cuisines, and presenting Mediterranean cuisine to Chennai was his longtime dream. Last year he launched, The Butterfly Effect Cafe, amidst the pandemic, and this restaurant, which also has partially open-to-air seating, was launched in February. The open-to-sky seating (24 seating) is utilised for special occasions and celebrations by our guests, says Junaid and this outdoor seating space is open for dinner only. The outdoor seating has a relaxing atmosphere, with stylish furniture and hanging serial lights with Mediterranean background music.
Finding Rumi, 22, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Road, Nandanam. Open for lunch and dinner. Cost for two is ₹ 1,500. Phone: 9884216575
Mash Resto Cafe, Besant Nagar
A popular hangout in Elliots Beach promenade, Mash Restocafe has been in existence since 2007, and in 2020 Feburary, they moved a few blocks down the road from their earlier location. Rohit Zachariah, proprietor of the restaurant that boasts of best views of the sea and fusion continental menu.
Well patronised by school and college kids as well as families with young children, Mash offers rather unsual and unique menu. “We have Indianised certain continental dishes, for example, the Aachi Stroganoff, in which we have used a South Indian spice mix. Similarly we have Southern Spice Steaks, which has Indian flavours,” says Rohit, who plans to launch Pizza Terminal and Absolute Shakes (cloud brands launched by Rohit in Cochin, Kerala) in Chennai in few weeks.
On a sunny afternoon, we stopped by at the restaurant. But the order was a while coming. As we waited for our mixed sea food soup and batter fried calamari, we enjoyed a spectacular panoramic view of the landscape. Seated in the balcony area, which is covered, we could see the beach and the entire stretch of the promenade.
Mash is a perfect place to take your children, to treat your friends or meet up with them. f. A cool and casual joint, with a great view of the sea shore, the place has been part of many sweet memories and celebrations for the past 15 years. This place has a seating capacity of 50.
Mash Restocafe is at 13, 5th Avenue, Besant Nagar. Open from 11am to 11pm. On weekends, they open by 7am. Cost for two is ₹ 900 Phone: 9962003300
