The food scene is thriving again. And this warehouse-style café and bar is putting the spin on Sundays with peppy acoustics from a live band, walls that scream art and a brunch menu with a difference. 145 The Mill, that continues the 145 legacy in Mumbai (this is the third outpost), has started with an interesting brunch spread, hoping to bring back the crowd. By Ismat Tahseen
Ambience
It seems nondescript from the outside, but this place is a whole lot of fun once you step inside. Sprawling, industrial aesthetics (a nod to its location, perhaps) meets style in these 4,000 square feet interiors designed by Sumessh Menon. Choose where you want to sit – leathered nooks, sofas, love seats or the long high table, if you’re with friends.
Art greets you everywhere, from the bright abstract murals running along the walls to the monochrome glass block flooring and hanging loop-lights and quirky disc lamps. To add to the interactive accent, there’s an elevated pool table area and a live crepe station.
Food
Big on aesthetics, yes, but owner Ishaan Bahl prefers to let the food do the talking. His stint as an investment banker in Chicago has inspired the menu, which seems like a page out of his own travel diary. “Back then, on my lunch breaks I’d go to different restaurants and take notes, so a lot of inspiration is from that,” he reveals. In essence this is a brunch, but expect to taste different and healthy dishes! We begin with Truffle Scrambled Eggs perched atop toasted sourdough. The aroma of truffle oil and the slight hint of sriracha enliven the dish. Another one from this segment is Kale Poached Eggs with sunflower seed puree, that had an interesting taste.
Playing with texture in food doesn’t stop here. Salads add to the game – we particularly liked the Thai shredded raw papaya salad that had just the right hint of chilli-lime and crunch. If you like Mediterranean food, go for the Crispy Spinach Salad with garlic yoghurt and walnuts. The spicy Chipotle Chicken Tacos are smoothened out with a crema verde sauce. We loved the hearty and slow-cooked Tomato Ragut & Burrata Gnocchi. Another dish that balances flavour with presentation is the Spicy Salmon Tartare, drizzled with a Japanese chilli sauce (the chef shares how its secret lies in two kinds of chillies), avocado dressing, wasabi, edamame and a soy gel. It is served with sushi rice balls. The gin cocktails here are quite popular. Mocktails tend to be overtly sweet, but the Virgin Lychee tonic is refreshing and had a subtle fruity flavour.
Special Mention: Desserts
The desserts are largely in the way of smoothie bowls, pancakes and waffles and nothing is over-the-top sweet. Dig your spoon into chilled Acai Berry Bowl with blended blueberry, banana and almond milk with goji berry granola on top. Something as basic as French toast feels like a treat, here. We loved the route our Tropical French Toast took, with uncommon toppings like black rice crumble, passion fruit, coconut and a mango kemangi sorbet… tart and crunchy. As suggested, we try the Tiramisu Pancake – stacked, with light whipped mascarpone, cocoa nibs and chocolate and coffee cremeux, a pleasant change from the usual for this Italian dessert. If there’s another craving you must give into, let it be Pancakes & Red Berries, with strawberry compote, raspberry sorbet, white chocolate cream and almond-cinnamon granola. The sorbets are low on sugar and the flavours linger on, they are just perfect to wrap up a good meal!
Details for 145 The Mill
Address: 145 The Mill, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
Timings: Sundays, 12 pm – 4 pm
Price for two: INR 3,000 (food), and INR 4,000 food and drinks (approx)
Related: TL Reviews: Ivoryy, New Delhi—Where Cocktails Come With Views Of A Mughal Tomb
Most popular
Most popular
