I had read about Villa Vandre and read some decent reviews about it, so it was on my list of eateries to try in Mumbai. It is not easy to find this tiny eatery thanks to a huge board of a saloon that is placed where the eatery is. It is a small, garage like space attached to the home of Aloysius Dsilva, the chef who has dreamt of this concept. It is small and cozy, with only five tables, sky blue walls, and lace curtains.

It is not easy to find a place to sit here, since the restaurant is trending now, but I reached just before 1 pm to find the place fairly empty (though it has filled up with waiting by the time we left at 2 pm). Though this restaurant serves good light food and a collection of some rare East Indian dishes from Bandra, on looking at the menu, I find that they also have a Parsi food festival going on here.

The first dish that catches my fancy is a rare Parsi snack, Aleti Paleti Pav (Rs. 250) which is offal based in a tomato based sauce. The medley of perfectly cooked liver, kidney and other offal is delicious. Duke’s Raspberry (Rs. 110) that I have with it takes me many years back !

                   Aleti Paleti Pav                                 Duke’s Raspberry

From the international menu, I try Sri Lankan Buffalo Chilli (Rs. 365), which is very similar to Kerala’s toddy shop favourite, beef chilly fry. It is well cooked and most flavourful!

                            Sri Lankan Buffalo Chilli

Mutton Dhansak (Rs. 375) from the Parsi menu is a huge disappointment. It just does not look right, and the taste confirms it. It is overspiced so much that it has a bitter aftertaste. It is a dish to be avoided. Mutton Khuddi (Rs. 355) is an East Indian classic. This cuisine is a mix of Maharashtrian, Portuguese and British techniques and methods using the famous East Indian bottle masala in the dishes. Khuddi is usuallt a regular Sunday lunch fare at any East Indian home. Here it is expertly cooked and tastes great with a pao.

               Mutton Dhansak                                     Mutton Khuddi

Dessert is the famous Parsi Dairy Malai Kulfi (Rs. 180) and it is mind-blowing good.

                                          Parsi Dairy Malai Kulfi

I love this place, with its great food, as well as ambience and service. Strongly recommended for a visit.

The review was anonymously done after paying for the meal.

Ratings (Out of 5)                                         

Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0

Meal for two: Rs.1000 | Alcohol: No | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address: Shop No – 3, May Flower Building, New Kantwadi Road, Banda West, Mumbai. Tel: 022 65279009