To make a long drive to the western suburbs worthwhile, it must have its perks. We were rewarded by the glorious European charm with its fetching ambience and a thoughtfully curated menu of European and Mediterranean delicacies by Chef Nikhil Abhyankar at Juliette Ristorante. This all-day European restaurant is the place if you hanker after a fancy breakfast as it puts forth a smorgasbord of flavours. You can nosh up your morning coffee with fresh French Viennoiseries (fancy and luxury bakery stuff) or an Italian breakfast of Smoked seasonal vegetables with Stracciatella cheese.
Launched by partners Gurmeet Arora, Atul Chopra and Ranbir Nagpal, Juliette comes with 4000sq ft of spaciousness in a monochromatic leitmotif with an indoor and an outdoor pulsating alfresco seating style, albeit a sheltered division. We chose a table indoors which had an imposing tree installation above with fairy lights on it, imparting a nature-inspired idyllic feel.
On the beverage front, the namesake Juliette is an impressive serving of the place’s obsession with quirky cocktails. It is a suave drink with coalescing elements of bourbon, rose shrub, lemon juice, and mint. It is garnished with fizzy apple juice served with a crushed rose on liquid nitrogen in all its flourish. If tequila is your poison, I recommend Bloody Sanchez where tequila and in-house Ranch bloody Mary mix with liquid smoke is all set to create drama. Raspberry and grapefruit gimlet with a dash of vanilla whipped cream was my kind of mocktail minus the fizz.
The nutty creaminess of Edamame hummus with a hint of ginger and lemon zing accompanied by pita, lavash, pickles and Kalamata olives was a good start to our lunch. This was followed by Guacamole, homemade tortilla chips, sour cream and Pico de Gallo. Arancini balls encased a cheesy middle to deliver a scrumptious bite and dainty-to-the-touch Red pepper tartlets with charred red pepper and mascarpone crema were gratinated with the rustic rind of Tomme de Bombai.
Non-vegetarians will find a plethora of dishes to dig into — from Beouf short ribs served with mashed potatoes, signature special Stroganoff, and the aromatic flavours of the spiced grilled Moroccan chicken to the Classic Lamb Lasagne and delectable Fettuccini Bolognese.
In resonance with the spirit of the West, Juliette’s pizzas using fine sourdough and pastas of Gnocchi in a truffle cream sauce topped with seared Enoki mushrooms and Spaghetti tossed in a roasted cherry tomato buree blanc were truly reminiscent of European gastronomic sojourn. Risotto is one dish that I never miss in a restaurant with an Italian menu. Our risotto with sundried tomato sauce and cheese topping was a tad sour but delicious nevertheless.
Hazelnut torte with a dollop of ice-cream pacified our sweet tooth. Grand Marniere souffle with elderflower icecream was another irresistible dessert we could not skip.
Juliette had us experience chic yet traditional international standards of dining with a classy touch. For gourmet pundits who love fine food and exquisite cocktails, this is the place for a relaxing after-work tipple or to chill out with family and friends over a laidback weekend!
Average cost for two: Rs 2000+ (non-alcohol)
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