When The Telegraph dropped the first sneak peek reel of Romaania, it garnered 55.2k reach (and counting)! Such was the response to this 3,500sq ft cafe-bar on Elgin Road that will teleport you to the bylanes of Europe with pretty little cafes with their white walls, mosaic floors, bougainvillea and the general vibe.
Divided into one indoor and two outdoor areas, the interiors are done by Nexus Design Integrated Pvt Ltd, which screams minimalism. “The name Romaania came from the concept romance and mania; this is a place that one would fall in love at first sight. The open Kolkata sky, good music, great hospitality and ambience make it the coolest and classiest alfresco dining space. This is just the first of the many cafes we plan to open,” said Ramesh Agarwal, co-owner Romaania, who also co-owns Refinery 091.
While the indoor section is done up with autumn plants (picture left), our fave spot is the super terrace that gives a clear view of the blue dome (Santorini, anyone?) and also has the pizzeria (what more do you need?!)
“The food and beverage menu is so varied vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that you will be spoilt for choice. Coffee to cocktails, pizzas to sandwiches, eggs to shisha, you will get everything,”said Jugol Mondal, executive chef, Romaania.
“We wanted to open a cafe for a long timebecause I would always hear parents rant thatpost dropping their kids to school they didn’thave a place to eat good breakfast or the lack ofa good place this side of the city where onecould spend quality time, eat without guilt andcatch up with friends over a couple of drinkswithout screaming their lungs out, so we cameup with Romaania,” said owners (l-r) JyotiAgarwal, Ramesh Agarwal and Karnesh Sethia
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What: Romaania
Where: 31 Lala LajpatRai Sarani (Elgin Road), Platinum building
Timings: 8am tillmidnightMeal for two: Rs 1,000(without alcohol)
Just like the food menu, the sip list won’t disappoint you. The menu boasts of smashing cocktails like Romaanian Froth (whisky and egg white-based cocktail served with popcorn), Corpo Pulito (a detox drink with greens and herbs), Berry Smoothie (healthy and delish mixed berries, oat milk and yoghurt) and Heider Bnidge (vodka, peach, cranberry soda and lime)
“Our menu reflects the European vibe of the place. One can expect Lebanese, Italian, Turkish, Moroccan and Mediterranean stuff. Our focus was to first have enough options. We are really focused on healthy breakfast items, oats to chia seed puddings, besides vegan and gluten-free options. Our menu has lot of options to pair with cocktails and has something for everyone,” said chef Sneha Singhi Upadhaya, who has curated the menu
Could you imagine ravioli as a desi snack? These peri-peri dusted and fried Ravioli Chips are stuffed with ricotta and spinach and are a great appetiser.
Croissant Sandwich is a must-try with your coffee. Freshly baked, crispy and flaky croissants are stuffed with cheese, cherry tomatoes and lettuce. Yum!
Overnight Oats is a gem on the menu for health enthusiasts! It’s yummy, Instagrammable and loaded with berries, dry nuts, and cranberry compote
Truffle Ravioli will get you drooling with its sublime flavour and creamy texture. Loaded with ricotta and truffle, this Italian dish is deliziosa!
A part of the breakfast menu, Hashbrown Pancakes is delicious, crispy on the outside and has mushrooms inside and is non-oily
Chef’s fave, Polenta Cake is a healthy dish. Polenta as the base served with Cheddar sauce and topped with spinach-mushroom on top
Flatbreads are worth a mention! Stuffed with cheese and onions, these are great to munch on and comes with four stuffing options, prawns being one
A cafe menu is incomplete without pizzas because who doesn’t like them, right? We loved the texture and taste of the Truffle Pizza that was completely filling!