You might be bowled over by the ambience and service at Lokhandwala's new mediterranean restaurant, Miro but don't expect the same with what lands up at table

Located at Svenska, Miro is the newest signature Mediterranean restaurant on the block, which comes with a strong Spanish influence.


Saltimbocca-Pan Fried Tenderloin Envelope. Pic/Anuja Gupta

It's interiors are reminiscent of work by a moody Picasso-ish artist, complete with Gaudi architectural designs, winding Espa ufffdola inspired counters, and an evocative natural tapestry. Add to this, a live interactive kitchen, a selection of tapas, pinchos, wood fired grills and peppery paellas, all made from seasonal fresh ingredients. Miro also displays an innovative beverage list featuring a range of cocktails, signature sangrias, cava's as well as a wide selection of wines.

While the ambience intoxicates the senses, we were beginning to get curious about the food. We try a signature recommendation, the Strawberry Bellini (Rs 350) that tastes as sophisticated as it sounds! It's like eating a bowl of fresh strawberries ufffd only with a zingy club soda sugar rush, mixed with white wine and water and rimmed to the brim with sugar! Strong, smooth and sophisticated.

For the meat-conscious, the Baked Camembert Block with balsamic roasted vegetables and garlic crisp (Rs 675). The Baked Camembert was served on a bed of green salad and with a dollop of what tasted like sweet onion marmalade. Sadly, the cheese did not ooze across the plate as expected in a classic Camembert and the resulting flavour felt subdued. The saviour however, was the sharp and tangy garlic crisp accompaniment.

The Parmesan and Herb Crusted Pan Fried Chicken Breast (Rs 575) came with a white wine glaze, wilted greens and brava potato. A fairly simple dish to conjure nicely pan-fried, the inside of the chicken was cooked through deliciously. However, while the outside boasted of a crunchy brown crust, it came off a tad too easily. Almost like a (sacrilege) KFC chicken that's been home delivered. It was delicious, no doubt, but at its price, one expects perfection in the crust for what is essentially, fried chicken.

The Saltimbocca-Pan Fried Tenderloin Envelope (Rs 875) featured fontina cheese, sage, parma ham, red wine jus, wilted greens and brava potato. In Italian, saltimbocca means, "to jump in the mouth," which is a good way to describe the juicy meat-dish, but a couple of jumps ended its marathon. In other words, the beef tenderloin portion was extremely small. At its price, it's not worth it. In fact, we found that small portions are a constant issue among all of Miro's dishes.

Lastly, the Tartuffo (Rs 375) was a disaster. Promised as a perfect yin-yang of hot mud cake and cold chocolate covered gelato, the mud-cake was a disgrace to cakes and isn't even fitting of the name 'chocolate mud cake' since it wasn't gooey and felt more like a regular cake-shop pastry. For a place that boasts of it's own bakery, this one is a big disappointment.

At Svenska Design Hotels, F/73-74, Level 1, Oberoi Complex, near SAB TV Office, off Link Road. Lokhandwala, Andheri (W); Call 44310000 Miro didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals