BENGALURU: Classic dishes have a certain warmth to them, and bringing this warmth to the chilly Bengaluru weather is Cafe Felix, with its 'old fashioned' menu. By adding Felix twists to some classics such as Spanish Paella and Shepherd's Pie, the restaurant in MG Mall, gave us all kinds of fuzzy feelings just reading the pretty, floral menu.
We started the meal with some salads, and these were like mini meals by themselves. The Panzanella salad was light and refreshing, with tomatoes, balsamic, romain lettuce, croutons and just the right amount of shaved parmesan. The Prawn Cocktail, typically served in a glass, was a large plate of fresh juicy prawns with a generous amount of avacado and cocktail dressing. We especially loved the Toasted Ham and Potato salad, but after this one, with the chunky pieces of ham, green beans and a mayo-based dressing, we were quite full before the entrees were in.
However, the dishes on the entree menu were so appealing that we couldn't help wanting more. We started with the Steak Stroganoff, which was our favourite of the night. Instead of the traditional rice, they paired the creamy, mushroom rich sauce with fettucine. The Aubergine Parmigiana was also very good, and is a cheese lovers dream. We had the Spanish Paella next, which had plenty of seafood and chorizo – which gave the dish its smokey flavour. The Classic Skillet Shepherd's Pie was a little disappointing, as the filling lacked the vegetables we are used to seeing in the iconic dish, and tasted more like a tasty kheema one pairs with pao.
The desserts menu also featured some classic dishes, and we sampled the Baba Au Rhum, the Sizzling Dark Chocolate Brownie, the Caramel Custard and the Tiramisu. The Baba Au Rhum was warm and moist and not too sweet, just the way it should be. It's hard to go wrong with a sizzling brownie, but this one was especially good, and the in-house vanilla ice cream hit the spot. The Tiramisu wasn't the best we've had, and was a bit too sweet for our liking. The Caramel Custard, which was plated beautifully with plenty of fresh fruit and cream, was the perfect end to the meal.
Overall, the Old Classics menu delivers what it stands for, with the exception of a dish or two that we'd have liked to see without too many modern tweaks. Felix will be serving up old classics till the end of November.
Cost for two: Rs 1,700