Reise _ in German, the word means Travel / Tour. Inspired by the theme of travel, Reise – All day Bar and Kitchen has opened it’s doors to everyone about 3 months ago. Located in the basement of Oriental Astar Hotel in Chakala, Andheri East, this place, in their own words is,”City’s first travel inspired Bar and Restaurant”. The first thing that came to mind was to locate the place. Inspite of being in the heart of Andheri East and so near to Airport, it is slightly difficult to find.
We went to the place in the evening. It was a Thursday and being a weekday there were not too many people around. The place had some interesting décor. Photographs from around the world adorned the walls and there were different artefacts collected from different parts.
We took our seats and were promptly served by Uday. They have quite an exhaustive menu of drinks. We decided to go by Uday’s recommendation and asked for Hot Spiced Cinnamon Rum (Rs.275). This one features in their special 8 cocktails from different countries called “Around The World in 8 Cocktails”. Dark Rum, Star Anise, Cinnamon stick, Orange Juice with luke warm water. For P’s cold, the drink was perfect for the evening. I opted for a regular Virgin Mojito (Rs.180). What caught our attention in the Drink menu was the Shots. Ranging from Rs. 150 – 475/- ,the shots have some interesting selections to choose from.
Uday explained to us that since the restaurant is inspired by travel, the menu also revolves around cuisines from around the world. They have tried to add some uniqueness to it by creating “fusion dishes”. From the Domestic Travel section, we asked for Kundan Tara (Rs. 225) and from European travel section, we had Cheesy Meat Eclairs (Rs.275). Both were very well made and well presented. By that time a big group came in to celebrate a colleague’s birthday. The restaurant was suddenly filled with people, laughter and noise. No, we were not complaining. Any new place to be full in a weekday evening, is a good sign!
Now was the time for mains, we decided to travel a little far and asked for Middle Eastern Quesadilla (Rs. 195). The description said “A traditional Mexican dish tweaked with flavours of Arab land” and they really very flavourful! We also had Vegetarian Pesto Risotto (Rs.250) I must admit it surprised me. It was made the way I prefer my Risotto, creamy and soft. Not over cooked. They even have a dish called “Videshi Khichdi” (Rs.250) which is “An Indian twist to the Risotto”. But I was not ready to experiment any further. May be some other day.
From Desserts, we tried Gulab Jamun with Char Grilled Granny Smith Rabri (Rs. 160). We did not quite feel the Char Grilled part of it. But liked it nevertheless.
Honestly my idea of a Travel Themed Restaurant and Bar is a very bright happy place where I can meet like-minded people and share a travel story or two. And may be plan a trip next together someday. That feeling was lacking here. The photographs adorning the walls are available on Instagram easily. I would have loved to see some original works by the person behind it. This I am saying by assuming that he too is bitten by the travel bug big time like many of us. The service and quality of the food, though , impressed us thoroughly.
One Note : Reise has a theme evening for each day of the week.
RATINGS(OUT OF 5) :
FOOD: 4 | AMBIENCE: 3 | SERVICE: 3.5 | OVERALL: 3.5
Meal for Two: Rs1800 | CREDIT CARD: YES | TIMINGS: 7.30 pm to 11pm (dinner) |WHEEL CHAIR ACCESSIBLE: YES.
ADDRESS:J45, Tarun Bharat Society, Dr Karanjia Marg, Near Cigarette Factory, Chakala, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400099| TELEPHONE : 022 33836086