What kind of person sets up a business named after oneself? And actually displays her own photos near the entrance? You will not be wrong if you guess that the business as well as the founder must be exceptional.
The business is Roma’s Café, the latest addition to the variety of eateries located in Swastik Plaza at the far end of Lanka, near Ravidas Gate. And the eponymous founder is a doctor, who has a passion for cooking. It is very creditable that she is continuing to practice her profession while managing this restaurant.
The building is not very impressive, but one’s expectations rise as one approaches the entrance located on the second floor. One finds a wall painted Mediterranean blue, with a poster advertising Italian, Continental, Mexican and Pan Asian cuisines. As one enters, the place appears surprisingly large, with bright lighting and tasteful décor. The tables are painted white, with a “distressed” finish. The chairs are made of fabricated steel, powder coated in a very trendy “aqua” shade. There are interesting drawings and murals. Then there is a bookcase with a wide selection of comics, fiction and coffee table books, apart from a guitar. Another interesting feature is a screen suspended from the ceiling, which can be unrolled for projecting TV or videos. I understand that they provide free wi-fi also.
Coming to the food, there is a wide and eclectic choice of Indian, Continental, Chinese and Mexican cuisines. For most dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available. The food seems to be clean and hygienic (don’t forget that the owner is a doctor!) and reasonably priced. The service tends to be a little slow, but the staff are courteous and helpful.
Recently, I visited Roma’s for lunch, as a part of an extended family group. The two factors which affected our choice of food were (a) we were planning to have pizza at dinner and (b) majority of the group were vegetarians. So we ordered one vegetarian Greek salad, baby corn fritters and barbequed chicken starter to begin with, followed by traditional tandoori cuisine – Dal Makhani, Kadhai Paneer and Mushroom Do Pyaza – accompanied by Tandoori Roti, Lachchha Parathas and Butter Naan. In short, a typical tandoori selection, but all the dishes turned out to be fresh and delicious – and the ladies of our party kept speculating on the condiments used for preparing them! The mushrooms were particularly succulent and the serving size was truly generous. The tandoori rotis were so well baked that we ended up nibbling the left over pieces even as the plates were being cleared!
The next day, we were invited for lunch by old friends based at Varanasi, who had promised to take us to an exciting new restaurant they had discovered recently – no prizes for guessing that we reached Roma’s again! This time we had soup, cheese nachos, garlic bread and a fried chicken dish, all of which we appreciated highly.
I cannot end this review without mentioning the exceptionally clean, dry and well-lighted washroom. Even five star hotels would find it difficult to match this facility.
Best Wishes to Roma and Roma’s.
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