Chianti, MG Road — Restaurant in Bengaluru

For my Birthday Lunch, wanted to take family to a place that is consistent with its food, service and ambiance, and with very few options that fit that criteria we collectively agreed to head to Chianti, but their outlet on MG Road, as opposed to my usually visits to their Indiranagar branch.

This is the first time family is trying out Chianti and they had high expectations after me raving about how great the food and the experience is. We kickstarted with a glass of peach iced tea and Italian green apple soda, and fixed ourselves an order of Piatto Di Vegetariani, or simply the vegetarian platter. The platter came with a generous portion (for three) of Mozzarella fritta, Bruschette con pomodoro, the crostini three pieces each, and a Funghi aglio olio di sicilia. The breaded and crumb fried mozzarella was more fun than tasty, mildly salty mozzarella cheese, crumb fried with a cheese pull the family enjoyed playing with and eating too. The bruschetta pomodoro or tomatoes packed the punch I usually get, consistent across outlets, though I missed the fun element from the complimentary make your own bruschetta, that gets served in the Indranagar outlet, everytime I have visited.

The star of this meal turned out to be the Funghi aglio olio di sicilia, beautiful button mushrooms tossed in olive oil with garlic and red chili flakes, it was outstanding and we almost wanted to order an extra portion outside the platter, but we did something even better by requesting them to add this in a pizza and they happily obliged.

Me and wifey did share a crema di funghi, or the cream of mushroom soup, that was good, nothing spectacular, a slice of toasted baguette would have been nicer, we did make peace with the breads from the complimentary bread basket.

The iced tea was good, but did not impress my daughter's high standards, and the green apple Italian soda was a bit sour, still good.

In Between meals and as a main for me I did order a Insalata Di caprese, a burrata cheese salad, which personally was the high point for me. The firm burrata with a creamy center, served with plump slices of delicious tomatoes and green olives, crunchy walnuts, with teared basil, with a parmesan snow and a mild pesto olive oil drizzle with balsamic dots. It was as much pleasing to watch as it was to dig into this. Fantastic quality and highly recommended if you want a taste of Italy in your palette.

The pizza customized with our topping of aglio olio mushrooms, were just made right, but with the platter and the salad we were unable to finish this along with our other fantastic main, the simple yet a classic Spaghetti Aglio Olio, extremely well made and was a delight.

Though we did not want to, we ended the meal with a sweet note of a Mousse di nocciole glassata con salsa al cioccolato, basically a hazelnut mousse, glazed with chocolate sauce, We did not

Overall a great meal that probably lived up to the expectations that I had created for family, service was good, could be better, I like the friendly, sometimes overly chatty manager in the Indranagar outlet, who overflows you with recommendations, which was something that missing, but no complaints other than finding it hard to get the attention of the service staff.

They do not have valet, but there is paid parking available within the complex, but a little cumbersome, even on a weekday lunchtime, something the brand needs to take...

Chianti is a pleasant little niche on the bustling MG Road.

The Ambience:

The atmosphere is rustic, with brick walls and wooden panels, evoking the sense of a wine cellar, albeit a brightly lit and elegantly decorated one. There are token images of Italian monuments scattered throughout the vicinity. The vibe is pleasant and welcoming, and I have nothing to gripe about with regards to it.

5/5

The Menu:

The menu was certainly quite expansive, making choosing quite difficult for the others in my group, because they were spoilt for choice. Although being vegan myself, the choices available to me were limited (though it must be noted that I take no offence to that) and find the variety in general to be an endearing factor. Though it would be great if they had a few more vegetarian options as well.

4/5

The Service:

Definitely a very strong point of this joint. Impeccable and prompt service, with knowledgeable staff. Kudos to them for being so courteous.

5/5

The Food:

The food was presented lavishly, and in generous servings.

I was told that the Gnocchi Al Forno was a great hit by the others in my group, though I didn’t taste it myself.

The Ravioli Di Spinachi E Ricotta was also relished, but was found to be quite heavy and decadent.

I personally did like my Spaghetti Alla Napoletana, but found it a bit too sweet for a savoury dish.

The Penne Arabiatta was also polished off and greatly enjoyed.

The star of the show was the Funghi Al Forno. The flavours of the dish really shined and created a delightful combination.

The Mixed Grilled Vegetable Crostini was also savoured by us all.

4/5

Conclusion:

I recommend Chianti to anyone keen to explore lesser known Italian foods in India, like Gnocchi and Ravioli, and to anyone who liked Indo-Italian food in general. It’s really...

Not having dined at a restaurant with family for a long time was reason enough to pay a visit to Chianti. We purposely chose a weekday lunchtime to avoid possible crowds. Chianti is located at the heart of the city. The ambience is cozy. We ordered a Watermelon fresh juice and Orange with Basil drink. Both were refreshing, though at a slightly steep price. Veg Calzone was not as big as the ones shown on Seinfeld! But there were 4 pocket sized delights stuffed with mozzarella cheese, olive oil & veggies. A perfect way to start the carnival on a diner's palette. We then dug into Pizza Verdure topped with Zucchini, olives, sun dried tomato & mozzarella of course. It was done perfectly and reaffirmed my love for thin crust pizzas. You got to order this. We are lovers of Penne & Spaghetti. We decided to experiment with Ravioli. We were rewarded & how! The Ravioli with Spinach & Cheese stuffing was as thin and soft as it could be. It was bathed in the mushroom sauce and it was lip smacking. We couldn't help but polish the plates clean. The fiesta and Birthday treat had to end on a sweet note. When at an authentic Italian restaurant, order Tiramisu. What blew us away at first was the portion size. And as we slid the spoon through the fluffy dessert, the taste was a symphony of flavours with coffee and cream ruling the roost. I wish we had 2 biscottis to accompany the Tiramisu... Finally, Mr. Sitareddy, our guide for the meal was very courteous and gave suggestions as well as sought feedback after each course. It was a wholesome and delightful experience and a meal to remember. I suggest that you take all precautions and done at the restaurant for a weekday lunch. Ensure you avoid meetings or calls after that because you will only be recollecting the experience the...