Cafe Amaretto — Restaurant in Gurugram District

Multicultural and genuinely global in its essence, Gurgaon celebrates all festivals with unprecedented zeal and enthusiasm. Decked up malls and flashy window displays update you about celebrations well in advance. Loud music and even more ornate decorations scream of consumerism, however, leave the little philanthropist inside you in dismay.

My quest for a tranquil corner during Christmas in this over-the-top city led me to Cafe Amaretto.

Located at a seemingly quiet corner of South Point Mall in Gurugram, Cafe Amaretto offers a lovely ambiance, to begin with. Coupled with soothing music and a delectable spread of Italian-European cuisine, I truly felt welcomed as a first-time guest.

The simple yet elegant decor of Cafe Amaretto is further accentuated with vibrant paintings, offering the perfect backdrop for a quiet-cozy evening with your loved ones.

A chance meeting with Shayal Taunk, a gallerist from Jamshedpur who has conceptualized and designed this cafe, helped me further understand the concept behind this unique outlet.

Shayal runs an online gallery to trade paintings. Her desire to have a quaint little cafe where buyers could physically explore art drove her to open this cafe.

For the uninitiated, all paintings displayed in the cafe are up for sale. Shayal wants to offer guests an indulging, interactive experience coupled with great food and drinks.

And talking of food in particular, Cafe Amaretto endorses authentic Italian cuisine, which perfectly compliments the theme of the restaurant due to its richness and parallelism to art.

Each item on the menu can be paired with a classic wine or chilled beer. I choose the exquisitely crafted mulled wine to go with my meal and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The in-house chefs Hari and Chandra have done a remarkable job of tingling your taste buds with mouth-watering Italian delicacies.

Shayal introduced me to the Italian phrase of ‘dolce far niente’ which literally means the sweetness of doing nothing. This could very well be the tagline for Cafe Amaretto. Shayal curates an entire experience for those seeking pleasure from simple things in life, enjoying life at a laid-back pace.

Spanning across 800-square-feet (in carpet area), the cafe accommodates up to 36 people at any given point in time. The all-day cafe operates from 10 A.M. to 11 P.M., seven days a week.

The in-house bakery at Cafe Amaretto is another highlight, as it boasts of sumptuous fresh bread and a rich selection of decadent desserts.

Start your epicurean journey at this casual dining restaurant with the Beetroot Carpaccio, made with warm goat cheese and rocket leaves. The versatile balsamic dressing renders a delicate balance to your favorite salad.

If you like seafood, go for the Pan-fried Prawns - prawns in garlic and chili herb lemon sauce, served with orange and rocket leaves.

There are plenty of good food options for vegetarians as well, like the Baked Mushrooms stuffed with Feta and Red Peppers or Arancini with Mushroom and Goat Cheese.

The Chermoula Chicken with Couscous Salad is one of the best-ever party appetizers IMHO. Chicken marinated with mixed herbs served with roasted garlic yogurt and pita bread.

For entrées, try the Butter Lemon Chili Linguini or the Roasted Chicken with Zucchini Tempura.

Relish a combination of rich chocolate, salted caramel, and tiramisu with a hint of rum - all served as a beautiful dessert platter.

The cafe is lit up differently during the mornings and evenings. This is done to offer you a distinctive, memorable experience. Finally, Cafe Amaretto is sure to awaken your senses, offering you a quiet moment with yourself, far away from the maddening craziness...

Cafe Amaretto contains a classy dominance with intriguing artsy paintings installed on the walls. The interior is pure and illuminates a very calm feeling. I'd have preferred a more serene location in an open area but, sadly, it's placed in a mall. The aura is very romantic plus it's a site for people who love Italian cuisine.

Moving on to the review, it was a humble invite by Shayal Taunk, the owner. The invitation was extended for as long as we both were busy with our personal engagements. Finally, I asked Shayal to get me a table on a weekday and she agreed. The place was empty as I reached, and was entertained by the manager. I didn't opt for anything, rather than gave them the liberty to choose. The meal started with smooth and rich Amaretto's Affogato - American Coffee with Ice cream which complimented with Baked Mushrooms stuffed with Feta and Red Peppers, and Assorted Multigrain Bruschetta, both were a perfect combination of exemplary ingredients and seasonings. Mango and Rose Shake, subtly sugared followed by Amaretto's Artichoke Romana, a pizza that will haunt you for months and there is nothing matched to this one. Gnocchi filled with Mozzarella & Basil tossed in a Tomato Confit Broth is a happy-making meal, it surely can't be consumed by an individual. Gnocchi, here, is loaded with an excellent flavor of Tomato Confit Broth and richness of Mozzarella. Ricotta Cheese Cake with Strawberry Sauce is an outstanding choice to close your dinner.

Cafe Amaretto, for me, is a crafty pick if you really want to impress someone. The delicacies do wonders to your palate. The pricing is bit steep, but it's less expensive in contrast to the others. I'd surely recommend Cafe Amaretto to all my loved ones and would want the place to grow organically in this competitive industry. Thank you for...

First off I love this mall. It has all the places I love to go to an relax, the Buddha Span and Sibang. For breakfast we always went hunting around Gurgaon. But sometimes all you want to do is walk peacefully somewhere nearby.

Amaretto is a little hidden as it is behind the lifts on the ground floor, in the lift you need to go to 'LG" lower ground. Amazingly simple decor, clean and uncluttered. My first time I had their Special Coffee, which has a lot of the masalas we put in chai, might not be everybody's cup of tea! So I had the waiter strain out the ginger bits of which I am not fond. While I waited e brought me a basket of bread. Boy! it was soft and and fresh and so damn delicious. I had ordered the Eggs Benedict which was equally tasty, well laid out in the plate. But what made this one a little different was the side serving of grated potato shaving, salty and crisp. Totally enriched by the experience I decided to take the wife and child for breakfast. This time we tried the cappuccino, orange delight, a fizzy orange drink, the King's breakfast and Eggs Florentine. Now I have to say that everything we had was just perfectly made and tasted like someone took the trouble to make it fresh. I noticed in the kitchen area an oven, to discover that it was a real wood fire over. I have uploaded a pics of place and would recommend it to all. But I do hope the owners are able to maintain this level of service and quality for years to...