The Nutcracker — Restaurant in Mumbai

Service: 4.5 Ambience: 4 Food: 4.5 Value for Money: 4.5

Located in Fort opposite the Forbes One building in the corner at Modern House, Dr. V.B. Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda, The Nutcracker is a small hideout American and European Café which serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and its opens from 9.30 am to 11 pm. It’s a nice place where we were the first to reach when it opened and were quickly allocated the table but it is also safe to say that you might have to wait to get the table allocated if you come past 10.30 am.

It’s a small seating capacity place with nice ambience and setting – not with lavish interiors but cozy and beautiful on its own with a nice aura where you can visit and spend your mornings at. Seating is comfortable with chairs and tables. The food which we ordered was nicely presented and the taste was good too. Its washroom has old European Setting. They have varieties available in vegetarian food and portion size also can be selected like 2 piece or 4 piece depending on the group size and how much you are hungry.

To the food: Barley and cracked wheat upma Jain, Breakfast Quesiddillas, Bagel and Cream Cheese, Oreo Milkshake, Caramel and Banana Smoothie, The Seven Later Cookie

We started with Barley and Cracked Wheat Upma (Jain) which has a warm tossed up mix of cracked wheat, barley and vegetables topped with roasted nuts – never have thought that something like this would be tasty and delicious. It was served on a plate in a round cylindyical shape topped with almonds and roasted nuts and sprinkled with barley. This was followed by Breakfast Quesiddillas (4 piece) which had black beans, corn, red peppers and cheese and it was nicely made and served in 4 pieces made in triangular shape with 3 dips on the side. Next we went for America’s favourite breakfast on-the-go dish which was Bagel and Cream Cheese served in a plate where Bagel was made into 4 pieces and served on a rectangle plate and we would definitely say that it was mind blowingly good just the way one would like it.

We ordered Oreo Milkshake split into 2 portions and it was filling and heavy with right amount of chocolate goodness topped with Oreo as well as Caramel and Banana Smoothie which was equally good too. Lastly we opted for The Seven Layer Cookie which is their signature dish and it has layers of biscuit crumble, gooey Belgian Chocolate, Butterscotch and Almond on the brownie along with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream on the side. This plate was served in an impeccable way which looked so tempting that one could hardly resist. Although small in size, this is a heavy desert and quiet filling and the desert was outstanding.

Overall, we had a nice breakfast experience. The quality of the food was great and quantity served was satisfying too. Our breakfast turned into a brunch and there was no chance of regret we must say. The service was good and prompt. We definitely recommend our readers this place for morning breakfast if you are around Fort.

Always hungry for more !!

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After reading the reviews, we decided to visit Nutcracker, Kala ghoda outlet on Monday, June 23. It was a bad decision I must admit, after coughing up some 4.5k INR. It was like a typical dingy tiny Parsi-types cafe. As soon as you enter the place, they have some 5-6 small tables and then it's over!!!! I mean ridiculous concept and absolutely tasteless food items in the menu. The chef probably doesn't even have a proper knowledge of the items that have been listed and just comes up with his own rubbish tasteless fake copies of the original recipes!! It looks like a kabadikhana converted into a cafe with absolutely rubbish food, ambience, staff. The owner of the chain should visit different countries to learn the original recipes and then train his staff. Just to share an example, we ordered Korean Cauliflower fritters, Bloody, who the hell steams the cauliflower before coating them and frying? All novices do so, it makes the cauliflower soggy!!! You just have to soak them in salt water and keep them bite sized. They got the whole damn sauce also wrong. Next, the useless waiter recommended some dish called " Kushari"... The description was completely different from what was given to us!!! The gargabe dish had rice at the bottom with exactly 8 chickpeas and a few whole masoor dal, which was layered with a tangy tomato gravy and then topped with fried onions.. it was accompanied with a side of some lemon water in a tiny bowl!!! Just imagine the overpowering tartness , making the dish sour and inedible... A dish is all about ingredients that balance and compliment each other. Absolutely disaster!!! Then the single useless waiter recommended Salli omelette with pav..... Which took the chef 45 minutes to make- not exaggerating one bit!!!! The classic dish was again so bad so baddd that we couldn't finish that as well and took it as to go to throw in the trash. It had a taste of besan alongside 1 egg....not edible at all...

We took some more dishes, I have attached the invoice for those interested. The guy who owns the chain should actually drown himself for the mismanagement. Sub par food, bad taste ,EXORBITANT PRICING. People who know what good food is, STRICTLY STAY AWAY, else you want to waste money. Such places like Nutcracker are for wannabes who can't cook, don't mind feeding shit to their bodies, have...

The Nutcracker – Cozy Café, But Falls Short on Flavor

Tucked away in the charming bylanes of Kala Ghoda, South Bombay, The Nutcracker is a small, cozy café that certainly has the right ambiance for a relaxed meal. Given its popularity, we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table, which wasn’t too bad considering the café’s size.

We started with the Turkish Eggs, which featured two poached eggs on a bed of garlic yogurt, drizzled with chili oil, burnt onions, paprika, and garlic, served with pita bread. While the presentation was appealing, the flavors didn’t quite come together—the dish lacked the bold punch that makes Turkish eggs stand out. The yogurt could have used a touch more seasoning, and the chili oil didn’t bring the expected heat or depth.

Next was the Truffle Wild Mushroom Risotto, made with porcini and portobello mushrooms, parmesan, and a drizzle of truffle oil, served with garlic bread. While the truffle aroma was enticing, the risotto itself was just decent—neither creamy nor particularly flavorful, missing that rich, indulgent texture that a good risotto should have. The garlic bread on the side was standard, nothing memorable.

To drink, we ordered a glass of Mango Kombucha, which was refreshing but unremarkable—the mango flavor wasn’t as pronounced as we had hoped, and the overall taste felt a bit watered down.

Overall, the experience was just about average. While the café has a warm, inviting atmosphere, the food itself didn’t quite hit the mark. Given The Nutcracker’s reputation, we were expecting something more flavor-packed and well-executed. Perhaps it was an off day, but for the price point and the wait time, it left us wanting more.

Would I rush back? Probably not. But if you’re in the area and need a quick bite in a cozy setting, it’s still worth a visit—just keep your...