Coromandel Cafe — Restaurant in Puducherry

My Review of Coromandel cafe and Restaurant or LA Maison Rose @ Puduchery

Friends before I write about this pan European restaurant in Puduchery, I must introduce the exquisite person behind this wonderful Cafe venture

Let me introduce the talented lady behind Neo pan Eurpoean Cafes that have come about in Chennai and Puducherry past 2000.

Ms Kiran Rao is the daughter of illustrious industrilalist Shri V. M .Rao Of KCP sugars Ltd ,in which she is still an executive director.

Though she is a qualified Anthropologist & historian with a degree from the University of London with wide experience in sugar industry, her passion was setting up quality boutiques and unique stand alone restaurant with European cuisine and patisseries.

In late 1980's She started a boutique and a coffee shop attached to it, by renovating her aunts 100 year old heritage bunglow named "Sunder Mahal " in Jeypore colony of Gopalapuram in Chennai.

It soon became a big hit with discerning people of Chennai and seeing it's popularity Ms Kiran Rao moved into a larger premises at Whites Road by restoring a granary behind KCP office off Anna Salai Converting it into an eco friendly building along with an ever green wild garden surrounding it , along with adequate carpark facilty .

In 2000 this restored property became "Amethyst" ,a 5 star cafe with a difference and a boutique .

Today Amethyst on Whites Road boasts of a garden cafe (Wild Garden), a flower shop (Bloom), a fashion boutique (Upstairs) and a space to hold events (The Folly).

Overwhelmed by the patronage Amethyst received Ms Kiran started another one opposite Hotel Adayar park on Chamier's Road in partnership with her friend called"Chamiers cafe", that's more known as place for book launches and has a gift shop .

Ms Kiran's passion for restoring and renovating spaces also led to another feather in her cap by converting a vintage French villa La Maison Rose into a beautiful cafe called "Coromandel cafe" in Puducherry .

She has further expanded this cafe now by taking over an adjoining building on lease and has renovated it by adding an aesthetically designed indoor garden and a large dining hall with rest rooms to cater to the ever increasing guest volume each passing day.

Today perhaps this Coramandel cafe is considered one of the best in Puduchery ,known for classic European food more so fresh sea food and Pizzas .

I have dined in her cafes at Gopalapuram ,Whites road and Chaniers road and only yesterday I had the pleasure of having lunch at her Puduchery LA Maison Rose Coromandel Cafe .

Trust me this heritage French villa "La Villa Rose" is so beautiful and mindblowing to say the least.

It must have been painstaking to restore this lime walled beautiful villa to it's original pristine condition . Ms Kiran's passion for restoration is to the fore in this enterprise .

It goes without saying the multitude of guests thronging this place for breakfast lunch and dinner even from 5 Star resorts that abound in Puduchery, stands testimony to the quality of food and services offerred by this cafe ,over the years now.

Being vegetarians, both my wife and I had enjoyed their garlic bread and veg meditererranean Pizza with extra parmesan churned out by their Sr Chef Dharmaraj along with passion fruit twist and iced lemon tea ,chocolate Tiramisu and pisrachio kulfi cheese cake for desert .

We were set back by Rs 2125 which is rather expensive .But then we don't pay for just food but for the whole experience of dining in fine vintage and classy environment .

I must add that their dedicated team like Mr Kannan who waited on us and Mr Sivabalan their restaurant Manager who received us with courtesy ensure their clients always go back with fond memories and a happy face only to report on social media their joy of dining here that ensures more and more travellers make it a point to drop in for dining here during transit or stay elsewhere...

In the era of Instagram and Youtube promotions, very seldomly restaurants live up to the reputation that they are projected with in the online world. But Coromandel Cafe is definitely an exception. Located very close to the Promenade Beach, this cafe sits on throne of one of the most popular eateries of the White Town.

The food that we got to try was immaculately balanced. No dish was overwhelming or underwhelming in any aspect. The chef had put in the effort to ensure that they were set for all kinds of taste buds. We ordered the following:

1. Homemade Kambucha: The best things about this drink were the freshness and the mild sweet taste.

2. Elaneer Nimbu Paani: This was a seasonal mocktail and was based on tender coconut (Elaneer). In the scorching heat of the town, this drink proved to be a solace given its mild chilled effect. The acidity of the lemon coupled with small pieces of tender coconut extract and pomegranate just made this drink unavoidable.

3. Pesto Chicken Pizza: The dough was soft and the first bite let us know that it had just come out of the oven. The richness of mozzarella and the undertones of pesto along with small pieces of chicken and tomato made the entire pizza experience memorable.

4. French Creamy Seafood Plate: I tasted the mahi mahi fish for the first time and became an instant fan. The sauteed garlic on the fish and coupled with the prawns to make this dish filling but not heavy in an ugly way. The 'Cream' aspect was brought in by the thinly sliced potatoes mixed with onions and olives. Such a dish needs a good bread to go with and the bagel served its purpose well. I can easily say that if someone's just starting with seafood, then this dish can be the perfect gateway for the same.

A restaurant's experience becomes holistically positive when the culinary experience amalgamates well with the hospitality and the team at Coromandel Cafe left no stone unturned. Given the popularity of the place, it is impossible to run into at least 7+ groups waiting before you get a table, but the management at the cafe have made adequate arrangements for that as well. A restaurant which ensures that a visitor's waiting experience transitions well into dining experience, deserves an applause. They had standing fans in the waiting area with plenty of seating. The staff was extremely courteous and welcoming. Despite a VIP visiting the eatery, we got our table in less than 10 minutes.

The ambiance is something that a lot of visitors come here for. So whatever I write will be an injustice to the aesthetics. From the chandelier to the wallpaper, from the rustic vintage furniture to the beautifully designed menu, from the picturesque bar area to the calming music, this cafe screams perfection and deserves not one, but...

Coromandel Cafe in Pondicherry has garnered a reputation as one of the highest-rated and most sought-after restaurants in the area, so we went in with high expectations. Unfortunately, while there were highlights, the experience was mixed, and several aspects left us wanting more.

Upon arrival, we were faced with a half-hour wait for an indoor table. While this is understandable for a popular spot, it did set the tone for the evening. Once seated, we started with the pink hummus. It was an unusual take, tasting more like a pinkish version of Indian dal rather than traditional hummus. It was intriguing but ultimately fell short of what we anticipated from a high-end restaurant.

The drink menu also disappointed. We tried the iced tea, cucumber and mint cooler, and elaneer sarbath. While the iced tea was refreshing, the other drinks felt overpriced and underwhelming, lacking the distinctive flavors and finesse one would expect from a place of this caliber.

For the main courses, we ordered the mango pad thai salad, pork chops, and seafood spaghetti. The pork chops were the undeniable star of the meal, perfectly cooked with a rich, buttery base that elevated the dish to exceptional levels. However, the mango pad thai salad was a letdown, lacking the expected texture and leaving us unsatisfied. The seafood spaghetti, though decent in taste, failed to deliver the creamy white sauce we were hoping for.

Dessert was another point of contention. We opted for the burnt American cheesecake, which, while good, did not stand out and left us feeling that we had experienced better elsewhere.

In summary, Coromandel Cafe is worth visiting at least once, primarily for its ambiance and certain standout dishes like the pork chops. However, it did not consistently meet the high expectations set by its reputation. The starters and some mains lacked the wow factor, and the drinks and dessert were not up to par with the prices charged. For those planning a visit, I recommend focusing on the restaurant specials, which are more likely to deliver a memorable experience. While not a complete disappointment, Coromandel Cafe has room for improvement, especially in terms of consistency and...