Bantoos is a very aesthetically pleasing, with well-thought, beautiful interiors that are apt to feed your Instagram feed. Located in Baner at Deron Hills, right opposite the Bata Showroom.
The interiors are impressive, adorned with decorative plates on the wall, Edison light bulbs hang around, coloured tiles and colourful planters with modern sitting. The walls have been given an open brick finish; and their bar too has a fun vibe. The menu is a hotchpotch of Italian, Mexican, Continental, Asian and North Indian food. Their signature cocktails are a must-try: We loved the 'spiced mash', is a take on whiskey sour; the 'coffee julep' is a lovely cold coffee spiked with lots of rum; and the 'watermelon and basil martini' is a refreshing summer cocktail. They all cost INR 395 each. For the teetotallers, we loved the 'panda' mocktail, which was a mix of fruity concoctions with a citrus base at INR 215.
Their menu is quite vast. From salads, burgers, sandwiches, handmade pastas and bakes, biryani international large plates, they have a lot to offer. For starters, we tried the cream cheese and scallion spring rolls, and crispy ginger fish. The spring rolls had quite a kick, and were similar to mozzarella sticks, but better! The sweet chilli dip was the perfect accompaniment. As for the ginger fish (rawas, in our case) was evidently fresh, marinated in a Chinese-inspired sauce and perfectly cooked.
For mains, we opted for the pan-Asian laksa bowl and cajun chicken pizza and we don’t regret the choices at all. The handmade sourdough pizza was made in the in-house wood-fired oven and has a lovely smoky flavour, crisp base and mildly hot toppings that were flavour-packed. The arugula leaves on top of the pizza, added a crisp freshness to each bite. While the bowl came with a rustic classic Asian coconut curry, and asian vegetables with well-cooked noodles.
We were too full to try anything from the dessert menu. If you can't resist the sweet tooth, the New York cheesecake and the homemade tiramisu seem like a good bet.
A meal for two here will set you back INR 1,500. Bantoos also offers an all-day breakfast menu and has space for parking too (no valet here!). The portions are generous, so if you're a small eater, order wisely.
