Another semi-formal outing from office, this time for dinner. Someone suggested Sassy Spoon, and there we were, after office on a Wednesday evening, in our formal shirts and trousers, at the doors of a classy-looking place.

On entering, we found a pleasantly lit, welcoming place with ambience that was serious but not uptight, and lighthearted but not frivolous: perhaps it was the soft and warm lighting, or it was the music, or the wall studded with old suitcases (watch out for it), or maybe it was just the welcoming smile on the usher’s face. And in a moment vanished our mild regret at the drizzle not letting us take up the cane chairs arrayed outside.

So we went in, and the place felt very spacious despite there being nine of us, and quite a few other people. First up, we ordered drinks, of which there is a reasonably good set of options. As we got talking, we found the music too loud to our liking, and the waiter very helpfully obliged by turning it down for us.

The menu at Sassy Spoon is something worth checking out. It not only looks different from the usual official looking booklet that we expect at such places, but also contains several foreign sounding terms. These give a good sense of the variety of cuisines that are served at Sassy Spoon – keftede, tzatziki and gremolata share space with the more common ratatouille, ravioli and bruschetta. I couldn’t help googling keftede, and realized it has the same roots as India’s very own kofta. Not surprising, because keftede refers to fried meatballs from Greece! We also noticed that there were quite a few dishes with a tinge of wine or beer in them.

With all this, I must warn you that portion sizes are relatively small, so it’s best to keep in mind, while ordering, that you might have to order more. That said, the time taken to serve was not too high, which could also be explained by the fact that we were having a lot of fun and didn’t notice how long it took for the food to come. The dishes are served in plates of various shapes including squares. Mind you, the plates might look delicate but they are surprisingly heavy, and not just because of the food loaded on them!

Among the dishes we tried were gnocchi with black pepper, which was good despite being quite heavy on the powdered black pepper. We also liked the brown rice paella with beans, artichokes and olives – it is warm and filling, feels healthy and deserves a second serving! There are several other dishes described so well you would like to keep coming back to try each of them, one by one. Among the mocktails, the ‘Very Berry Khatta’ found two takers (which also says something about the number of teetotalers in office!) and it did look inviting when served. The desserts didn’t seem as promising, but then we weren’t keen on desserts, so I’ll be able to comment only after another visit!

The dishes were on the expensive side, but they seemed worth it. At the end of the meal, we were pleased to receive a token that consisted of a nicely-wrapped square of chocolate cake and a short note on the origins of the restaurant. Naturally, I was curious to find out more, and learnt that Sassy Spoon was started quite recently by two friends. I am glad they did that, because they have designed something rare – a place where you will be equally at home with colleagues and with friends!

P.S.: The above review of Sassy Spoon was featured on the front page of Zomato Mumbai, and I thought my readers might enjoy reading about the experience!