Dough Stopper

Brun-maska may not feature on the menu at Brun Cafe, but Juhu’s new eatery is still rolling in dough. Crunchy bread sticks escort steaming bowls of soup; fluffy rye buns sandwich juicy meat steaks; open-faced slices bearing ruby tomatoes come drenched in olive oil; and herbed sausages are deep fried in bread crumbs until golden brown. Bread cred!

Total Eclipse of the Art

Just around the bend from PVR cinema, this all-day lounge (previously Cafe Kino) is many things to many people: pool parlour for those working on cue, office with free wi-fi and mean espresso for nomads, and speak easy to large friend circles looking for a spacious table. For us, it was somewhere to hang before the 6.30 pm show of Eclipse on a rainy Sunday.

Because the weather demanded it, we started with the cream of chicken soup - a cloudy, herby broth so comforting that it reduced the group of raucous adolescent boys nearby from seriously irritating to only mildly annoying. The sprawling white couches, super service and Bob Marley tracks helped too. If only we’d been spared the clichéd wall collage of rock bands and frames of iconic musicians.

Salvation Tummy

Salvation came in the form of a barbeque chicken sandwich and prawn butter garlic. The former wasn’t Indigo Deli fancy, but was bursting with delicious stuffing of chicken juliennes, caramelised onions, crispy lettuce and mayo, and costed much less. The prawns were good too, sautéed in flavourful herbed butter.

For mains, we decided to go with some non-bread options, picking yum fusilli Arabiata and a strictly passable spinach risotto. The menu also features pizzas, burgers and a few continental plated meals, but getting a bunch of appetisers and passing them around is the way to go at Brun. Since dessert is limited to highly unimaginative sizzling brownies, we gladdened our tummies with creamy cold coffee instead.

Brun Cafe is still new, which is perhaps why we were one of only two groups there on a weekend evening. We suggest you go now while it’s still peaceful and you can actually play a round of pool while munching on food that is consistently tasty and well-priced.

Getting there: Brun Cafe, opposite JVPD Petrol pump, near PVR Cinema, Juhu, call 9820055732, meal for two approximately Rs 550, no alcohol served.

At Brown Paper Bag, we review restaurants anonymously and pay for our own meals.