Don’t Turn off the Lights    
The Diwali glow may be dimming but the fire still burns bright at Grillopolis, a week-old establishment that barbeques, grills and slow cooks all kinds of treats, turning them into a mighty feast. Forgetting the debauched week we’d just had, appetites were overestimated and the offerings at Grillopolis, grossly underestimated.

Kingdom of Food
At the entrance itself, you’ll know where this Andheri restaurant takes its name  from -  a seemingly tiny gate sandwiched between two concrete columns, a snapshot reminiscent of the Empire of Persepolis. The door leads to an impressive dining space with arched ceilings and criss-cross wooden panelling, fashioned to “look like the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul.”  While a buffet table stands authoritatively at the centre of the ground floor dining level, private booths with brown leather couches (and seriously mismatched green upholstery) and pretty multi coloured glass lamps gather around.  On level two, you’ll find a lounge (of course you will!), a more contemporary setting with black and white seating and an enticingly lit bar.

Using Influence
After taking in the many inspirations behind Grillopolis, our tour ended in one of the ground floor comfy booths. Since the buffet offered far more food and fuss than the prix fixe a la carte option (both menus will change every three days) we decided to go with the former. A decision that was rewarded with a yum mezze platter, soup, salad, eight grilled appetisers (unlimited) that borrowed flavours from different countries including Spain, Portugal and Greece, and ten main course options.

Our dinner got off to a great start with aromatic chicken lentil and spinach oregano soup. The tossed pasta salad though not extraordinary, served as something to chew on before the real feast began. In true Barbeque Nation style, the kitchen patiently served unlimited platters of starters to our table, so even though it was a buffet, we didn’t have to leave our seats for refills. What could be better?

Feast of the Goat (And Other Stories)
In this appetiser group, like in any mix, we found some winners but not without having to weed out a bunch of losers. bpb loved: juicy parmesan grilled chicken and Mediterranean cottage cheese, succulent mutton Galouti kebab served with soft Afghani naan and king fish rubbed with parsely and zaatar served on a bed of flavourful cous cous. The vegetable Seekh kebabs on the other hand, lacked flavour, and jacket potatoes were overdone with cheese.

Halo Berry
Stomachs almost full, we realised room had to be made for mains. If like us, you can’t stomach it all, get the mutton Dum Biryani, vegetable thai curry, seafood paella and paneer kalimirch. The pasta Arrabiata was much too dry, and the basil potatoes slightly undercooked and in dire need of more basil.

Yes, there was dessert too. And all this indulgence only for you, dear reader. Just so we could tell you that the fresh fruit  mousse cake is a far better call than the generic-tasting brownie, we were compelled to dig into both. Ah, the things we do for you.

Getting there: Grillopolis, Go1-101, Morya Landmark 1, off Infiniti Mall, New Link Road, Andheri (W), call 64559900 / 64569900, Rs 650 for buffet plus taxes.

bpb reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for its own meals.