Looks like Bachelor’s, the (unmarried) sweet heart of Marine Drive, finally has competition; Ice Cream Works is the new kid on the block, a Cream Center offspring that comes armed with delish dessert, sky blue walls and comfortable seating. Cold war, indeed.

Rolling On The Tongue

Pitched as parlour and café, Ice Cream Works has been on quite a roll, with the Marine Drive branch opening within a month of the first outlet in Shivaji Park and talk of a third in the near future. We love how even they couldn’t resist playing Adele’s Grammy-sweeping songs, which kept our feet tapping while we decided from the fifteen-odd ice cream flavours offered.

Cassata Player

We performed in depth due diligence one afternoon, tasting almost all the fifteen flavours offered – the things we do for you, dear subscriber! Fortunately, most were delish, including dangerously dark Italian chocolate ice cream, studded with crunchy bits for levity; bitter-sweet limetta mandarin that featured real lemon rind; and Wimbledon strawberry cheesecake containing large bits of fruit.

Our only grouse was with our waffle cone which, being too thick and unbaked towards the bottom, wreaked severe havoc not just with the dessert but also our molar fillings. Different varieties of cassatas also feature on the menu, as well as sundaes and ice-cream specials hearty enough to satisfy the greediest kid in school.

Papa Don’t Preach

The Cream Center connection kicks in when you look at the rest of the menu, consisting of usual grilled sandwiches and veggie pizzas. It also comes up when you scan through the ice cream tins to find ‘Ballies’ English cream. Old habits die hard, we guess.

Getting there: Ice Cream Works, 39 A, Chowpatty seaface, N.S. Road, 23620104, Rs 58 for a scoop of Wimbledon strawberry cheesecake.