Mumbai’s culinary scene has been stretched in all sorts of new directions lately, by a rash of new cuisines including Mexican and French. Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ), the first Indian outpost of a popular Belgian bakery, is the latest addition to this international morass, bringing with it giant spears of hand-rolled bread, open-faced sandwiches and long community tables.

All big windows and honey-toned wood, the restaurant adds a splash of sunshine to what may be South Mumbai’s most gastronomically elite street – it is situated opposite Indigo Deli, Moshe Cafe, and the upcoming Table at Colaba; plus, the Taj, with its super line-up of restaurants, is just down the road.

Born and Bread

Yet it seems like LPQ can hold its own, armed with a short but interesting menu, efficient staff and seriously sinful chocolate spread specially jarred and imported to India for the brand (we only wish it was served on all the tables here, like at outposts in New York and Boston).

Other departures from the original include the addition of Indianised sandwiches featuring cottage cheese and chutney, parathas for breakfast, and a strange-sounding masala chai flavoured lassi, which we didn’t have the stomach to try.

Some Like it Hot

We did, however, sample the tartinis (open-faced sandwiches) piled high with creamy egg salad and pickle, featuring succulent shreds of Tandoori chicken, and starring slender stalks of asparagus and ricotta cheese. All three were delish, but in a city starved of the simple delight, the egg salad version brought us the most pleasure. Despite these options, a black bean, avocado and hummus version sampled at an LPQ outlet elsewhere, was sorely missed.

Next came a series of hot dishes: vegetarian lasagna proved to be an appealingly hearty mess of noodle and sauce and cheese, contrasting nicely with airy, zesty pillows of ricotta and lime ravioli. Chicken with basil and chilli potatoes was the first (and only) real disappointment of the meal, where bland sauce and undercooked potatoes didn’t do justice to the glistening, tender hunk of meat and pretty presentation. Wash these down with piquant house lemonade, ice tea, a glass of wine or - if you ask nicely - even a real drink from the tiny bar downstairs (liquor license pending).

Nice Buns

Save at least half your appetite for the dessert here, which includes reliably decadent warm chocolate cake; apple pie as comforting as pop tarts on a frosty morning; and our favorite, crème brulee livened up with a shot of espresso and a bright pile of fruit. If you’re ready to try something different, get the Belgian hot chocolate (make sure you add all the chocolate and none of the sugar to your cup of milk), coupled with a brioche – a yeasty, faintly sweet bread roll that made us want to sing “Hot Cross Buns”.

In the coming weeks, LPQ promises several additions, including access to verandah seating, sale of jarred goods like preserves, oils and the above mentioned chocolate spreads, and better stock – when we went, the they weren’t serving any quiches, lemon tarts, pain au chocolat, or alcohol.

Even as it stands, however, this is a restaurant we plan to visit frequently, to dig into a quick lunch or sip on a leisurely cup of coffee. If you happen to spot us, come on over and pull up a chair – the table’s communal, after all.

Getting there: Dhanraj Mahal, opposite Indigo Deli, Colaba, call 66150202, approximately Rs 1,600 for a meal for two without alcohol.