Spoiler Alert

We know it all too well now – that cute cafe that lures you in with its charm but disappoints with pedestrian food and breaks your heart with preposterous prices. Such is the story of Silver Beach Cafe, a brand new Juhu eatery where a floor to ceiling glass wall is gorgeously fogged by rain, but not enough to hide the leather booths and thin crust pizza pies that lie beyond it, tempting outsiders to give into peer-ed pressure. Yes, we caved.

During a previous bpb scoop, Silver Beach Cafe was described to us as over the phone as Pali Village Cafe-meets-Indigo Deli. The resemblance to the latter is striking – almost identical chairs, round hanging lights and beams done in wood. We love the loft-like space that sits above the narrow bottom, slated to open to diners soon.

Please be Meated

The menu at this all-day cafe is largely Italian with pizza, pasta and risotto grabbing all major roles. These are supported by a fair share of Mediterranean picks as well as an incongruous Thai curry, tempura and Saigon spiced cottage cheese. You should know that the staff isn’t great with recommendations – they offered us ketchup with pizza –so you decide what you eat.

We started with what the weather recommended –broccoli cream soup that came with promises of apple zest and chilli picante. What we got instead was a tepid bowl of green liquid with so many pieces of floating apple, it could be mistaken for St Patricks Day sangria. The overpowering fruit added unnecessary tang to the soup and completely denied us the taste of the chilli picante, if there was any. This was accompanied by English cheddar and mushroom tempuras, tasty but seemed like any other fried, cheesy snack. The Moroccan kebabs - skewers of succulent meat topped with a yum, ruby-coloured sweet sauce and accompanied with light-as-air couscous freshened with black olives – fared much better.

Gateau Gateau Mein

Next course of action – a passable asparagus and champagne risotto that didn’t seem to bear enough traces of either of the ingredients in its title. By this time the taste buds at the table had pinned their hopes on the pizza and we’re happy to report that it didn’t disappoint. We fought over it, a wafer thin ground that hosted a merry carnival of flavours – cilantro, jalapeno, red and yellow peppers, onion, green chillies. Other mains on the menu include pasta and a bunch of grilled chicken and fish options. Wine and international beers are on the boozy half of the list and a skinny breakfast, tea and coffee selection is also available.

From a dessert showcase we picked the hazel nut gateau, a hunky slice of dense mousse cake with a delicious hazel nut-studded base. For a story where heart break is inevitable, this one didn’t end too badly.

Getting there: Jaldarshan Building, near Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple, Gandhigram Road, Juhu, call 9820417128 / 26208930, Rs 2,000 for a meal for two without alcohol.

bpb reviews anonymously and pays for its own meals.