A sunny signboard saying “come in, we are baking”, spotted a mile away on the corner of a busy Versova lane had us hypnotically walking towards it, dreaming of creamy pastries and warm pies. What we didn’t expect to find was a Lebanese take-away joint called Fatira Flare, which launched simultaneously in Santacruz (E). This is deux beginning?

Take Cover

The week old eatery’s name comes from the Middle-Eastern concept of fatira: different types of fillings wrapped in a pita bread-like covering (taking different shapes and forms), which are baked in a traditional red brick oven. The eatery features a few tables outside with an unimpressive view of street vegetable vendors and mosquitoes for company, so we suggest you take your order to go.

From their traditional fatira flavours, we got the olive and za’atar fatira, a delicious roll loaded with hummus and lots of black olives; and the minced meat za’atar cheese fatira, which was like a yummy nine inch kheema pizza with the fatira forming the base, topped with the spicy minced meat and cheese. Don’t order the ground sausage and mozzarella cheese calzone fatira, which features an under-cooked bread covering and slightly bland filling. While the fattoush shawarma is stuffed with a nice creamy chicken, cheese and fattoush salad, the outer covering was too brittle and ended up being a messy dish. Most of the breads used for the fatiras are herbed and each comes with a super garlic butter dip.

Travels Well

Take-away orders are packed in neat boxes as opposed to flimsy aluminium containers used by many other restaurants. Both branches home deliver within a three kilometre radius. The price points and over-all dining experience at Fatira Flare is in some ways like Falafel, but with more options, better combinations and meat on the menu. Pita activists, charge!

Getting there: Shop no. 7, Gautam View, opposite Axis Bank, ahead of Bon Bon lane, Seven Bungalows, 65650400 and at St. Anthony Road, opposite Shyamrao Vithal Bank, near Vakola Church, Santacruz (E), 65651500, Rs 80 for an Olive and Za’atar fatira and Rs 110 for a Fattoush Shawarma, free home delivery in the area for a minimum order of Rs 125, view the menu here.