Restaurant Review: Via Milano, Bangalore

dee, I am really sorry you had that experience. couple things...

one, the restaurant was started by one italian expat and the rest are of other origins. they all met working in dubai, I do believe.

two, I myself, have notice spotty service. and yes, sometimes I noticed the over-service of firangs, but I also once got terribly ignorned (as a regular) for a party of big-big-big spending northies.... so.... I also have noticed world class service on other nights. they are uneven in this area.

three, there is NO comparison in food between via milano and fiorano. some of the dishes at fiorano are modified for indian tastes, while some are authentic. I find the cuisine at via milano much more authentic, even, and delicious. I do like fiorano, but not nearly as much.

but I am sorry you had a miserable time. I know some of my friends had similar experiences, said they would never go back. I talked them into giving it another go, and later on they were glad they did.

also, for good thai try shiok... really like 200 times better than magnolia. it used to be in indiranagar but I think it's moved to ring road somewhere close to mainland china. should be on their website. they might be in process of shifting now. either way, give them some time to sort things out then go find madhu and tell him I sent you. you will not be disappointed. (yes, I have all the good food hook-ups. what, you didn't know???)

I agree with SS, food at Via Milano is far better than Fiorano.

And I do agree that 'Goras' get a far better service at most restaurants in Bangalore. Once with a European friend, we even ended up getting dessert on the house at 'Roomali with a view' in Indiranagar. But I guess that is a problem that most of India has, and you would realize it the most, if you travel in the interiors with some white skinned friends.

My fav Italian restaurant in Bangalore so far has been L'Italia. If you are veg, you might perhaps like Little Italy, mostly for its ambience. Fiorano is also ok in my opinion, but the food ain't what it used to be.

Stay away from Olive Beach, it's overrated. I am yet to try Via Milano.

Ledzius, Via Milano's vegetarian selection is very limited and we had a vegetarian with us who had a terrible time.

Anuradha, when I am paying I expect good service and the Raj period is over and done with. There are quite a few restaurants who provide good service here in Bangalore and many of them are actually haunts of the foreigners. I will be reviewing them soon.

SS, there is a new Italian restaurant in Bangalore. The chef was flown in from Italy. I will be reviewing that place in August.

No matter what you say I ain't going back;)

One more thing I might add is that I would never order wine by the glass at any place other than Italia. One is never sure whether what you get is indeed what you asked for, or when the bottle got opened. Italia has the best selection of wines, and at reasonable prices.

ledz, do you mean iTalia? I hate that place. waaaaaaaaay overpriced. ick. and little italy is NOT NOT NOT NOTNOTOTOTOTOOTOTOTOOTOTOTOTO ACK not Italian food. Not by a long shot.

and dee do you mean that place over near lavelle road? ugh. went there. not so great. portions are minimal (like eensy) and food is not so special.

SS, Italia may lack ambience, but I thought their food (esp the pizzas) are great. And their wines are probably the best selection I've come across. Quite reasonably priced too.

I agree, the food at Little Italy is hardly all that great, but it has good ambience (perfect for dates).

I also concur, Sunny's is hyped.

are you talking abut the place at the Park hotel? yeah it's OK cause they have campari and an OK selection of wine, but I do not find their food sooooooooo great. but it was anything but reasonably priced. seriously.

and I do not mean sunny's. there is a new place, italian, just after shezan traveling toward the coffee day.

SS, yup, that's the one. Btw, how's Olive Garden back there? :)

you're being funny, right? :)

SS, it opened up a couple of weeks ago; will be reviewing the place soon

Are all of you NRI-to-Bangalore-techies?

no siddes... but is that meant as some kind of insult?

and are you implying that desis cannot enjoy italian food?

LOL ss, nothing of the sort.

Thing is that all you people's language and posts are usually very Bangalore techie types (don't ask me what that is, its just how I feel).

And its more humourous than anything else.

As for food, anyone can enjoy anything.

uh no. I am an american who lived in bangalore for a couple years and am married to a native banaglorean who is not a techie. dee is not a techie. no clue what ledz does for a living.

SidDes, I'm originally from Delhi and did my Masters in History. Whats a Bangalore techie type language or post?

Deepti,

The techie thing comes about cos there are many posts regarding how things are different here, how life was over there ('there' being any place outside India) and the stuff you guys start noticing after coming back, but which never merited any attention before you went.

Am I making any sense?

I have not tried any specific Italian restaurant in Bangalore.

A friend and I (hardcore carnivores) did walk into Little Italy once (with a desire to gorge on meat, a la Obelix; totally ignorant about the 'hallmark' of this place), about a year back. Nowhere was it explicitly written that this 'Little Italy' was a vegetarian restaurant. I started getting clues from the notes embossed on the table top - promoting the virtues of vegetarianism.
Looking at the menu cards, we were quite puzzled at the absence of fish/meat dishes. Then we asked one of the waiters, who sheepishly stammered that Little Italy was a vegetarian restaurant. We(my friend and I) looked at each other for a second, and were out of the restaurant in the next few seconds.
It seemed a sacrilege to spend more than 500 bucks per head on vegetarian Italian food!!

Anyways, besides Casa Picola, I swear by one restaurant these days. It serves excellent Carribean (Trinidadian) food (the only West Indian restaurant in Bangalore). It's name is "Sue's Food place", located on the road parallel to CMH Road in Indiranagar, between 100ft. Road and 80ft. Road. It's managed by a sweet West Indian lady, Susan D. George, who herself cooks the entire food for the day, everyday, with some help from her sons, and bakes excellent cakes.
It has a nice ambiance, with some photos of West Indian cricketers, some nice Trini shirts and paintings, and soft Calypso playing in the background. And the lunch buffet is fantastic; you can overstuff yourself on only Rs. 250, and still not satisfy your tongue!!

Unfortunately, for health and fitness reasons, I have had to severly cut down on my food outings; which were a regular weekly event last year for me :-(

Well, I think its got more do with globalization and not just the experiences of techies;)