[Gurgaon] Café Amaretto is one of the handful restaurants in Gurgaon that serve delicious Italian fare that goes above and beyond pizzas and pasta.
However, there is a sense of experimentation with the ingredients here that brings new energy to the dishes without them being too over the top.
Café Amaretto is part of the new breed of independent cafes, backed by love for food, that makes the gastronomic scene in the city unique and worth exploring.
Till a couple of years back, the café was just an art gallery, with the owner Shayal Taunk already a known collector having an online art store.
The conversion into a full-time restaurant has been quite exceptional and, in a way, the place remains one of the hidden culinary gems of Gurgaon.
At first look, the café oozes feminine sophistication and elegance. If the name didn’t give it away, the place could easily come off as a French café.
In a perfect world, the restaurant would be next to a beach or a garden and not inside a mall. However, once inside, the ambience does its best to make you forget about the dullness that encapsulates most shopping arcades.
The interiors of Café Amaretto are entirely white except for a few art pieces that bring about a dash of colour. I particularly liked the TV showcasing a slideshow of paintings. It’s a nice little distraction between cups of freshly brewed tea.
The paintings on display are quite varied and don’t follow an Italian theme. As a café, I think it works, but without a sense of Italian-ness, that would typically add to a dining experience.
Nevertheless, the aura that surrounds the café is extremely inviting.
In all honesty, I expected the food at the café to be good, but to my pleasant surprise, it was a whole lot more than that.
The attention to flavours is what impressed me the most as almost everything we had was bursting with a characteristic taste that did justice to the Italian way of cooking.
Take the Chicken Breast stuffed with Mascarpone and Spinach (Rs 750, SGD14.35), and I would be happy just having a whole bowl of the absolutely delectable butter thyme sauce that came with it.
The Pine Nuts and Pesto Pizza (Rs 500, SGD9.55) had a remarkably well-baked base, along with its generous helpings of the limited ingredients done right.
I have not hesitation in saying that it is among the top pizzas I’ve ever had in Gurgaon.
The Ravioli Pappa Ala Pomodoro (Rs 545, SGD10.40) had fluffy pasta packed with classic tomato-based Italian filling, served in butter basil sauce.
Once again, the simplicity of the dish reaches new heights thanks to the brilliant flavour profile.
The café also makes cakes on order with a 24-hour prior booking.
The art that is on the walls is available for sale.
The service at Café Amaretto is friendly. The staff is welcoming and eager to help recommend from the menu based on individual preferences.
Although the word “café” relates to budgeted food, that is not the case here. The prices are somewhat between that of a café and a fine-dining restaurant.
I do feel, keeping in mind the exclusivity of the ingredients, that they are acceptable.
Café Amaretto scores big with the food that it puts on the table.
It’s not often that even before I leave a restaurant, I am already thinking about what to eat the next time I am there.
With Café Amaretto, that is precisely the case, and I still have their entire dessert menu to try.
Café Amaretto, Gurgaon
Shop 8, Lower Ground Floor, South Point Mall, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon
Tel: 081305 99121
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 11:00pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/CafeAmarettoGurgaonGoogle Maps – Café Amaretto
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* Written by DFD’s India Correspondent @tickereatstheworld. Raghav is a travel and food writer who enjoys the thrill of discovering new places and writing about them. When he is not working, he can be found driving around his two kids from one birthday party to another.
