With my trusty triad of girl wonders we decided to head to The Vintage Avenue in GTB Nagar for the customary Sunday brunch. It’s located inconspicuously on top of a retail shop, neighbouring a jeweller on the restaurant rich route of Hudson Lane. As you climb the stairs you’re welcomed into the actual dining area with walls covered in 90s music memorabilia, similar to Hard Rock Café. The options for seating are vast and exciting, you can choose to have a meal with a special someone overlooking the street or you can share a friendly meal with your buddies on the floor mattresses covered with funky cushions. The knickknacks all over the place and the interactive wall décor serve as plenty of eye candy before your meal arrives.
Now comes the first and probably only disappointment I had here: the menu. You’d enter expecting something a lot more continental out of a multi-cuisine restaurant but the menu is rather restrictive in terms of choice. However, hunger pangs took over and we ordered the Chilli Mushroom Stir Fry, Barbecue Chicken Wings, Nachos, Aglio Olio Pasta, Spaghetti Bolognese, Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies and Hazelnut frappes to wash everything down with. The brownies were for Rs.100 and all other eatables were priced between Rs.150-200 before taxes.
The food appeared in no time and the staff at Vintage Avenue was incredibly accommodating to our requests to have some portions cancelled and the music as well as heating altered. The nachos were divine and worked flawlessly against the cheese sauce and perfectly spiced beans. The mushrooms were delicious and the plate was not skimped on quantity as there were plenty for all of us yet we were left pining for more. The chicken wasn’t tough but not soft either and the sauce was spot on.
Both the pastas were good but nothing remarkable. The pasta was al dente and the sauces were basic. The brownies and ice cream were perfect as there’s not much wrong you can do with chocolate and ice cream. However, the Hazelnut Frappe deserves a line of its own. The milk was smooth and creamy, the flavours were clean but decadent and the essence of chocolate echoed throughout the concoction of coffee and hazelnut. It is the best frappe I’ve had in my life.
The bill wasn’t too pocket-friendly at Rs.350 per person but I would still recommend the Vintage Avenue for a visit for their ambience, service and food. All in all, I’m waiting to go there again this weekend. I’ll be the girl surrounded by empty frappe glasses, do say hello.
Madhurya Sundar
