At the risk of being called a gastronomic snob, we confess to like more than a bit of variety in our meals. Why stick to just one plate of pasta or a bowl of curry when you can have it all by sitting on one table. You don’t have to walk down to the next restaurant to have a different cuisine for your main course, rather just drive down to a multi-cuisine restaurant. We find all-day dining establishments to have a more diverse menu as they are crafted to satisfy a various kinds of diners. These are the kind of places that suits us perfectly. If you happen to be in the Bandra Kurla Complex vicinity, then drive down to Sofitel Hotel, where ‘Pondichery Café’ is located. This lobby level eatery is the hotel’s busiest corners.

Open throughout the day and night, Pondichery Café enjoys a lavish all-encompassing menu. Featuring everything from French to European to Asian to North Indian, the menu cleverly handpicks the best dishes from all cuisines. Italian is however their forte. They put out quite a generous buffet spreads, something that draws loads of regulars. Begin your day by gobbling down a hefty breakfast. Follow it up with a luxurious three-course meal, beginning with the appetizers. Our snob radar is happy with, goujons, lasooni jhinga, sushi, Thai papaya salad, foie gras, gilafi sheekh kebab, pan-seared scallops, bruschetta and sunheri Makai paneer ka tikka. Main course is enriched by, croque madame, Pondichery chicken curry, teriyaki salmon, quiche Lorraine, four cheese pizza, angel hair gamberi, braised pork ribs, goong makham and paneer butter masala. The list is endless.

Treat your sweet tooth to a smorgasbord of delectable desserts. Polish off, chocolate fudge, red velvet cake, vanilla crème brulee, classic baked cheese cake, banoffee pie, assorted kulfi, gulab jamun and array of sorbet/ice cream selection. Pondichery Café is usually full of office goers and corporates by lunch. The name Pondichery Café doesn’t relate much to either the décor or the menu. Interiors are your standard hotel interior with thick carpet beneath your feet and glossy glass walls. Décor is mostly done in wooden tones. The restaurant sprawls generously sectioned by formal dining tables and glass partitions. Due to patterned carpet and patterned upholstery, the décor looks a bit intense visually. An impressive wine library stands tall and proud in middle of the room. Bill will be fat, watch out.