Prive

Area:- Mylapore
Cost for two:- ₹1,200 for two people (approx.)
Cuisine:- North Indian, South Indian, Continental, Asian

Taking me to a veg restaurant is like bringing a flaming candle next to a house doused with kerosene, not impossible but just a huge risk. Not that I don’t like veg food, it’s just that very few places in Chennai offer some lovely veg food and I’m glad that I discovered Prive in one such outing. I was invited for a foodies meet in Prive and given below is my experience.

Location

Finding a quiet street in one of the busiest locations of the city is a blessing in disguise. Prive is located in one of such deserted streets named Rajasekaran Street, R K Salai at Mylapore. The easiest way to spot this restaurant is to find the Van Heusen showroom opposite to the Kalyani hospital. This restaurant is located inside the adjacent street to this showroom. Pleasantly shocking was the fact that they have a really good amount of car parking space which is manned.

Ambience

Talking about Prive‘s ambience and decor puts me in that uncomfortable ‘where do I start’ position. This mammoth property has so much to say in the name of ambience even though they’ve opted for a simple and subtle decor. The red and white theme we set our eyes upon at the name board in the entrance, continues inside too.

The posh and comfy looking red couches are really inviting. Once inside, there’s a huge space on the right which we occupied to make sure others aren’t disturbed by the usual nuisance we create. There’s also a nice lawn section which doubles up as a children play area with a dash of greenery. It’s apparent from the design that a bungalow has been converted into this restaurant. Dwelling deep, we had a glimpse of other rooms which looked excellent. Be it the square table with spotlights or the round table down the main hall with oval shaped red couches and a beautiful chandelier, it’s obvious that they’ve kept the decor minimal yet elegant.

Food & Beverages

DRINKS:-

• Daiquiri – We were served a Watermelon Daiquiri which had little chunks of the refreshing fruit along with a couple of mint. This simple drink was exquisite and rejuvenating.
• Chilli Guava – Guava juice is always a rare find in a restaurant but how would a combination of sweet and spiciness, that’s usually seen in kulfis taste in a drink? That’s exactly what they’ve tried with this drink that’s also got Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauce. Long story short, the mix is a match made in heaven.

• Blue Eye – A fancy title for the humble blue curacao. It was the regular drink that has seen the glasses of many restaurants.
• Lime Mint Cooler – They didn’t even bother to give this drink a cooler (pun intended) name thanks to its classic status. Nothing new yet perfectly made.
• Ferrero Rocher/Kit-Kat/Oreo Shake – Don’t worry, it wasn’t a mocktail of shakes. We got to try these different types of shakes and though the base was same, I must say, they are much better than a couple of cafes in town that mostly sells these drinks. Quite a pleasant surprise.

STARTERS:-

• Nachos – A must in every vegetarian multi-cuisine restaurant in town, the usual nachos are only as good as what sides and toppings they come with. Topped with a liberal amount of cheese along with peppers, olives and jalapenos, the salsa and cheese dip made it a lovely snack.
• Tacos – The Mexican cousin of Nachos, our version of Tacos had chilli beans, lettuce, cheddar cheese and mayonnaise. Quite a good grub.
• Chilli Paneer – Yet another ‘must haves in the menu’, this well plated chilli paneer was lip-smacking.

• Paneer Tikka Assortment – We were served a variety of paneer tikka such as Cheese Lasooni, Pepper Malai and Hariyali paneer tikka. The tikkas were decently good.
• Dahi Poori – This picture perfect chat item tasted as good as it looked.
• Paani Poori – Probably the least appetising dish of in the menu. As a S. Indian, we might not know how a general N. Indian dish should taste but we know about Paani Poori 😛 On a serious note, one would’ve tasted better ones than this mostly because of the street food scene of our town.

MAINS:-

• Assorted Breads – Some photogenic naans and pudina parathas were our primary base mains for the sides. They were cooked to perfection.
• Dal Makhani – Sides can’t get more classic than this. Though it wasn’t something new, it went perfectly well with the breads.
• Pahadi Paneer Tikka Masala – Guess the name gives away what it is 😛 But trying something that represents an entire ethnic community is a divine experience only a foodie can cherish.
• Baby Corn Methi Palak – Baby corn cooked with methi palak was the most unexpected dish of the day. Known for being bitter, I usually detest methi but this dish was delectable.
• Farmhouse Pizza – Never in a million years did I expect to try a decent pizza in a restaurant that specialises in Indian cuisine. This simple pizza with mushrooms, onion and capsicum was remarkably good.

• Lasagna – We bit more than what we could chew with this lasagna which wasn’t as good as I would have expected my lasagna to be.
• Pasta with Veg Creme Tomato Sauce – A pink pasta with zucchini and belle peppers overloaded with cheesy goodness. Sans the unimpressive garlic bread, it was a lovely dish. A bit more seasoning would’ve made it better.
• Fried Rice – What can be more Indo-Chinese than the good ol’ fried rice? With the right amount of zing and hordes of veggies, it was a good main.
• Vegetable Teriyaki – I doubt if this can be called a teriyaki, thanks to its colour but minus the doubt on its name, it was quite a pleasing dish that went well with the fried rice.

DESSERTS:-

• Rabari with Kulfi – This is one dessert that every foodie would love to taste without getting bored. The thick and rich tasting rabari disappeared in no time thanks to its heavenly taste.
• Hot Chocolate Fudge – A chocolate based dessert is obviously going to make it to every dessert menu but they’ve made sure that this wasn’t just another such dish. Chunks of chocolate brownie topped with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice-cream with pistachio shavings and thin apple slices for decoration – loved it.

Overall, Prive is one of the very few veg restaurants that surpassed my expectations by a huge margin and has fortunately or unfortunately set the bar high for other veg restaurants in town. If a fun time with family or friends with some quality food is what you’re looking for, Prive has got the perfect space for you.

Ratings Break Up

Location:- 4/5

Parking:- 4.5/5

Food:- 4/5

Customer Service:- 4/5

Ambience:- 4/5

Address:- 14, Rajasekaran Street, R K Salai,Mylapore, Chennai
Opening Hours:- 11 AM to 11 PM across the week
For table bookings, contact.:- 044 – 30637502

 

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