Metrolife: Italian under the trees

If you are looking to have a calm dinner in the company of lush green trees and serene music then you have to head over to TAB (Take a Break) in JP Nagar. Adorned with beautiful candle stands and antique mirrors, the cafe distances you from the jostling life of Bengaluru stress. The inside of this bakery cum kitchen is simple and eye-catchy at the same time.

The cafe has a single page menu with not a lot of options to choose from, preferring to be more minimalist in their items. The home turned cafe has cute green tables overlooking a flowery, green garden which gives you an ethereal feel. The green atmosphere transports you to an Italian summer home where you can sit in the indoor seating in the shade and ponder over pasta and simpler things of life.

It serves authentic Italian dishes and their bakery has no shortage of desserts. Even though their menu has limited choices, they are able to customise the dishes and not compromise on the flavours.

The cafe also has their specials like TAB pizzas, TAB Club Sandwich and TAB House Salads. If you don’t like paneer then you can certainly replace it with fresh veggies or mushrooms.

A little something to munch on in between conversation as you wait for the main course is a few starters like Buttered Baguette and Chicken on Brochette. Golden fried potato wedge strips served with ketchup was the Texas fries, an impulsive decision but the best one yet.

If you don’t know what to choose, then their specials are a go to. TAB chicken club sandwich almost tastes like heaven with tender pieces of chicken and egg placed in sauce covered bread.

If you want a healthier option, They have seasonal mango salad on a bed of fresh green lettuce. Their house special salad has boiled zucchini, broccoli, lettuce with a drizzle of vinegar. A little on the green side of presentations, One can choose to add chicken or mushrooms to add in colour, like I did, and just relax with a glass of sweet lime soda.

For the main course, there are burgers, pasta, pizzas, lasagna and stroganoff to tickle your taste buds but their BBQ Chicken Pizza stands out with the right amount of cheese to balance out the flavours of chicken placed on thin crusts of bread.

Then begins a new journey towards the bakery where the real goodies lie. If you had a bad day and need cheering up, their rainbow-coloured cake is the perfect option!

The TAB Bakery is filled with sweet treats boasting a variety of cupcakes, cakes, red velvet cakes to tarts and chocolate truffle cakes. A simple lemon tart was rich in flavour and extremely appetizing with zingy flavours of lemon and chocolate.

The cupcakes steal the show with their vibrant colours and equally appalling tastes. The black cupcakes looked like they were from out of this world and tasted quite the same.