Restaurant Review: Ellipsis
Our first impression of Ellipsis was similar to German interior designer Thomas Schoos’s reaction to Mumbai (watch it here). Schoos was clearly overwhelmed by our city, just as we were taken aback by his work for the Colaba fine dining establishment, in both a good and a bad way. Ellipsis is made up of a lounge, a dining area and a private dining room. We had our meal in the dining area, a room so excessively decorated that no one element stood out. The tables are tightly packed and lorded over by globe cluster lamps; a communal table in the centre of the room is flanked by two carved pillars; and the walls are cluttered with oil paintings. The lounge, decked in plush sofas, a shag rug and warm lighting, has an inviting allure, ruefully absent in the dining room.
We were quite taken by its seductive charm until they served us the overpriced cocktail menu. Of the 12 signature concoctions, we tried the Nightcall (Rs1,200) a boozy mix of judiciously spiced bourbon, aged rum and vanilla that will quickly dispel any first date awkwardness, but also leave you considerably poorer. The Hot Shot (Rs700), a salt-rimmed beer cocktail that combines lime, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Asahi, did no justice to its name and tasted more like a Bloody Mary but without the tangy punch of the tomato juice. Dinner is an equally pricey affair (the average price of a dish is Rs700) with meagre portions that thankfully do not lack in taste. We generally pay no heed to the bread basket, but devoured Ellipsis’s freshly baked, salted, pretzel-brown rolls that are served with excellent in-house spreads: goat cheese butter, a smoked paprika dip; and a miso honey dip, each of which the kitchen obligingly replenished when we asked for more.
We had keen hopes of being dazzled by the food when we read that American chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, contestants of the popular TV show Top Chef, were involved in the restaurant conception. Ellipsis serves a page-long menu that lists soups, salads, appetisers and mains. It’s printed daily and undergoes minor edits, depending on the availability of produce. The night we visited, the menu featured an exquisite Holland pork belly tortilla (Rs650) that should remain a permanent fixture. A wonderfully crisp piece of pork belly is placed in the centre of each mini tortilla over a bed of undressed cabbage slaw and a tangy tomato, cilantro and jalapeno salsa. Sadly though, they only serve three to a plate.
The beef, chicken and cheese sliders (Rs700) were the only truly awful part of the meal, mainly on account of the flaky mini burger buns and the greasy pakoda-style chicken patty. We tried the seaweed pappardelle (Rs700), a visually captivating and curious preparation of black coloured seaweed pasta, baby corn and pappardelle-thin slices of carrot dressed with soy lime and chilli. The sourness of the soy and the lime cut through the strong flavour of the pasta. The grilled chicken (Rs750) comprised two chicken breasts on the bone, poised on shredded green mango and papaya served with a meagre albeit flavourful green Thai curry sauce heavily scented with kaffir lime. It’s a light, summer-appropriate dish for the calorie-minded. The same can be said of the Cioppino (Rs850), made up of a moist fillet of rawas and a subtle Asian-style red pepper, fennel and chilli broth.
The dessert, however, was rich enough to induce guilt pangs. Their dulce de leche cheesecake (Rs450) had a subtle tartness owing to a mix of goat cheese and cream cheese. The combination of the candied sweetness of the dulce de leche ice cream and the tartness of the cheesecake, is nothing short of revelatory. The remarkable lightness (and small portions) of the savoury courses encouraged us to indulge in a second equally sinful dessert, a sculpted dish of chocolate truffle with an oozing creamy peanut butter sauce and a crumbly chocolate cookie base. Ellipsis’s name bears the promise of something more and based on our first dining experience here, we’re keen to know what’s next. The manager said that chef’s table dinners, which will be restricted to five people at a time, are likely to be launched soon.
That said, the prohibitive pricing, certainly higher than the owners had indicated, ensures that Ellipsis might become for many a “special occasion” kinda place, where you pay a premium for the many high profile names attached to the venture. The food, while certainly good, is not as we’d initially hoped game-changing, but don’t let that dissuade you; if you have the money, and believe in judicious consumption, you’ll find something to love even with the littleness of the servings.
A meal for two costs approximately Rs6,200 with alcohol. This review was conducted anonymously.
Tags: Bryan Voltaggio, Ellipsis, Michael Voltaggio, restaurant reviews, Restaurants, Thomas SchoosEllipsis
LocationB-1 Amarchand Mansion
16 Madame Cama Road
Next to the YWCA
Colaba
Phone6621 3333
HoursDaily, 7pm to 1.30am
Comments (12)
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roundabouts make me spin..wonder what ellipsis will do,esp.after a merri evening..
I agree with Cliff. I left Ellipsis still hungry so went to Bademiya. Luckily the restaurant is in a neighborhood with so many other restaurants like Bademiya, Trishna, Indigo, Indigo Deli, and Table so when you leave hungry there are plenty of other options. I wouldn’t be as harsh as some of the other reviews, just don’t think I’ll hurry back. I don’t agree with Sushant that the place was rowdy, actually we were one of the only tables in the restaurant. I do agree that Ellipsis is as expensive as Hakkasan if not more when you consider the small portions.
@Sushant- even if you’re old fashioned Sushant, you cannot possibly expect every place in Bombay to be the same.. Hakkasan is no where less expensive than Ellipsis, its much more..I paid a bill for 4 at Hakkasan for 25000 with drinks, Ellipsis was a better experience and costed me much less than that.. And we were 6 then.. What’s the point of going to an empty restaurant to dine, Hakkasan is always empty.. I live in bandra and I rather travel across the sealink to enjoy a night out with my friends or family.. When Bombay gets on ur nerves, u need a place to go to which makes u feel like ur not in Bombay.. The food the drinks the environment.. But I guess people who travel abroad and have experienced the nightlife are more familiar with this particular vibe!
@Bhawna- I agree there are very few options for great dining in the city, which is why we gave Ellipsis a shot. My point was that a fine dining restaurant–charging those prices–should have a tamer bar element, that doesn’t effect the dining room. At Hakkasan, which is less expensive than Ellipsis, you have the choice to experience a bar scene or more intimate dining. At Ellipsis, my family’s dining experience was affected by the rowdy bar area. I was surprised when I learned that the owners were giving out shots to everyone. I guess that’s the scene they want, maybe I’m just too old-fashioned.
Went to ellipsis for dinner on sat night.. Started with the living room and have to say, haven’t seen a place like that in Bombay.. Transports you to outside of India! The intimate lounge was even better with their classic cocktails and a list of beers I’ve never seen in Bombay before! Food was amazing, the yellowtail, spicy tuna, sliders, mac and cheese… Desserts – ill have to give them 100 on 10…mind blowing… I would anytime be ready to pay a price for an experience like that..
@Sushant- it’s a bar and a dining place, what else do u expect in a city like Bombay where there is such a lack of places to go to.. You need good taste my friend.. And a drink!
I took my family for a nice dinner out and wish I didn’t. The place is more like a club. Too many young kids drinking and making noise. Everyone was screaming and taking shots. The cocktails were nice but not nearly as exciting as they should be for the price and the food was mediocre at best. The bill was a slap in the face after a rather uncomfortable, lackluster experience.
The hype and buzz surrounding the restaurant have been great, been hearing about it constantly.
But the price point just does not make sense for enough people to even bother trying it out.
If you really want people to come focus more on pallet able food and establishing an inviting price point.
Me and my family went for dinner to Ellipsis and absolutely loved it… The bar had refreshing cocktails which I’ve never had anywhere in Bombay.. High fidelity and Bombay buck were flowing while we lounged in the living room and then moved up to the dining area for dinner…. The starters were so creative and tasted amazing. Pork belly tacos, caprese salad and the Jamon platter were divine. The main course was even better and the desserts Were as good as any can ever be to finish off an amazing family dinner … Its definitely a great restaurant to keep going back to … Already getting yellowtail cravings!!
Went last night and couldn’t feel more ripped off. Over Rs 9000 for two of us. We had two okay cocktails each, two mains, and one starter!! The service was inattentive, the food was flavorless, and the portions were insulting for the price. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. After dinner we were still hungry so went to Bademiya and actually enjoyed ourselves.
Had dinner at Ellipsis and totally loved the food. Met my expectations. Definitely going back.
I’ve been to Michael Voltaggio’s Ink in LA and Ellipsis doesn’t even attempt to do it justice. When I asked to meet the chefs I was told that they hadn’t been around since January! I don’t know what’s worse, that the brothers sold their name or that the owners bought the name thinking it would sell the restaurant. Either way, the food was highly disappointing and nothing like what I expected from all the hype. My suggestion is spend half the money down the street at Table and get way better food.
Sorry, don’t have the money for that.