Keep it simple, silly

Located in the FampB hotspot of Khar Silly all white and serene appears like an oasis of calm from the outside A towering 65yearold mango tree and a brickexposed wall with a living roomstyle shelf of antiques peep out inviting curious glances from passersby When we step in the rustling of flora footfall on the gravel pathway and a faint chirping of birds drown out the traffic As we soak in the filtering sunlight and check out the Boho macrameacute detailings vintage mirrors and cosy but elegant seating options mdash therersquos a jute swing set to call dibs on mdash one of the many quirky signboards around us sum up our feelings ldquoBe Silly here and everywhererdquoMadras lamb curry with steam riceCreated by Pawan Shahri and Dhaval Udeshi of London Taxi and Butterfly High fame along with luxury events expert Nikita Harisinghani and firsttime restaurateur Karan Nohria the allday cafeacutebarandrestaurant opens doors this evening With a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor dining options the 4700sqft hangout exudes a classy intimate charm ldquoFrom being able to roast your own coffee to picking herbs for your cocktails and from dropping in to work or chill in a corner to curling up with a book from the library therersquos something for everyonerdquo says Udeshi Shahri adds that the idea is to turn it into a community centre saying ldquoWe plan to collaborate with small businesses for popups and workshopsrdquo It makes sense as we pore over the expansive menu boasting of 90odd items ldquoI call it thoughtful food Therersquos an amalgamation of all cuisines with focus on seasonal and local producerdquo Udeshi asserts as we sip on a fragrant and summery ginbased Cucumis rosai 700The space has an al fresco area dining space a mezzanine coworking floor and a roasterycumbar areaFirst up from chef Ganesh Bishtrsquos kitchen is a huginabowl brown butter cream of mushroom 325 It sets the tone for Bishtrsquos fare which is light and playful as we find out with a refreshing bowl of watermelon berries and feta 425 that makes us want to become a salad person Next up are yummy milk buns one with a filling of Cuban spicy sriracha tofu 350 and the other of pulled BBQ chicken 375 mdash both repeatableFrom left Karan Nohria Nikita Harisinghani Dhaval Udeshi and Pawan Shahri the team behind SillyThe real star though is the handrolled peri peri potato chips served on the side Among other small plates is a stellar cranberry and pecan crostini with goat cheese 350 and Asian skillet nachos 350 while the wild mushroom truffle dim sums 425 fail to impress Sliders mdash one a chatpata curry chicken with mango chutney 395 and another a healthy umami almond quinoa variant 425 mdash also deserve a thumbsup we wash them down with a smoky whiskeybased Curry Mary 650Silly kulhadThe standout from mixologist Latesh Kotianrsquos bar is Silly kulhad 550 a sweet reminder of cool clay pot lassis A blend of kiwi crush and pineapple juice along with white rum itrsquos the perfect drink to kick back with on a sweltering afternoon From the mains our pick is a flavourful comforting Madras lamb currysteam rice 425 that we follow up with desserts of which the Mango panna cotta 450 impresses As we wrap up with a heady coffeeroasting experience we canrsquot wait to head here to soak in its postsundown avatar and perhaps peek at the moon from the swing that caught our fancyWatermelon berries and feta saladAt Silly Ground floor 5th Road Khar WestFrom 12 pm to 1 am open from 7 pm todayCall 9004418531