The Bombay Brasserie at Taj Cape Town: A Taste of India, a Touch of South Africa
The Bombay Brasserie, at Taj Cape Town, offers a pan Indian gourmet experience with added South African warmth. Whether you're a fan of Indian cuisine, appreciate stunning interiors or simply love a good food experience, this restaurant promises a meal worth remembering.
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| Image Supplied |
The Setting
When you step into the Bombay Brasserie at Taj Cape Town, you know you’re in for a special experience. You have a moment to take in the sights of the elaborate chandeliers suspended over the diners below, as you descend down a staircase into the restaurant.
The main part is located in a heritage building that used to be the SA Reserve Bank while another section was an old Dutch hospital. Though the flooring indicates where one building ended and the next began, the decor is cohesive with welcoming plush velvet royal blue chairs, silver tablecloths and a place setting with gold detailing that makes you feel like royalty if you didn’t already.
The main part is located in a heritage building that used to be the SA Reserve Bank while another section was an old Dutch hospital. Though the flooring indicates where one building ended and the next began, the decor is cohesive with welcoming plush velvet royal blue chairs, silver tablecloths and a place setting with gold detailing that makes you feel like royalty if you didn’t already.
Ornate glass light fittings hang inside what must be one of the oldest elevators in Cape Town, suspended over antique suitcases. And in another section, a tree stands covered in fairy lights. An intricate peacock motif decorates the walls, painted in such a way that it almost looks like a mosaic. It took me back to my time spent in India in 2019, not in Bombay/Mumbai (I have not been there yet), but rather to Jaipur.
When I went back to my photos from that trip, I realised why:
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| City Palace, Jaipur |
The Food
My companion and I ordered the Experience Set Menu, one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian so we could experience everything. If you like variety and hate having to choose just one thing, you are in for a treat!
Executive Chef Surendra took great care of us. The chefs under his leadership, many of whom are also from India, create cuisine from both the north and the south of the country.
The amuse bouche was a Dahl Puri consisting of potato, sweet yoghurt and tamarind chutney in a semolina sphere. Our waitress Phelo, explained that it is supposed to be eaten in one bite. I did it in three because I’m a rebel like that! But honestly, I’m so glad I did, It prolonged the experience and every mouthful was incredible. Everything was perfectly balanced from the flavours to the textures and the perfect crunch of the outer shell. You could serve me a plate of these and nothing else and I would go home completely satisfied.
The starters consisted of Sarson Ke Phoo (a broccoli dish)l, Truffle Hara Bhara Kebab (which almost looked like a spinach cake with roasted chickpeas and truffle) and Tandoori Paneer Tikka (a dish made with roasted cottage cheese), for the vegetarian menu. The non-vegetarian menu featured a Prawn Balchão (made with coconut vinegar), Tandoori Chicken Tikka and Adraki Lamb Chop (with dry ginger and spices).
Every element was tasty. The Truffle Hara Bhara Kebab was quite a surprise, I underestimated its flavour based on its appearance. I also had never had a tandoori shrimp before and expected the tandoori to overpower the shrimp’s flavour but it was surprisingly well balanced and so tender. The other highlight was the lamb which melted off the bone and was full of flavour: juicy, succulent and kissed with the fiery zest of ginger.
And yes, that was just the starters!
As far as palate cleansers go, I’m used to low-key flavours of sorbet like lemon or apple. Here we were presented with a deep pink raspberry sorbet that was sweet and delicious. It almost seemed like a sneaky dessert before dinner (the kind that your granny would give you as a child if you promised you wouldn’t tell your mother). But that’s what I really liked about it! Dessert should come before AND after your main course! I also love a bit of theatrics so I appreciated that it was delivered in a cloud of smoke.
The main course was a literal feast. We had naan and saffron rice to share. The vegetarian dishes consisted of Aloo Gobi Masala (charred cauliflower and fenugreek in silky tomato sauce) Paneer Kadhal (cottage cheese and sweet bell peppers in a tomato coriander emulsion) and Dal Makhani (a black lentil dish). The non-vegetarian mains consisted of the lamb dish Lamb Rogan Josh, Bombay Brasserie Butter Chicken (the famous chicken dish with a tomato sauce but elevated to a new level) and the black lentil dish Dal Makhani.
The dal was very tasty. I also enjoyed the lamb but the classic butter chicken was everything you could wish for in a butter chicken; deliciously creamy and perfectly balanced with aromatic spices and melt-in-your-mouth chicken.
For dessert, we had Spice Mess which consisted of gulab jamun (a fried dumpling), mango, cardamom, meringue, passion fruit mousse and pistachio crumbs. I loved the crunch of the pistachio crumbs in the mousse. It was a perfectly sweet finale.
Our meal was complemented by a glass of L'Ormarins Brut Classique.
The Bombay Brasserie Bar also serves an array of signature cocktails. After the Brut Classique, I decided to switch to a non-alcoholic cocktail. I opted for the Bombay Butterfly which I’m assuming was inspired by the restaurant’s logo made up from two capital Bs back to back. This was a sweet drink with flavours of cranberry and elderflower.
All of this costs just R545 per person and includes a glass of Brut Classique! (*Correct at time of posting.)
The Experience
Sometimes when you eat at signature restaurants, you are served dishes that are so abstract that you can’t even identify what they are. At the Bombay Brasserie, that pretentiousness is removed. No chef is trying too hard to prove anything. Instead, you are served great, somewhat familiar dishes, elevated to whole new heights of flavour and presentation. There is also a certain South African warmth conveyed in the service that I’ve never experienced in any other country.
The Bombay Brasserie is a must for anyone who:
- Loves Indian cuisine
- Hates having to choose just one thing for starters or mains
- Likes dessert before AND after dinner
- Enjoys great value for money
- And appreciates amazing food and fantastic service in a beautiful setting
The Bombay Brasserie is a wonderful combination of Indian cuisine and South African hospitality at a remarkably affordable rate. When you walk out of there, you don’t feel like you’ve had a meal, you feel like you’ve had an experience.
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If you're spending some time in the Cape Town CBD, here are some other things you may want to experience:
- Go on a trip with the Waterfront Duck Co., Cape Town's new bus boat
- Grab a drink at The Art of Duplicity, a secret speakeasy
- Pay a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium
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