Zara's, Chennai

I had been out on a long early morning meeting across town, one that went on for nearly 2 hours. After that, caught up with a friend for coffee and before i knew it, time was 1pm. I checked my phone to see a text from the bestie asking if we can meet for lunch.. A few text messages later, we had decided to do lunch at Zara's, Cathedral Road.

I called to check if we needed to book a table, the person who answered the phone said there was no need and then proceeded to tel me this "i should tell you, we dont allow access to anyone below 21yrs of age" ;o) [i was kinda flattered that he thought i was 21 or younger..hehe..]

For lunch, they have a combo or you can do a la carte. The combo looked interesting and the price had our eyes twinkling in joy. Vegetarian combo was Rs245, while Non Veg Combo was Rs345. That is quite a steal for the number of dishes they offered.

We ordered one of each- decided to split the soup- Cream of Tomato[ was quite yummy- fresh, and filled with flavour] and the Greek Salad [well, wish the salad was a bit more generous, there was barely anything on the plate]

The combo also came with the option of a Beer, which we gulped down along the meal. For starters, i had ordered the Veg & Cheese Quesadilla served with a side of tangy salsa. My friend got a chicken and cheese Quesadilla. The quesadilla was perfect, crisp, yet not hard, and the filling was good- avocado, capsicum, zucchini, tomato and cheese. The salsa had that little bite and burst of chilli that lingered in the mouth, a perfect side for the nearly bland quesadilla.

While we caught up on the boring, fun, interesting and quirky stories of our life, the main dishes were served. Mine was a penne with red sauce [ wonder why restaurants call it that, instead of saying Tomato based sauce] and oodles of vegetables with a side of Coleslaw and the most soft divine Garlic herb bread [we couldnt stop relishing the bread and asked for a few more as well]

The penne was good, but i wish it had a bit more seasoning- salt, spices and herbs- these would have brought the flavours "bang" to the top.

Finally, it was dessert time. Unfortunately this is the only section with not too many options on the Combo. I chose the Peaches cooked in orange sauce served with a dollop of Vanilla ice cream, while my friend chose the Brownie with ice cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed the dessert, the peach was fresh, soft, and had just that tiny bite to it. The orange sauce blended well, and gave it that acidity cutting through the sweetness of the peach. The brownie was ok, i have had better ones, so dint really go beyond a bite.

What a fun lunch that had been! and to think it came for that price, we felt it was quite a steal. Cheers!!

Ambiance: 8/10 [ it was a weekday and only a few tables were occupied, so peace and quiet]
Price: 8/10
Service: 8/10 [ there is a person waiting on you, asking you if they can bring the food in, and they dont pressure you to pay up and leave]
Overall Rating: 8/10 ..Will i go back here? definitely!!

Address:
Zara Tapas Bar
Above Copper Chimney/China town
#71, Cathedral Road,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600086

Ph:- 044 28111462

PS: They dont allow people below 21years and men- remember to wear shoes!!