Under the Mango Tree, Richmond Town, Bangalore

Richmond Town is not an area of Bangalore I’ve had cause to visit before, since I generally head straight to M.G/Brigade road. But on a recent weekend, I was in the neighborhood and got to check out a couple of restaurants. One, Under the Mango Tree, was a place I’d heard of and which was rated well. With European and Italian cuisine, al fresco dining in a charming tree shaded alcove, and smiling, good service, it proved to be a lovely afternoon, with excellent food. From the Sangria to the Espresso, and salad, starter and mains in-between, we liked (and in some cases loved) our meal.

We started with the Sauteed mushroom slices in olive oil and herbs (160), which featured generous chunks of mushroom and was not oily, but flavorful and quite perfect. We also got ourselves a salad — the Apple, lettuce and walnut tossed in red wine dressing and crumbled goat cheese (160), which had a green tree next to it, as did other items on the menu, leading us to believe it was a house specialty. It was crunchy, with a light dressing and very decent goat cheese.

For our mains, we went all out: Kingsize sausages in caramelized onion (280), Grilled lamp chops served with Hummus (225), and Pan tossed fish in olive oil with olives & sun dried tomatoes (310). All three of us loved our choices, though the lamb chops were Indian and well cooked, not what someone used to eating lamb chops in the American/European way (and who likes them medium-rare) was expecting, and he said so. The hummus and pita that came with this dish were very good, and quite generous in quantity. The gravy that came with the lamb was spicy and really lovely, and we all oohed and aahed over it. The fish was beautifully prepared and spiced, and I absolutely loved the slices of sausage that looked purple, after their mixing with the onions, that was my order. The fish and sausage dishes were both accompanied by veggies and a delish mashed potato.

We just scratched the surface of Under the Mango Tree’s offerings, and I am looking forward to taking other friends there soon. My dining companions and I were altogether too full for dessert, though the day’s special of Sizzling Brownie sounded good. Our Sangria (red wine variant) was excellent-one of the nicest I’ve had in Bangalore and not terribly expensive. Under the Mango Tree, tucked away in the back roads of Richmond Road/Town, is well worth the visit and lived up to its reputation.

Ed: Cover photo not from this establishment.