a bit of italy in the middle of the unknown!!

Given there are very few good eateries here in faridabad, especially good and authentic italian cafes, Cafe Parmesan comes as a breath of fresh air and a great place to hang out with your friends. Located in the famous and centrally located, sector 15 market, which is the usual hangout place for people of faridabad, full of numerous eateries, from small vendors selling street food like momos, frankie, chaat, shawrma etc. to bakeries and cafes like perfect bake, sethis etc!! the market is full of all sorts of shops selling accessories, stationary, artificial flowers, clothes and what not!! this place is always bustling with people!!

Ambiance:

located above cafe coffee day, on the first floor is this small yet spacious little cafe, the brightly red colored framed door welcomes you into a rustic, funky space with antique wall clock, and walls adorned with posters and frames of streets of italy, people, scenary and what not mostly in black and white tone, the feel of the cafe and the ambiance can zone you out and make you feel as if you have stepped in a cafe on one of the bylanes in italy!!

Service:

the service is decent, if the cafe is fairly empty you’ll get an impressive service but if it’s crowded, which it mostly gets during evening hours, be prepared to wait for a bit to get the waiters attention!!

Food:

i went to cafe parmesan with my siblings, so were a gang of 7 people, having sat at the very end, it was a bit difficult to get the waiter’s attention, but they were fairly attentive and came swiftly on our call!! the menu is vast and there are plenty of options to choose from…. i have been here earlier also , then we ordered:

pasta in white sauce(forgot the name): the pasta was cooked al dente, the sauce was super creamy and cheesy, the flavors were spot on…loved it!! the delicious and generous amount of pasta is served along with a piece of fresh and soft loaf!!

spinach and ricotta lasagna: the lasagna looked tempting, but upon having the first bite, we practically spit it out immediately as it tasted sour and split, upon informing the waiter about the same and insisting upon the fact that the dish be checked by the chef himself , since the waiter kept arguing that that’s how it is supposed to taste….the dish was taken back and even the chef confessed that being summers the cheese split and curdled, and so he came and apologized himself and asked us to order anything else in exchange of the same as the lasagna won’t be charged for, which was good as not everyone easily accepts their mistake and offer so!!

a veg pizza(again sorry don’t remember the name): so we ordered this veg pizza which was just delicious, perfect crispy base with ample amount of fresh veggies filling in every space of the pizza, they had dropped on few chunks of mozzarella and goat’s cheese, which was so soft and flavor packed that it made me fall in love with the pizza!!

and lastly, a slice of chocolate torte: a chocolaty and perfect end to the otherwise great lunch, a slice of chocolate torte was creamy, smooth, and played wonders on my palate…loved it!!

the experience was good, apart from that lil fail!!the bill came to be around 1200 bucks(inclusive of tips and taxes) which was worth the taste and given they didn’t charge for the spoilt dish!!, though generally the prices are bit on the higher side!!

this time to start off, we ordered:

belgian chocolate shake(Rs. 160): a thick chocolate shake, super tasty and packed with the right taste and consistency!!

litchi italian soda(Rs. 130): litchi flavored ice cream soda, light, perfectly balanced sweetness which left a soothing taste!!

vanilla italian soda(Rs. 130): fizzy, refreshing and yummy vanilla flavored ice cream soda with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with a dollop of whipped cream!!

chicken melt(Rs. 275): it was a big fail, their take on open sandwich left us in an apprehension whether to order more food or not!! a thick stale piece of bread, topped with super dry an extremely bland mince chicken with cheese melted on top!!! we left the entire dish as it is….upon complaining, the waiter kept arguing that this is how it is supposed to taste…. i mean are you kiddin me…!!

fusilli mushroom with white sauce(Rs. 320): fusilli pasta was cooked al dente, there were loads of button mushrooms in the pasta , what impressed me most was the white sauce, the white rue along with Parmesan ended up in a super creamy, cheesy, smooth and lip-smacking dish….the loaf served along was soft and fresh…loved the pasta!!

spicy peri peri pino(Rs. 350): the pizza in itself was okay, though it was loaded with fresh, properly cooked, vibrant chunks of veggies, the base was a bit limpy and the taste was bland…overall the dish was decent!!

fish in red wine(Rs.510): this was the first time i ordered for fish in red wine, and so was a bit hesitant!! but when the dish arrived, i was in awe, the plate was full of stuff to eat, and not just ordinary stuff, super yummy stuff!! the fish was cut into chunks, and was cooked in red wine along with mushrooms, along with it was served a side of fettuccine pasta and grilled veggies!!!

firstly the portion size was huge, the pasta was cooked perfectly, it was creamy and well seasoned and went perfectly with the fish!! the veggies were cooked well, though lacked a lil seasoning for my taste….the fish was cooked perfectly, it was juicy and moist and had a good hit of red wine in all aspects, be it the color or the taste or even the fragrance!! loved this dish…highly recommended!!

and lastly a slice of,

blueberry cheesecake: a generous amount of thick and blueberry compote spread atop a light, airy and delicious cheesecake with a crisp base(though i would have liked it to be a bit more crumbly) was the perfect end to the awesome flavor packed food journey!!

the experience was great, a cool gang of sibling, loads of conversations, yummy food, refreshing beverages and a great ambiance…..really enjoyed the experience!! the total bill came to be 2800 bucks, which though on a slight steeper side, was well worth it!!

their pastas are great and so are the desserts…..pizzas are decent and the mains are great!!! try and miss on the sandwiches and panini though!!