When the production house of quite a few celebrated tele-serials of 90s, Cinevista, shifted to Bandra, they found themselves owner of an unused place on ground floor of their building on 16th Road of Bandra. Both partners and their families were born foodies. Opening a restaurant seemed to an obvious option that would prove to be adventurous and gratifying. Thus, Eddie’s was born.

Why Eddie’s? “My brother-in-law was nicknamed Eddie in school. The family, therefore, decided to name it Eddie’s as it fit the Bandra profile as well,” tells Faryal the co-owner of the place.

The 2.0 version of the earlier restaurant and bar is primarily to attract crowds during the day. A proper Coffee Bar and a revamped bar are added to ensure the Café and Bar profile is maintained.

Coffee beans are procured from Bloom Roasters. Surest way to taste and test a coffee is to have an Americano — pure and unadulterated. I opt for that as my starter. A full-bodied start and a berry finish. Worth sipping slowly, savouring the taste. My next beverage is their new cocktail — Maracuya. A Campari base cocktail with tequila, triple sec, lime juice, passion fruit juice finished with a vegan foam and edible flower on top. Lime and passion fruit forward drink is suited for those who like their cocktails slightly on the sweeter side.

Lamb Sliders recommended by Faryal is the company for my cocktail. Delicious, juicy lamb patty in a homemade soft, fresh bun, accompanied by homemade potato chips with skin. It is difficult to decide what makes the slider so tasty — the juicy patty or the homemade, fresh bun. It is followed by Herbed Garlic Prawns served with garlic bread. Slightly spicy, but a great starter to go with the cocktail.

“We make all our breads, chips and nachos in house,” informs Faryal. “We have a proper bakery on the first floor. And all our breads are fresh for the day.” That means the chips in Nachni Nachos are freshly made, croissants and other breads used for the sandwiches are also freshly made. That explains why the focaccia of Eddie’s Cheese Chilli Melt is so delectably soft with the right amount of olives that add zest and taste to the melted medley of fontal, montasio, gouda and cheddar liberally layered with bhavnagari chilli, jalapeno and honey.

The sourdough toast as the base of Pickled Eggplant Toast too is just right. The toppings of pickled eggplant and pickled roasted red peppers are perfectly marinated.

Please don’t miss the Spiced Grilled Chicken Croissant. Flaky, fresh croissant is stuffed to the brim with delightfully spiced and grilled chicken’s boneless pieces. The textures and taste are gratifying and leave you asking for more. This goes well with the Espresso Lemonade — a refreshing drink made with a shot of espresso with salted lemonade.

My mind wanders to Gnudi as I sip my Grapefruit Espresso. Gnudi is another way the Italians call their gnocchi. The gnudi here is made in house from bajra and ricotta cheese and rests on a pesto sauce. The gnudi is tasty but the sauce could have been better.

Time for the desserts; and they have a quite a big choice — Guilt Free Bakes and Eddie’s Signature Desserts. The choice is difficult. The Guilt Free Bakes are primarily vegan and gluten free options for those who have sweet cravings but want healthy stuff. They use jaggery, honey and other alternatives instead of refined sugar. The Hazelnut & Dark Chocolate Cake is made with jowar and jaggery. Trust me you will not miss the regular ingredients; it is so well-made, delicious  and balanced. Their Molten Dark Chocolate Tart is also made from jowar and nachni. Try the Baked Tiramisu Cake from their signature desserts. This melt in the mouth five layered cake sati-ates you and still leaves you wanting more.

The coffee bar has many innovations in hot and cold formats. Also, you can sit for hours with your laptop as they have plug points at all tables to ensure that people hang around for longer hours sipping their new creations.

Average cost for two: Rs 2,500 (with alcohol)