By Seema Tara Rajwar
Being an Ayurveda councilor has its perks. I pretty much enjoy eating home-made food and I see that as a blessing. But, last weekend, the journalist in me wanted to explore and try out some healthy gourmet food options and so I broke my sabbatical from restaurant visits and decided to book a table for two at Café de Piccolo – a quaint Italian style cafe on Rajpur Road, Dehradun.
A stone’s throw away from where I live; it was a pleasure to have an old college friend join me for lunch, who like me, is an avid gourmet food lover and a connoisseur of tea.
As soon as we arrived at Café de Piccolo, the service staff graciously ushered both of us towards the dining area which looked more like the cozy interiors of a British bungalow rather than a commercial eatery.
We particularly loved their art-deco furniture, white French windows, vintage tiles and flowery wallpapers which made us feel as if we had slipped down the rabbit hole for a tea-party à la Alice in Wonderland.
Although a reservation is not needed, weekends can be overcrowded but neither of us complained: like two well-behaved grown-ups, we put our fingers on our lips and accepted our fate of a 10-minute long wait.
As soon as a table was assigned, which was more like a cushy sofa, we both put our worries aside and broke bread over delightful conversations over an assorted bowl of Greek and Pearl Barley Salad and piping hot Tomato Basil Soup which we hear are invariably an all-time favourite of most who visit Café de Piccolo regularly.
The main course included avocado on sourdough bread, sautéed vegetables with cottage cheese and home-made ravioli in mushroom – freshly-made, tasty and healthy-particularly so as the flavours were balanced well and the portion-size was just about right.
Italian food has a very special place in our hearts, it always makes both of us time-travel back to our kitchen internship days at the Taj Trattoria in Mumbai where we toiled away as mere 18-year-old mortals, grating parmesan cheese and chopping basil leaves, all day, under the watchful eye of the famous Italian chef Sheroy.
He probably took pity on us towards the end of our training and spilt out his trade secrets of making the perfect tiramisu – and, although we still might not be the best at making one, we know a good Tiramisu, when we taste one.
To this, we raised a toast to Chef Sheroy and ended our feast with two cups of aromatic herbal tea for better digestion and a portion of tiramisu whose creamy layers fell flat like our dreams of becoming a chef – and not to mention a fruity slice of eggless orange cake which was, after all, only a reminder to us both that life despite its imperfections, still goes on…
Café de Piccolo not only boasts of farm-fresh Italian food but they also have some interesting options for the health conscious. More so, they have a beautiful ambience that makes one truly feel at home.
Good food is enjoyable not only by the hands that create them but also by the hands that serve them, therefore, Café de Piccolo’s USP is just not delectable food but also courtesy as well as the selfless service which can be seen in the brimming smiles of the service staff; besides they never fail to go the extra mile to ensure your gourmet experience remains a special one. Café de Piccolo also has some interesting, in-house coffee blends to awaken you up from the December winter slumber.
They also arrange private lunches for 20-25 pax on a pre-booking basis.
Meal for two: Rs 3000 + GST
Address: Café de Piccolo
180, Rajpur Road, Near Sai Mandir,
Kishanpur, Dehradun,
(Seema Tara Rajwar is a Journalist and a certified Ayurveda Councilor. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the Welcomgroup School of Hotel Administration, Manipal.)
Dining and Cooking