Let's Go Cycle - Ciclo Cafe

Outlet: Kotturpuram

Address: 47, Gandhi Mandapam Road, Kotturpuram, Chennai    

Cuisine: Cafe, Continental, Italian

Overall Rating: 3/5

Zomato Handle: Divya Srinivasan

My Choice of Taste: Pizza Tropicana

With a canteen that serves tasty food, I didn’t find the necessity to hunt for restaurants during college days. But to find a fine-dining resto with classy ambience seemed like a difficult thing in and around Kotturpuram area. As my visit to IIT madras increased for bird watching, I started noticing two things: a cycle and the word ‘cafe’. I am not a cycle person but the word Cafe is what that really meant for me. And knowing that I could get something to eat was beyond enough. As a usual routine, I grabbed my phone to check the menu and reviews at Zomato; with a good amount of mixed reviews I wasn’t sure about visiting the place until my husband picked the place for a surprise dinner time.

Kudos to the ambience! That places the key role in grabbing the customers for their food time. Parking and location shouldn’t be a worry. On the road that connects Kotturpuram, Guindy, RA Puram and Adyar; they score their points when it comes to location. The ambience surely does some magic on the first look. The pricey cycle shop at the ground floor along with the completely packed dining arena at the first floor is well planned. The decor and lighting adds to the elegance of the place. Coming to the food, the menu did stick to the cuisine they mention. With huge newspaper handed over as a menu card, the dishes were presented with precise description. The information about the cycling sport would engage the thoughts of a sports guy to the menu. We went ahead ordering for a drink, two main courses and a dessert; here’s my take on food:

Green Apple & Cucumber Juleep - The drink was refreshing and tasted good.

Pizza Tropicana (Veg) - I was a bit excited when I came across the ingredients in the pizza - cheese, pizza sauce, chilli flakes and pineapple. I loved the blend of flavors; a bite into the pizza that gives you both hot and sweet sensations together. Pineapples always end up as added toppings to my pizza’s. It was a dream pizza of my choice and though there was nothing to crave about, I enjoyed every bit of the pizza.

Spicy Sundried Tomato & Chicken Pie - It was my first try on a savory pie. Definitely I would have loved to try the Veg version but I atleast wanted to give some choice to my husband to order something he loves to eat. I love the minced chicken stuffing inside the pie. Hoped for a more crispier pie crust. The fries, salad and sauce paired along with the pie was equally good. The sauce was nothing but a Tomato chutney with a fancier display.

Banoffee Tarte - What could possibly go wrong with the banoffee tart when the pie crust is baked to perfection along with a tasty stuffing. It was indeed a lovely end to the meal. But the softness and crispiness of the pie missed the mark. Nevertheless, the not-so-dessert person (my husband) ended up enjoying the tart and that served the purpose.

Coming to the pocket friendly part, they really aren’t friendly atleast to our pockets. Pretty much on the expensive side and with the bill of Rs.1047 INR (inclusive of VAT, ST and SC). Anyways the pricing sums up to ambience, locality and food in total.

No complaints when it comes to service, they know what they are ought to do. They make sure to neatly finish all the works they are meant to when it falls down to service.

Breaking Down Points

Location & Parking (4/5): Big Positive. Easy to locate and a good amount of space for parking.

Ambience (3.75/5): Another Positive. The one thing that grabs your attention enough to make you dine at this place. Indeed a lovely ambience with the theme that circles around the bicycles. If you could afford then go buy the bicycles as well.

Food Variety (3.5/5): Good. They mostly stick to the cuisine they quote themselves to be. The variety feels sumptuous to give them a try.

Taste (3/5): Good. The taste would be good for the palate but isn’t the kinda taste that I would go crazy to crave for more. Definitely they have the scope to refine their cooking. And the presentation part is good.

Quality (3.5/5): Good. The quality of the food served makes the whole experience palatable and enjoyable.

Quantity (3/5): Average. The portion size is designed just right for a person. Not a huge portion in comparison to the money shed from our pockets.

Pricing (2.5/5): Negative. Stands as the major reason when it comes to revisiting the place. With the tag ‘cafe’ along with the portion size doesn’t really go well with the pricing.

Service (3.5/5): Good. Nothing as such to complaint about. Job well done.

At the end, it really is the ambience that drives you to the place. With every effort put across for the ambience, refining the menu for our tummies would bring in more magic. Would be an exquisite dining place with loved ones to eat and chat. Pricing would make you take a step back. Applause to the interiors! Hope they fine tune the setbacks soon to excite more customers.

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