If the secret to a great bistro experience is comfort food, there is enough of it on the table at Eddie’s Bistro in Sector 26, Chandigarh. Eddies has established itself in Mumbai as one of those reliable neighborhood spots serving cozy comfort food instead of something too flashy. Eddies is the brainchild of chef Nishant Mitra. In a candid conversation during my visit there, Nishant revealed that he has customized his classic dishes from Mumbai to suit the city’s palate, which assured me of his attention to detail.

Eddies has a formal indoor sitting and a more casual comfy open to the sky outdoor sitting with bar. A corner in the indoor sitting dedicated to the photographs of Mumbai locales and a colorful patterned flooring reminiscent to ones in Irani-Parsi cafes will immediately transport you to the city of dreams. The outdoor sitting is all the more laid back yet lively with the sunlight sifting through the checkered open roof and a breeze swaying through the green palms.

Things I tried:

Drinks (4.25/5): They have some nicely shaken up mocktails and freshly brewed coffees in the menu. While the coffee was just usual, their mocktails were very refreshing and nicely done. I tried their a couple of their signature drinks. Sweet sixteen was a lovely refreshing drink with grapes and lychee juice. It had a refreshing fruity sour kick. The lemon grass cooler had a prominent flavor of lemon grass coming through which was balanced with the earthiness of jasmine tea and the kick from lemon and lychee juice. This was among the most balanced mocktails I’ve tasted.

Salad (3.75/5): They have some interesting salads if you’re someone on a diet or to couple up with your gourmet supper. I tried their beetroot carpaccio salad. Carpaccio is traditionally an Italian raw meat preparation in which thinly sliced pieces of meat are dressed with a tangy dressing, served cheese and greens. I loved the chef’s effort to transform the same into a vegetarian salad using thinly sliced beets, topped with goat cheese, greens and toasted pecans. However, the sauces used to dress the salad were too overpowering and were a miss.

Small Plates (4.5/5): Similar to their outlet in Mumbai, the menu at Eddies is divided into small plates and fat plates. I tried their three cheese poppers which were made to perfection with the right amount of cheddar, mozzarella and gouda. They had a lovely cheese pull perfect for the gram and had a very balanced taste. I also tried their mini burgers which are quite popular. Their Un ‘beet’ able burger had a beetroot and paneer patty with some lovely spices but was a little dry for my palate. Their five spice burger was insanely indulgent. The richness of sweet potatoes complimented the earthiness of mushrooms and was elevated by the hit of five spice. The chilly sauce provided the perfect moistness to the burger. This is definitely a must try here.

Fat Plates (4.5/5): While they also had pastas and big burgers, I was more inclined towards trying their fat plates and as suggested by the manager, I tried their cottage cheese steak. The big chunks of paneer, marinated in a spicy chilly rub were charred perfectly which was elevated by rich earthiness of the mushroom sauce and creaminess of the hummus, served on the side. With fresh roasted veggies on the side and a bed of couscous, it was a hearty, wholesome meal in a plate without the guilt of being heavy on the palate or stomach.

Desserts (4.75/5): If you’re a person with a sweet tooth, the deserts here are surely not worth a miss. I tried their popular tres leches, which is a Mexican sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk – evaporated, condensed and whole, often scented with rose and served with whipped cream. Their tres leches was definitely true to what it says, a soft and moist sponge coupled with tartness of freshly sliced strawberries, nuttiness of pistachios, topped with a light whipped cream to bring it all together.

• Taste: 4.5/5
• Portion: 4.25/5
• Service: 4.25/5
• Ambiance: 4.25/5
• Price: 4.25/5

Price: INR 2,000 for a meal for 2 (w/o alcohol)

While the food did stand out, the atmosphere at Eddies was understated and warm. The open to the sky patio, photographs of Mumbai locales and the patterned flooring, give it a special sense of intimacy. With comfort soul food high on flavors, light on the palate, dining at eddies is a warm and comforting experience cut out from the city of dreams for the city beautiful.