Yes, I know India’s not the place to go eating continental food, but Mocambo happens to be good at churning out succulent Chateaubriands and the most delicious devilled crab ever- and at a fraction of what you’d pay west of the Suez. The restaurant stands on Park Street, and is fairly bland on the outside- but when you get inside, it’s a different story altogether. The decor’s awful- a merry mishmash of everything from orange lampshades and dingy green aquariums which look like they haven’t been cleaned in months, to plastic plants and ugly cockscomb flowers in little brass vases. The waiters, though they look fairly ridiculous in their long coats and fitting trousers, are efficient and unobtrusive, and the restaurant itself is a quiet and relaxed place.Mocambo is best known for the great continental grub it produces, but it has a good Indian menu too- I’ve been told the vegetarian seekh kababs, the tandoori rotis (Indian breads) and the minced meat with peas is particularly good. We, however, opted for Western fare- devilled crab, chicken Orientale and fish Diane (stuffed with prawns)- and all of it matched expectations, although the chocolate soufflé we had for dessert was too heavy and too redolent of almond essence.
On the whole, (barring the soufflé), a good meal, very satisfying (and I mean literally- portion sizes are huge)- and the best thing was the bill: it came to only about US$7 per person. A good place to come if you’ve got tired of Bengali food, and pretty good for North Indian Mughlai-style food as well. The restaurant has a nifty bar too, so you can down some cocktails or whatever before your meal.