Few would expect to find an authentic Italian trattoria on the streets of Bombay. Pav bhaji, chaat, kebabs or naans, yes. A place selling traditionally made gnocchi or risotto, no. Yet on Juhu Tara Road, just a few minutes away from the JW Marriott lies one of Bombay’s dining gems, "Don Giovanni".  

Ambience

Creating a classy ambience without any pretentious airs is much harder than it seems, but the effect is achieved admirably at Don Giovanni. Dimmed lights and candles create a pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant, aided by the displays of Italian wine on high shelves and paintings depicting scenes from Mozart’s "Don Giovanni" opera that decorate the walls. There’s a charming quietness within, in part due to the forbidding sign outside that states that children are expected to behave themselves and not disturb other patrons. Service is usually good aside from the odd crowded night, and the waiters are usually helpful in translating the menu for people unfamiliar with Italian cuisine. A nice personal touch is added by the presence of the owner and head chef, Giovanni Federico who’s often found going from table to table in brief conversation with guests. 

Food

The first page of the menu should say enough: it contains a letter from Giovanni Federico stating among other things that the restaurant makes no concession to the Indian palate. It’s a sign that the food’s every bit as authentic as what can be found in most country restaurants in Italy, and there are no letdowns. The antipasti menu is excellent, with a good range of salads, superb minestrone soup and several different styles of bruschetta (grilled bread covered with olive oil, pepper, tomato and various other toppings) to get one started.  

Pizzas are made in traditional Italian style (albeit oven baked) with a crisp, thin crust and go down lightly, but the pastas and risotto are the real highlight here. The pasta is made fresh each day by hand, and can be ordered with a range of sauces - the gnocchi (dumplings of flour and potato) with gorgonzola is hard to go wrong with here, and the ravioli is among the house favourites. Risottos often have a reputation for being heavy due to the amount of butter or oil used, yet Don Giovanni’s chicken risotto is exceptional; fairly light and superbly flavoured. There’s plenty of other variety as well with some fine grills and a number of veal dishes, and even though there’s a wide range of options for vegetarians, a number of dishes can also be altered to suit vegetarian or vegan preferences.  

The high quality remains consistent in the dessert menu, with an excellent (albeit a bit too egg-rich) crème caramel, good cassata (a Sicilian cheesecake with ricotta cheese) and an opulent chocolate mousse. It’s worth overlooking all of those though for the ever-popular tiramisu; a layered pastry with rum-soaked sponge fingers, cocoa, espresso cream and mascarpone cheese. And if there’s room afterwards, it’s worth ordering a round of Italian espresso to top it all off.  

Recommended: Bruschetta with tomato, quatro formaggi (four cheese) pizza, a choice of either the vegetarian lasagna, a risotto or the pollo ai ferri; chicken fillets grilled with pepper. Tiramisu to finish, or chocolate mousse for the more indulgent. 

Value for money

It certainly will hit the wallet a little harder than most places, but for the sheer quality of food and the serene ambience, it’s certainly worth it. With starters and dessert, and no wine, a full meal for one is likely to be within the Rs. 700-900 range - perhaps an indulgence, but a worthwhile one. 

Finding it

Outside Hotel Bawa Continental on Juhu Tara Road in Mumbai. Don Giovanni can be reached at 2615 3125, and has a website at www.dongiovanniristorante.com

(Salil Benegal is based between Chicago and Singapore, and switches between studying chemistry and freelancing (or trying to) in cricket and travel writing. A strong fan of both the Indian and Australian cricket teams, Salil also maintains a cricket-centric blog at http://www.sbenegal.blogspot.com)