In this section, we visit a restaurant incognito, pay for our meal and give our impressions of the dining experience. We hope to be able to help our readers somewhat by introducing them to new eateries.

The location is very convenient and, considering that you can park right in front of the restaurant, it is an absolute time-saver. It was therefore a natural choice when we decided to meet for our yearly get-together with a group of friends. It almost is every year.

Nestled in the heart of the Moka Business Centre, Meltin’ Potes still manages to be discreet as if it intentionally wanted to keep out of people’s way and devote its energy to regulars. And these are many.

The décor is nothing to write home about. It is functional but the setting and the environment are very pleasant and the atmosphere cosy.

The restaurant was buzzing when we walked in at 12.30 p.m. for lunch and it was almost running at full capacity. But the staff did not seem overwhelmed: the service was good, friendly and efficient. You were spotted as soon as you got in and taken care of. No time to linger and look lost as you walk in.

The restaurant is surprisingly quiet for a place that central. But then again, the Moka Business Centre is generally not a very busy spot. The bistro has seating outside and inside. The outdoor seating area is quite pleasant, particularly for lunch, and we were lucky there was enough room to accommodate us. Or were we?

Well, the outdoors come with their disadvantages. So mosquitoes gave me a nice welcome as soon as I sat down. I tried to put on a brave face until I no longer could. So I told the waiter that the mosquitoes were giving me a hard time. “They will go away,” he casually replied. There was no offer to soothe my pain. And I seemed to be the only one suffering. I don’t know whether the mosquitoes did ‘go away’ in the end or my legs became so numb that I could no longer feel them.

The menu is varied and the daily special was clearly displayed with the prices. It made choice easier and ordering seamless. There was a wide offering ranging from beef dry curry, pan-seared Dorado, halfcooked tuna to other meats, with various accompaniments: chips, rice, potato purée etc. Bread was added on the side – ordinary baguette slices; no butter that I could see.

We sampled their grilled Dorado, their dry curry and the hanger (onglet) steak. The Dorado was top notch. The vegetable accompaniments were, however, slightly overcooked. The steak was a bit stringy for my liking but that’s the way this rather forgotten choice (a flat cut from the diaphragm or lower belly) tends to be. The French fries were, on the other hand, fairly good. The dry curry was highly appreciated.
The variety of deserts on the menu was respectable. The Vacherin we sampled passed the presentation as well as the taste test. The café gourmand: 6,5 out of 10.

The dining experience was, however, spoilt by another attack by a swarm of famished flies attracted by the smell of fish and meat. They hovered around our meal for a few minutes before the waitress came running with a candle to chase them away. The number of flies diminished but we still had to be on our guard. To be fair, it was hot, the smells were appetising and it was outdoors!

The price was right. Exactly what you would expect to pay in a restaurant of that kind. It ranges from Rs500 for a grilled Dorado to Rs1,000 for a steak, going through Rs600 for a dry beef curry. Nothing to complain about, though I did hear some complaints about the corkage fee for wine: Rs250. Ouch!

Overall, a pleasant dining experience at a reasonable price. I will go again if they manage to sort out the two-winged insect problem.