Bohemia

The Scene
Glowing crystals, slivery glass, lambent flourescence and moody lighting can be seductively romantic if served in the right quantities.

Yes, you can't really fault the ingredients in Bohemia's interiors - it's a sublime setting for an evening of courtship in class, and mostly anything else. There is space - plenty of it. There is peace and quiet (and it's likely to stay that way - the Hyderabadi palate needs more jauntiness than this cuisine offers). And there is understated chic in the seating and decor. If you did not know where you are, it could almost feel cliquish.

The Food
...has to be seen in the Hyderabad context, really.

It's easy to dismiss Bohemia as incomprehensible food. Unfortunately, it might not be entirely inaccurate in the local context. Our Veg Shaslik - a house recommendation - almost seemed a joke. If we were wavering after the Chimichanga - a Mexican wrap served as starter - this one helped us recoup all lost confidence in our judgement.

Bohemia calls itself a "special cuisine restaurant". That it is - it serves Mexican, Hungarian, Italian and Brazilian cuisine. Only, continental menus demand a predilection. To the hoi polloi, it can taste like pickle without spices. Indeed, they place an array of sauces on your table to spice it up. But really, isn't that the chef's job?

The place can also be expensive - a dish for Rs. 125 will serve one person of modest appetite, assuming he's had a soup and an entree and plenty of free garlic bread by then. That brings us back to our Veg Shaslik, but we'll desist.

By the way, you heard right. Bohemia serves bread rolls and garlic bread, with butter, on the house, and actually pours you free mineral water. Now that's a first. And the place isn't really that expensive that the cost of these blurs into the miscellaneous head.

There isn't really a huge array of dishes on offer, and the choice for vegetarians is even limited. Vegetarian starters of mushroom, baby potatoes and corn, and non-veg ones of shrimps, squid, fish and chicken feature in entrees. Crudites and Russian/Greek/Waldorf salads for vegetarians, and seafood salads for non-vegetarians make up some of the limited salad menu.

The main course has 6 vegetarian and about 20 non-vegetarian dishes. The restaurant prides itself on Bistecca di Queso (paneer stuffed with mozzarella, olives and tomatoes), Veg Shaslik (essentially rice in sweet/sour sauce), Roasted Spring Chicken, Lobster Thermidor, Grilled Rabbit, Mexican Rabbit and Grilled Chicken Calabrese.

There's an array of sauces that garnish dishes at Bohemia - Tartare, Pil Pil, Mikado, Bearnaise, Diable, Poivre... Yes, some of it makes for gourmet continental fare.

The Verdict
Bohemia deserves a visit for at least an experiment with a different kind of cuisine. Hopefully for them, maybe we at fullhyd.com are incorrigibly South-Indian.


Also read: Magna