Fireflies, Lavelle Road

Fireflies is a Seafood & Grill and Lounge Bar located o the posh Lavelle Road in Central Bangalore. It is a rooftop lounge overlooking UB City. As the name suggested, Fireflies serves mainly Seafood and wood oven pizza. It also boasts of a large list of wines and cocktails.

The main attraction of the place (at least for me) is the wood oven and of course the pizzas which are cooked in it. Another plus is the ambiance of the place, Fireflies is a rooftop lounge and is lit by small twinkling lights which reminds one of fireflies, also the grandeur of UB city as a backdrop provides the perfect setting for a romantic evening.

I went down to Fireflies on a Saturday evening along with my sister and a friend. After soaking in the atmosphere, we decided to order some cocktails and ice-tea (I was driving). While we were waiting, we also ordered some butter garlic prawn and pork ribs. The pork ribs were cooked perfectly, but the garlic butter prawns tasted bland and rubbery. Another disappointing factor was the quantity, which could in no way justify the cost. The cocktails were decent, but not great.

We had decided beforehand that we would order a pizza, and after a lot of thinking and brainstorming we decided to try the barbecued chicken pizza. The pizza is enough for 2-3 people if you are having starters and drinks along with the main course. We found the pizza to be perfectly cooked and delicious, it crispy without being tough and soft without being soggy. The wood fire oven brings a distinct smokey flavour to the pizza which an ordinary oven can't bring.

I would highly recommend this place for the pizza it serves and the ambiance. But according to me the starters are not up to the mark for a place like this. I wouldn't comment on the cocktails and wines as I didn't have them.

Fireflies is expensive if you want to enjoy a full three course meal and a dinner for two would cost about Rs.1500 (with drinks). But, if you want to enjoy the pizza it serves it is actually quite affordable with the pizzas being priced around Rs.400 and one pizza is enough for a couple.

Fireflies:
4/1, Lavelle Junction, Walton Road
Phone: 41140303

El Tablao - A treat with Tapas

El Tablao is a Spanish restaurant in Koramangala. It has a wonderful rustic decor with a glass wall overlooking the busy Koramangala 80 feet road and is lit entirely with candles. El Tablao  serves a huge variety of Tapas and wines.
Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm. At El Tablao one can enjoy these Spanish delicacies with Sangria. Sangria is basically a wine punch with fruits and brandy.
After watching Zindagi na Milegi Doobara, one of friends suddenly had an urge to visit Spain. Since visiting Spain wasn't quite on the cards, we decided to try out Spanish cuisine instead. So, on a lovely Saturday night while it was raining cats and dogs, my friend, my Sis and yours truly decided to indulge in Spanish food. We googled and found a place called El Tablao. The place seemed to have decent reviews so we decided to give it a try.
As soon as we entered the place, we were awestruck by the ambiance. once we got over the decor, we ordered about four Tapas and two Sangria's (I couldn't drink as I was driving). The Chorizos were wonderfully done and it's spiciness complimented the sweetness of Sangria perfectly. We also ordered one prawn Tapas and two chicken Tapas, which were also quite good. I found the combination of Tapas and Sangria so enticing that I couldn't resist having some Sangria (though I had to drive). For the main course, we had a Fajita, which all of us shared. The Fajita with it's wonderfully made dips and breads were the best that I have ever had.
El Tablao is a wonderful restuarant for a nice quiet evening with friends or a romantic date. One should ensure that they have plenty of time in hand to fully soak up the ambiance of the place and the taste of the Tapas and Sangria. For a dinner outing, I would suggest you reach at about 7:30pm. Reserving a table is not compulsory as unfortunately this place didn't seem to be that popular with Bangloreans. 
This place is decently priced for the kind of food it serves with a meal for two costing about Rs1000.


El Tablao:
612/1, 80 Feet Road
4th Block, Koramangala 
(Near Sony World Signal)
Phone: 41410124, 9902336811