A glimpse of Zara

It’s two in a row! A day after city diners got a new Thai restaurant in Benjarong, Saturday saw the launch of Zara, The Tapas Bar & Restaurant, a new concept that will see food lovers whetting their appetites the Spanish way, also at South City Mall.

“Tapas has been around for many, many years. It is a kind of presentation where the sizes are always small. In Spain people finish work and hang out at tapas bars with a couple of drinks,” explains Sebastian Galvez Bunge, general manager of the five-year-old chain owned by the more than 10-year-old Oriental Cuisines Pvt Ltd that first opened in Chennai. Calcutta is the second stop, with Bangalore and Pune to follow soon.

General manager Sebastian Galvez Bunge at the bar

The menu is an assortment of “a huge variety of tapas”. “There are appetisers, starters, pastas and a variety of classic cocktails,” explains Bunge. Choose from more than 60 items, including some Spanish specialities like Calamares a la Romana (squid), Gambas Rebozadas (shrimp) and Ensalada Valencia (a salad). However, don’t be surprised to see a large number of decidedly non-Spanish items, including Chicken Lollypop, Fish Chilli Garlic, Vegetable Nachos and Chicken Satay.

The other compromise comes in the form of two “fillers” menus as well as a selection of pasta.

To go with your small bite, you can also order from a menu of coffees laced with whisky, Drambuie, Baileys, Kahlua and Amaretto. For dessert, try the Cointreau Creme Brulee or Key Lime Pie with Ice Cream.

The spread at the restaurant. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

The decor of the 110-seater Zara, spread over 2,000 sq ft, is a soothing beige with wooden flooring, with a mosaic bar and bench and interesting sculptures tucked away in niches. Undulating lines, inspired by Catalonian architecture guru Antoni Gaudi’s designs, feature on the ceiling.

Prices start at Rs 95 for a plate of Roasted Cashewnuts and go up to Rs 275. Drinks are priced at Rs 250-plus.

Zara is open for business between 12.30pm and 11pm. To begin with, it will remain shut on Mondays, and the bar will be dry on Thursdays as well.