Out of the Blue restaurant: a taste of Italy in Pushkar
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At the time of writing, Out of the Blue restaurant is brand spanking new. It opened in July 2009 and glistens with fresh paint and untempered enthusiasm.
It was quite by chance that we climbed the three flights of steep, blue stairs to the open-sided restaurant’s clean and shiny dining area to escape the fervent madness of Pushkar’s holy streets at lunchtime, but entirely on purpose that we returned that evening for dinner.
The restaurant has two stone-flagged storeys, both very traveller-friendly with low seating or locally made wicker chairs, and a menu stuffed with lassis, Indian, Israeli and Italian food. The rooftop terrace boasts ambient music and superb lake views, while the main dining area below has cool tables framed by ornately arched glassless windows.
What really sets Out of the Blue apart from Pushkar’s other tourist restaurants, though, is the quality of the Italian food on offer. Head chef Naveen learnt to cook Italian style under the guidance of an Italian family for 10 years. Now he, along with a small group of friends, is putting all this knowledge to good, stomach-lining use. There is even a wood-fired pizza oven.
The pasta dishes are the menu’s crowning glory. The sauces are fresh and come with a choice of pasta, including homemade tagliatelle and gnocchi. Following Naveen’s recommendation I teamed the Primavera - creamy sauce with blue cheese, mushroom and spinach (Rps160) – with freshly made tagliatelle. It was lip-smackingly good, especially after a few weeks of heavily curried sauces, and easily persuaded us to return for dinner. Blue cheese is almost unheard of in India’s mid-range restaurants, but a French family based in Pondicherry supply it to the restaurant, along with mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan.
Later on, the Conchiglie alle Cheese - fresh tomato, mozzarella, olives, basil and olive oil (Rps140) - also proved triumphant. And I’m not exaggerating when I say the Mixed Salad - lettuce, cabbage, beetroot, green pepper, capsicum tomato, mushroom, sweetcorn and celery drenched in a deliciously tangy vinaigrette (Rps60) - was one of the best I’ve had in India.
Sadly the pizza oven was out of action when we visited, but comments in the guest book are more than complimentary.
Assuming Out of the Blue maintains its polished finish and the friendly staff continue to offer a swift and well-informed service, Out of the Blue will be a well-established traveller institution in no time, although the standard of Italian food on the menu deserves to take this traveller-orientated eatery beyond the usual backpacker realm.
Main Market Road , Pushkar, India
Contact tel: +91 14527 72564
Cost 3 course a la carte: £10 per person
Average customer rating
awaiting 3 vote(s)...
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