Barcelos has a chain of outlets in Delhi NCR and other cities. What keeps them ticking? We explored this question during a recent invitation to review their new outlet at DLF Place, Saket.

DLF Place is a rather busy mall. However, Barcelos here is quite a nooky place with understated decor and comfortable seating. The book shelf on the wall and the little knickknacks help to calm nerves frenzied with shopping and lends an ambient home like atmosphere to the restaurant.

We tasted selective items from the whole menu. The pineapple juice was super fresh and we also had the mocktail Hey Rosy that had a hint of Rose syrup, rose water, sprite and petals and cardamom for toppings. The liquid nitrogen induced smoke added theatrics to this already smashing looking drink.

The Peri Peri sizzler is a dish that we thought made a great meal. This was a generous serving of vegetables, chicken chunks and chicken steak on a bed of aromatic rice. The mildly flavoured dish quite filled us up. We also tried the oh-so-famous Black Burger. The seasoning was a tad strong for our taste and hope they come up with an even milder version.

Alongside the main course we munched on Portuguese salad. Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, chicken chunks and feta – it was as simple and healthy as it could get. We loved the salad since it was not spoilt by syrupy seasoning and provided the necessary fibre with the meal.

After this meal, if you still have a little room, do try their in-house peanut butter banana ice cream. The flavour is unusual for an ice cream and not overpowering and the real banana chunks in the ice cream help to cool the innards. The mango mousse cake looked great but taste-wise there is room for improvement.

We finished the dinner with tea with milk. This is one of the best tea bag chais that we have had.

The staff are attentive and very hospitable. This could be the sole reason why we drop in again. We now see why they are going great guns! Thumbs up from us to Barcelos.