I’ll dive right to reviewing the food I had at Il Posto (meaning ‘the place’ in Italian) because there is much to be said about it. No surprise for a restaurant that claims to serve authentic flavours proudly with mostly imported ingredients, but the bruschetta served at the restaurant was out of this world! I would go back just for that, honestly. From their Hors d'oeuvre (appetiser) carpacci selection, I tried beef carpaccio served with cipriani sauce, cherry tomatoes, rocket leaves and parmesan. Carpaccio is a dish of raw meat or fish, thinly sliced or pounded thin. It was seasoned with salt, so you could see the dark lining on the outside where the salt had cured the meat, while the inside was still soft, juicy and pink. It was invented in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani in Venice and popularised during the second half of the 20th century. The cipriani sauce, named after its inventor, had a very strong taste, so it’s a good thing that only drizzles were served with the meat. Rocket leaves were fresh and crunchy, the parmesan didn’t add much to the dish but the cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced carrots made for a healthy and flavourful additions. Their eggplant pie with buffalo mozzarella and parmesan served on a tomato bed from their Antipasti vegetariani is another beautiful dish that one must try. The sliced eggplant was wrapped together like petals of a flower and inside sat a healthy dose of buffalo cheese and hot, thick tomato sauce covered the flower. The dish had burst of flavours to offer, the saucy tomato and soft eggplant will make even the choosiest of kids fall in love with it. No Italian meal can be complete without pasta; the in-house ricotta and spinach ravioli served with creamy mushroom sauce and cherry tomato confit was another dish I tried there. An Italian tradition, ravioli are a type of dumpling composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough. These were filled with spinach and ricotta cheese that has a salty, crumbly texture. Personally, I would have like my ravioli to be a bit softer. The thick creamy mushroom sauce they were served in tasted heavenly – this is the dish you want to have while snuggled in bed on a cold night! The classic pizza Margherita was oven-baked and had toppings of tomato sauce, fresh buffalo mozzarella and basil. This pizza is a good example of the saying, ‘less is more’. The basic ingredients spoke volume and made another Italian classic really enjoyable.

Location: 10-C, Main Khayaban-e-Shahbaz, Phase 6, D.H.A, Karachi.
Average cost for 2: PKR 2,000 approx.

TASTE

Karachiites may not know to what extent Il Posto is successful in delivering authentic Italian flavours, having had fusion meals all their lives, but it delivers light, fresh and delicious food, and that is its strength.

AMBIENCE

From the red chequered table cloth found typically in every Italian café to the vintage plates hanging on the wall, the restaurant pays attention to details and has a good space to offer for peaceful dining.

SERVICE

I went there in the late afternoon when the restaurant was entertaining almost no other guests, yet the service was a bit slow and there was considerable amount of waiting time between each course served to me.

PRESENTATION

The presentation of starters was elaborate and visually pleasing while of the ravioli and pizza was quite simple. But for most part, the staff does a good job at making the dishes look appealing.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Karachiites are very picky eaters and have a palate that demands strong flavours and spices, but if you are looking for a light Italian meal and willing to try something new, you should definitely give them a try!