A good place to stop by

Be a player at The Stop in Adyar, which has board games, billiards and air hockey

November 27, 2014 08:34 pm | Updated April 09, 2016 06:33 am IST

I’m excited. Our table looks like a Ludo board, and I haven’t seen one since I was 12. There’s also a billiards board three feet away from us and behind that, an air hockey table and a Playstation 3. Displayed by the wall are a few books and games — chess, snake and ladders, pallanguzhi . “They’re all free,” says the waiter encouragingly, prompting us to bring a stack of UNO cards to our table right after we place the order for lunch. Welcome to The Stop, a gaming restaurant in Adyar.

Our waiter for the afternoon is Chef-cum-partner Mahendran Karthik. He is earnest in his recommendations (“The soups and pastas are the best,” he offers), preparing us for what to expect. We make demands throughout our meal — croutons with the cream of tomato soup, bread with the saffron cream fusilli pasta and tartar dip with the fish and chips. (“Let me check if we have any gherkins. If we do, I’ll make it right away,” he says as he darts into the kitchen.) Not only does he oblige; he does it enthusiastically. He even nudges us to login to the free wifi and gives us the password. We are floored by the service.

Just as we wrap up our second game (I won them both!), our soup arrives piping hot, with a bowl of freshly made croutons to go with it. It is unexpectedly smooth and packed with flavour, and the creaminess, which comes from roasted potatoes as opposed to the traditionally used cornflour, sets it apart. The chicken and walnut salad arrives right after. The ingredients — fresh lettuce, pieces of firm tomatoes, walnut bits, baby potato wedges, chicken chunks, cutely rolled up slices of omelette — are well made individually, but don’t go well together.

Our main courses show up, accompanied by a berries and chocolate smoothie. The thick chocolate syrup that coats the glass blends delightfully with the mixed berries milkshake. The pasta is creamy, with the mild flavour of saffron. The fresh basil, parmesan and grilled slices of chicken breast go well together and make for a filling dish. The fish and chips offer nothing exciting, but they come accompanied with freshly made tartar sauce because, as it turns out, the gherkins were available after all! To wrap up the meal, we ask for the Chef’s special dessert of the week. We are served a hearty plate of dense, white chocolate brownie — offering a flavour of nuts and cinnamon — topped with caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream and accompanied by freshly cut apple, pineapple and banana. After that, we decide it’s time to head over to the pool table and figure out how to use a cue stick.

The place is not designed to contain a flurry of activity, and neither is it meant for hard-core gamers. The restaurant, located in a basement, is for those who wish to lounge and have fun while grabbing a good meal. The atmosphere is interesting and the service is good, making it a place worth visiting again.

The Stop is located at 48B/2, 1st Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar and a meal for two is approximately priced at Rs.600. Details: 30853728

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