In a city starved of open spaces, where even a room with a view makes it to the list of top restaurants, a sea-facing rooftop lounge is luxury at its finest. And that’s what probably works for Il Terrazzo, making it a popular suburban destination.

Located at the rooftop of Juhu’s swish DelItalia, Il Terrazzo, which translates to The Terrace, is designed to suit the palate of those who enjoy their quiet evenings in the ideal setting of candlelight, splashing waves and soft jazz, occasionally interrupted by blaring car horns.

The décor borrows from that of a garden setting, with whitewashed wooden garden chairs and tables laid out at the periphery of the lush terrace. The bright hues of the upholstery add casual elegance to the ambience but fall short of lending it sophistication that one associates with fine dining. Therefore, the term ‘lounge’ seems a tad inappropriate.

The strength of the lounge, like should be, lies in their bar. To go with the ambience, Il Terrazzo sports an elaborate wine menu - from quality Indian variety to the French, Italian or even dessert wines —enough to satiate a connoisseur’s palate.

The Il Terrazzo mixes and martinis comprise a mix of standard cocktails, like the Cosmopolitan and Caipirojca, and those with a slight twist, of which Tiramisu (Amaretto, brandy, espresso and mascarpone) and White Italian (Kahlua, grappa, cream) especially managed to please our taste buds and senses equally, bringing upon a gentle smile.

The starters, somehow, seemed to have been prepared to take that smile off. The portion of Mozzarella-stuffed peppers was too small and the marinade ran out as one bit into the pepper. The cheese wasn’t appetising enough to justify the price. The Black pepper-crusted Chicken Supremes seemed to have been prepared with broilers of quality one can’t boast of.

Il Terrazzo borrows its lounge menu from DelItalia and therefore the patrons are primarily restaurant visitors who forgo cosy interiors for al fresco. And understandably so, for the main course makes up for everything that one felt let down by. But it’s difficult to get past placing the order without the aid of the butler. The menu lists a wide variety but fails to elaborate on what goes into it — Il Terrazzo expects its patrons to know their Italian food well.

With friendly service at hand, we picked the Squid and Asparagus Risotto, Roast Chicken Pasta and Spinach and White Sauce Pasta. Supreme quality and delicate flavours kept us busy as we ate and vowed to return soon.