The previous year halted the global and local economy to a point where opening up any new restaurant automatically meant grand losses. However, the new year has heralded hope within people, and once again all over Pakistan, we see the trend of new cafes swiftly taking over. Most recently, it has been Theatre by Meat The Cheese jumping off the deep end.

Situated on Tipu Sultan Road, which is proving to be another swanky cluster in the metropolis for restaurants, cafes and boutique superstores, Theatre is hard to miss as its larger, sister-restaurant Meat The Cheese already stands next to it. Done up in complementing shades of blacks, oranges, azure blues and chic charcoal, the façade already gives it that oomph of a slightly high-brow eatery. Inside too, the theme follows with the same hues being intertwined with more wooden accents, lending it a homely yet sophisticated ethos.

Once inside – which could easily take anywhere between 15 to 45 minutes depending on how full it is – Theatre brims with life. There’s that teeming effect that the crowds bring in but it also has that bright approach to dining and space that helps it feel more open and bright despite its moderate size. In its menu too, this same ideology takes over, where the cuisine comes through as being fresh, crisp, and rather brighter than what many other eateries seem to offer.

Boasting a French patisserie and a menu inspired by the flavours of France, there’s a wide array of options available that bring a mix of French and international tastes onto one relatively big menu. Out of all the options, to give the restaurant a fair review of its strengths, we opted for items claimed to be their best.

Our selection included a Classic Cheese Pizza on sourdough bread as a starter, a Beurre D’Ail (Garlic Butter) Skillet, a Chateaubriand Steak, Stylise Chicken and a Steak Roulade for the mains, as well as a choice of exquisite desserts such as a Dark Chocolate Brownie, Cheesecake with a Seasonal Puree, Lemon Tart with Whipped Cream and a classic Eclair.

In terms of starting off the meal, while one would have expected appetizers or a bread basket, jumping onto the pizza made all the sense as well. The sourdough crusted pizza not only lets one enjoy the artisanal bread but also elevates the flavours of the cheese massively. The only critique would be for it to be bigger because it was just that good. Perhaps, maybe they would want to offer two size options.

Coming onto the mains, each dish presented was able to hold its own unique position on the table, and fortunately, none looked like the other. The distinction was quite clear, and in taste too, one could decipher different techniques and flavours. The steaks, for example, both done in a Chateaubriand style or as a Roulade, were unique. With the former, one could savour a range of dark jus like sauces, while with the latter, the richness of its stuffing and the complementing bearnaise made all the difference.

When it came to their chicken-based dishes, they too had a strong and rather distinctive quality. An entree like a Beurre D’Ail Skillet, for example, is seldom seen at restaurants in Pakistan. Similarly, the Stylise Chicken is yet another one of those grand amalgamations of European and Pakistani tastes that it does feel different. For us though, the Beurre D’Ail Skillet took it home. The seasonings, the browned butter, and the addition of freshly baked bread, all made this the shining example of what Theatre is capable of doing.

Onwards to desserts, the real performance at this Theatre truly came forth on the proverbial proscenium arch. Without exaggerating, we could say that this is truly NOT much ado about nothing. In all the right ways, each of the dessert offerings we chose from the open patisserie, were definite winners. The Dark Chocolate Brownie was one of the gooiest ones we’ve ever had, while the Cheesecake with a Seasonal Puree let the strawberry coulis shine bright. Between the Lemon Tart with Whipped Cream and the classic Eclair too, we couldn’t decide just which one was better. Both had their own merits, and between all four of the desserts, it truly became difficult to select a favourite.

For a restaurant that has opened at a time when many have given up, Theatre by Meat The Cheese shows true potential to be a rising star. It doesn’t bow down in front of bold flavours or experimentation and that makes it a strong contender to watch out for. Just make sure to take a translator with you for those difficult to pronounce dishes, though!