New address, familiar flavours: Inside Evviva’s Gulshan home 

Located on Gulshan Avenue, the newly relocated Evviva now shares its new space with its sister concern, Layali. Press 3 in the lift, and Layali's decor greets you on the right. Walk a little further down the hallway, and you enter Evviva, where the restaurant's signature lemon-tree decor and classic blue-and-white interiors instantly make the space recognisable.

The new Evviva is noticeably more intimate, with seating for around 20 people at most. The drinks corner sits to the left as you enter, while the seating area extends a little further inside. Despite the smaller footprint, the space retains the familiar Evviva character, making it feel more like a scaled-down version of the original rather than an entirely new setting.

As for the menu, our choices were unfortunately a little limited during the visit. The beef dishes were unavailable that day, which meant we had to skip two of the items we wanted to try. Instead, we chose from the other available options on the menu.

Sangria

A big, fat goblet filled with pineapple, pomegranate and an assortment of grapes. It isn't particularly sweet at first, but the longer the fruit rests, the more it releases its essence into the drink. With every sip, the sangria becomes progressively sweeter, fruitier and more citrusy.

It's refreshing, flamboyant and almost feels like hydration dressed up for a celebration. The fruit-forward character makes it an easy, leisurely drink to sip on.

Price: Tk449

Arancini

Three deep-fried rice cones stuffed with savoury minced chicken and cheese, served on a bed of truffle béchamel with spicy aioli.

The rice coating is beautifully crisp on the outside while remaining soft and slightly sticky within. The crust is surprisingly light, so it doesn't feel overly heavy despite being deep-fried.

Inside, the minced chicken and cheese create a savoury, comforting filling, with the cheese adding a gentle richness to the meat. The rice has a lovely texture too. It gives way easily with a bite rather than feeling dense or doughy.

The new Evviva is noticeably more intimate, with seating for around 20 people at most. The drinks corner sits to the left as you enter, while the seating area extends a little further inside. Despite the smaller footprint, the space retains the familiar Evviva character, making it feel more like a scaled-down version of the original rather than an entirely new setting.

The truffle béchamel underneath brings an earthy, creamy depth, while the spicy aioli adds a sharper, garlicky heat that cuts through the richness. Together, the sauces keep the dish from feeling too heavy and add another layer of flavour to the otherwise delicate arancini.

A spoonful of the béchamel and aioli with each bite is the way to go — the crisp rice shell, soft minced chicken and cheese filling, earthy creaminess and subtle heat come together beautifully.

Price: Tk700

Shrimp Risotto

A comforting combination of tomatoes and cream comes together with risotto, oysters, calamari, shrimp and lemon slices. The seafood brings a pleasant variety of textures, while the creamy tomato base gives the dish a rich, tangy foundation.

The shrimp are plump and tender, while the calamari adds a firmer, slightly chewy texture. The oysters bring a softer, delicate seafood note to the mix without overpowering the other flavours.

The sun-dried tomatoes are one of the more memorable elements of the dish, with their concentrated sweetness and slightly chewy texture making their presence felt in almost every bite.

And then there's the lemon. Taking a slice with each bite adds a sharp, citrusy lift — the tanginess of the lemon, paired with the slight bitterness of the zest, gives the otherwise rich risotto a welcome contrast.

The seafood is well incorporated rather than feeling like an afterthought, and the combination of cream, tomato, citrus and sun-dried tomato makes the dish surprisingly layered.

The only reservation is the consistency: the risotto could have been a little less runny and slightly more velvety. Still, it's a hearty, fulfilling plate with plenty going on.

Price: Tk1,600

Truffle Mushroom Burrata Pasta

As creamy affairs go, this is an extremely soothing one for anyone who loves a rich, indulgent pasta. Wide fettuccine is tossed with a medley of roasted mushrooms in a creamy truffle sauce, topped with a generous amount of burrata and finished with truffle oil.

First, the pasta itself deserves attention. The fettuccine is thick and noticeably wider than the regular kind, with a beautiful sheen and a satisfying bite. You can taste the richness of the wheat and egg in the pasta, which gives it enough character to stand up to the heavy cream sauce.

The mushrooms are roasted before being tossed through the pasta, and you can tell. They retain a lovely balance of crunch and softness — they're neither rubbery nor overly soft, adding a pleasant bite to an otherwise creamy dish.

Then comes the truffle. The truffle cream gives the pasta an earthy, aromatic depth, while the drizzle of truffle oil intensifies that unmistakable truffle character. It's rich without being aggressively truffle-forward, allowing the roasted mushrooms to remain part of the flavour rather than getting completely lost.

The creamy burrata adds another layer of richness, melting into the warm pasta and making every bite even silkier. There's a subtle peppery warmth in the background too, which helps balance all that creaminess.

The result is decadent, earthy and comforting, with the roasted mushrooms and truffle bringing depth while the burrata rounds everything out. The crisp garnish on top adds a much-needed textural contrast to the otherwise soft and creamy mouthfeel.

Price: Tk1,200

Falls Tiramisu

The presentation of this dessert is culinary theatre.

It arrives at the table encased in a tall, clear cylinder, holding a perfectly structured tower of layered tiramisu in suspense. The top is flooded with a generous, glossy layer of creamy coffee-espresso sauce.

Then comes the magic moment.

When the cylinder is lifted, gravity takes over, and the coffee cream cascades down in a dramatic, satisfying wave, completely engulfing the dessert.

Visually, it's a showstopper. But once the spectacle is over, the execution tells a different story.

The pouring sauce itself is delicious, but its light coffee cream completely overshadows the delicate richness of the mascarpone.

The ladyfingers, which should have been light and airy, instead felt too soaked and soft, almost like wet bread.

It's a stunning visual performance, but unfortunately, one where style takes a little too much precedence over substance.

Price: Tk499