Arunima Joshua

Neuma’s as much an ode to the love for aesthetics as it is to good food. Designed by Ashiesh Shah (an architect for several prominent restaurants in Mumbai) and owned by director Karan Johar, the white, sunlit bungalow in Colaba has retained popularity since its opening in 2022 – no small feat in a city as buzzing as Mumbai.  The restaurant’s spaced off in sections – the Garden Café (an outdoor space with a coffee bar), the Rose Bar (a red velvety affair), the Blanc (a Danish-style dining area), the Sun Porch – where we, this time, have been graciously seated. It makes for a perfect escape from the early evening coastal heat.  Parched and hungry after bargaining our way through humid walkways, we place our cocktail and starter order. The ease of the menu is a welcome consolation in this era of hyper-innovation across the culinary terrain. Mushroom & Parmesan Pizza and pan-seared scallops are ordered, along with cocktails named Pink Ruby (dry gin, raspberry, vanilla ice cream) and In The Summer (vodka, mulberry, Thai red chilli, lemon & honey), which arrive mercifully quickly. The drinks lean more avant garde than the dishes. Pink Ruby sits pretty in a blue-and-white chinoiserie teacup, while In The Summer comes as a tall glass of spiked, spiced lemonade. They also have a wide variety of liqueurs and wines.  The menu is bursting at the seams with items that seem slightly dated. The Lamb Chop, Squash Purée Ravioli, White Asparagus Risotto, Cottage Cheese Steak do hold up well,

Don’t fret if you find it hard to locate the red bungalow in the winding lanes of Pali Village. Park near 30th Road and walk over until you spot a giant scarlet bow and an art deco sign. The interiors are adorned with antique crockery, Christmas candles, and vintage wallpaper – all bathed in a cherry-red radiance. We’re particularly excited about the hydration shots that owner-actor Malaika Arora so highly endorses. Focused Forest (berry & peppermint) and Calm Before the Storm (lavender, blue pea) are placed on our table swiftly. If you’re a fan of antioxidants, you’ll love these. But to tell you the truth: if your body is a temple, you should know we closed ours right after the health shots to commence our boozy Friday evening. The bar menu is generously laden with classics like palomas and picantes, helping us not overthink our choices. The Clarified Paloma – which is very good – strays a little from tradition and comes laced with Asian flavours like coconut milk and ginger ale. The Aperol Spritz, though – a litmus test for mixologists, we feel – is a true classic. The tofu ghee roast is a bit of a sin-cleanser post cocktails (the Clarified Paloma is admittedly a bit heavy). The dish uses gluten-free cereal and lean protein, and comes generously spiced and tangy, in portions enough for two. White Butter Chicken and Prawns Ghassi are devoured next. The prawn curry pairs perfectly with the crisp kori roti and is mercifully not laden with oil, unlike what’s offered in most Dak

Not far from the lobby of the InterContinental hotel lies a tribute to New Orleans and Paris. The Marine Drive restaurant boasts Franco-American cuisine (not with indigenous touches), and we’re already thinking of the caviar-laden dishes we must be ordering, though upon first look, the interiors have us intrigued. No mass-produced lighting and barware here, we notice. The retro decor and seating is a chic interpretation of Bombay’s yesteryear art deco aesthetic, as envisioned and executed by the city’s legacy design atelier Essajees.   The SoBo Bread and Burnt Mac & Cheese is a must-order starter, we’re told – the former by our gourmand friend and the latter by our own impulse. The fluffy bread, swatched with the house butter and olive oil, is light, flavourful, and fresh. The carby pasta casserole, which comes garnished with finely chopped chives, can be eaten solo for a small lunch too. Good portions here. The burnt crust on the pasta’s a nice textural touch.  The main course is where SoBo shines. The famed Chicken Paillard with caviar arrives in the form of a fried breast piece laced with an emulsified, tangy white butter (the French touch to the soul food staple) and of course, a light shower of golden caviar. We wonder why no one’s done this before – comfort food layered with luxe garnishes seems like a hack everyone should really get on with, we think.  Other standouts include the Salmon Carpaccio and Butter Squash Ravioli – both of which carry the rich, nutty flavour o

Slink & Bardot’s the prime choice for sliding, rather than smashing, into the weekend. Upon arrival, the naval docks greet you with slow, turgid waters. There’s no line yet at Slink – it’s a mere 7pm, and the crowds are, so far, mercifully at bay.  A walk down a corridor and through a pair of tavern doors takes you inside. Your table’s ready. Since we’re playing it safe (for now), first orders of business must, of course, be the Meloma and Paanch – their signature variations of a paloma and punch. The Meloma arrives clear as quartz, while the Paanch, a body of citrine, works a flush across your skin that makes you order a third. Koli Echoes: a tribute to Mumbai’s fishing settlements in the form of a lychee-sake concoction.  A tour around Slink reveals an oak-walled cigar room, the lounge red of the hallways, and the stately emerald and sapphires of the other seating areas. A round of snacks – crispy potato-laced okra, salmon mi-cuit in a smokey cream reduction, and a black-peppered mushroom kebab – later, you’re thinking it’s time for another round of cocktails before the dance floor is packed to the brim. The raspberry twist of the Bar-Do Mule is fizzy, but did we remember it coming with so much ice? The only way to cap this off is by returning to our openers – the Meloma and Paanch. The dance floor gyrates to the pulsating soundtrack of the night, drinking as much as us. The weekend is here, my friends.  Time Out tip: It isn’t always this chaotic. Weekdays are the epitome o

As you climb upstairs to Paradox’s seating area near the bar, you can sense you’re entering a solemn oasis dedicated to design. The midnight forest wall tapestry’s reminiscent of what an Indian season of The White Lotus credits might look like. Carpets absorb the clickety-clack of your heels, the tent section feels like a baroque dream, electronic music bathes the space in sophisticated surround sound. Is this what a real cocktail bar should feel like? A zany zine menu of cocktails with abstract illustrations and mixed typeface is offered to you. You’re seriously considering stowing it away in your bag. A peachy gimlet and earthen tumbler arrive. They are mysteriously titled the Cymatic and the Prodigal Son. The tiny tables (offset by fashionably ergonomic stools), you realise, fit the pair of drinks astutely well. Is that an ice-cream cone staring at you from inside the Prodigal Son?  Other drinks hold their fair share of mysteries. Peaks of kasundi mustard and an aam papad-laden toothpick inside. Three to Mango reminds you of a sticky, spicy curry. Cheap date, priced at an eyewatering ₹10,000 (you look at the menu twice to make sure), comes armed with Johnnie Walker Blue Label and lashings of caviar. You’ve already licked a scoop of caviar off your closed fist, placed there by the Head Chef (on request), so what’s a couple more weird garnishes? Another flight of stairs takes you, if you fancy a smoke break, to a terrace with most of the Mahalaxmi Mills in sight. Back at the

Slink & Bardot’s the prime choice for sliding, rather than smashing, into the weekend. Upon arrival, the naval docks greet you with slow, turgid waters. There’s no line yet at Slink – it’s a mere 7pm, and the crowds are, so far, mercifully at bay.  A walk down a corridor and through a pair of tavern doors takes you inside. Your table’s ready. Since we’re playing it safe (for now), first orders of business must, of course, be the Meloma and Paanch – their signature variations of a paloma and punch. The Meloma arrives clear as quartz, while the Paanch, a body of citrine, works a flush across your skin that makes you order a third. Koli Echoes: a tribute to Mumbai’s fishing settlements in the form of a lychee-sake concoction.  A tour around Slink reveals an oak-walled cigar room, the lounge red of the hallways, and the stately emerald and sapphires of the other seating areas. A round of snacks – crispy potato-laced okra, salmon mi-cuit in a smokey cream reduction, and a black-peppered mushroom kebab – later, you’re thinking it’s time for another round of cocktails before the dance floor is packed to the brim. The raspberry twist of the Bar-Do Mule is fizzy, but did we remember it coming with so much ice? The only way to cap this off is by returning to our openers – the Meloma and Paanch. The dance floor gyrates to the pulsating soundtrack of the night, drinking as much as us. The weekend is here, my friends.  Time Out tip: It isn’t always this chaotic. Weekdays are the epitome o