Painting The Town Red

Our recent visit to Mumbai took us to a newly launched restaurant that boasts European aesthetics, playful cocktails and some fun conversations

- -P Sangeetha sangeetha.p @newindianexpress.com @psangeetha2112

There's something magical about waking up to the sound of the ocean as if the city is whispering its secrets to us before the day begins. We were back in Mumbai after a long hiatus and we couldn't have asked for a better start to the day than a room that opens up to the view of the sea. The morning light poured into our room as we stepped onto the balcony, tea in hand, greeted by the vast stretch of the Arabian Sea. Soho House Mumbai, set in an 11-storey townhouse right on Juhu Beach, feels less like a hotel and more like a creative retreat. The room may have been snug, but it was rich in character and furnished with vintage pieces, antiques and lampshades crafted from locally sourced fabrics and block prints. The night before, we were welcomed by the soft hum of BBC radio as we returned from a delightful dinner at Gigi, Bandra's stylish new hotspot that blends European and Japanese flavours with flair. We had then noticed a card left casually on the bedside table, which read, "Scarlett House, now in Juhu," after their debut in Bandra. It was now time to shift our focus to the day's agenda.