DESIGN MEETS DRAMA

Solaire, the much-anticipated debut from actor Sanjay Dutt’s hospitality venture, makes a striking first impression

- Amisha Shirgave

When you come across a name like Solaire for a restaurant in Santacruz, Mumbai, it doesn't just make you wonder about the food or the cocktails.

When you understand this restaurant is Bollywood's favourite Sanju Baba’s little baby, you are more intrigued than excited. Sanjay Dutt co-founded Solaire with Ishaan Varma and Amit Lakhyani to make sure his experience, taste and ideas blend with with young minds to create something extraordinary in city like Mumbai that constantly keeps changing its preferences. Split across two levels, Solaire's layout encourages a natural rhythm between social buzz and quiet indulgence.

The bar menu at Solaire plays with contrast—fresh, fiery, and bold—just like the interiors. The drinks here are crafted to intrigue the palate rather than overwhelm it. The Cucumber Shishojito, for instance, brings a crisp freshness with its strong cucumber notes, instantly reviving the senses. The Tamarind Picante leans more toward a familiar spicy-tequila kick, lacking the tang of tamarind or the herbal lift of lemongrass. But redemption comes quickly with the