Sizzle in the city

India’s most cosmopolitan city has come of age. In modern Mumbai, a typical night on the tiles could easily see you dining on Japanese cuisine, drinking fine Italian wine, and salsa dancing in a Latino disco until the sun comes up EATING OUT IN Mumbai, the most social city in the subcontinent, has usually been a chance to try the best of the country’s cuisine. But now, leading chefs from all over the world are heading here, making Mumbai a destination for top-flight restaurants. The flourishing Indian economy and a higher disposable income among young Indian professionals have encouraged them to travel extensively in recent times. Globetrotters return home with a taste for international cuisine and contemporary spaces. The result is a flurry of super-swanky new restaurants and bars reflecting evolving tastes and standards. Here are voyager’s best of Mumbai’s world-class hot spots… GO GLOBAL None other than legendary chef Morimoto of New York’s Nobu fame runs Mumbai’s first contemporary Japanese restaurant, Wasabi. Conceived by Kuala Lumpur’s LTW Design Works, the restaurant integrates a sushi bar, dramatic tepenyaki and grill counter and intimate tatami room, recreating a Japanese home with jute ceiling and rustic shades. Look out for dishes such as asparagus and shiitake mushrooms and, for dessert, delicious tofu cheesecake or Wasabi Crème Brûlée. Continental cuisine has always been around in Mumbai, but in its “Indianised” version. Vetro has changed all this. “Vetro” in Italian means glass, but this restaurant’s Venetian glass-panelling and crema marfil (marble flooring) just spells style – as does its walls, which change colour throughout the day. There are 1,000 bottles of the finest Italian wines stocked in the slick, glass-encased wine library. Imparting an adventurous twist to traditional Italian recipes are chef Lattanzi from Rome’s famed Hotel Hassler and award-winning Australian sous chef Mathew Croft. Liz Hurley was recently spotted here. Mumbai palates can now even distinguish between Sicilian and Italian cuisine. Visit Sicilian restaurant Corleone for a chic setting with a beguiling view of golden seas from the glass facade. MF Hussein, India’s most renowned living painter, often comes here. Designer Trussardi couldn’t resist stopping by for the exquisite delicacies of Sicilian chef Dario, who has cooked for Pavarotti, Sinatra and Clinton. He now seduces Mumbai with superb Sicilian pizzas, pasta and the rest. “Forget New York. Mumbai is ze place to be,” Dario declares in his languid Sicilian drawl. Frangipani is another exercise in elegance. French pastry chef Vincenot, who makes the delicious desserts, was of the team that brought London’s Café Royal its first Michelin Star and has headed teams that have catered for Queen Elizabeth II, Tony Blair and Sir Elton John. Try his coffee-blueberry compote. From Souk’s rarefied rooftop, behold the splendid view of the Harbour, the Gateway of India and Mumbai’s magnificent colonial architecture. Enjoy the gorgeous setting and cuisine (Greek/Turkish/Middle Eastern) as you rub shoulders with Mumbai’s leading society families: the Ambanis, Birlas and Rahejas. India Jones fuses oriental mystique with modern minimalism. Delightful Singaporean chef Sam Wong offers exceptional Pan Asian cuisine: crispy wok dishes and yummy coconut curries. Awarded “Mumbai’s Best Looking Restaurant” by the Indian Express newspaper, Seijo and the Sole Dish is a stone and bamboo extravaganza with retractable roof, flowing waterfalls, pebbled waterways, gilded egg-shaped rest rooms and other exotica. Palm-shaded, water’s edge Salt Water Grill could be heaven: hammocks hang between lamp-lit palms, Bollywood actresses lounge, and Marine Drive’s skyline provides the perfect backdrop. Bamboo rest rooms and jute sack bread baskets steal attention from the Swiss-trained chef’s Mediterranean cuisine. Condé Nast Traveller magazine declared Indigo among the world’s 40 best restaurants. Previous diners include the Clintons, the Sultan of Brunei, Saudi Arabian royals and the Prince of Denmark. Cuisine is innovative-Continental with inspired Indian flashes. Desserts are simply divine; try the dark chocolate fondant or mango cheesecake. Chef Rahul Akerkar worked in 15 of New York’s premier restaurants before opening Indigo. Travel & Leisure magazine listed it as among the “Top Reasons to Visit Mumbai” so be sure to book ahead. At Fine Dine, chef Karen Anand’s menu is inspired by her travels and stint at Paris’s three-Michelin-star restaurant Luca Carton. European-Oriental innovations constitute the table de hôte menu. Upstairs, the Quay Bar serves aperitifs or cocktails. Dubai-based Bin Hendi Group have just launched Japengo Café, a multi-cuisine restaurant with international staff. The menu includes Japanese, Oriental, Lebanese and Italian cuisine with connoisseur chefs specialising in each type of cuisine. EAT LOCAL But when in Mumbai, do also remember to eat some of the delicious local cuisine. It would be a shame not to, as Mumbai has fantastic Indian restaurants. Masala Craft revolutionised Indian cuisine. Here, inspired gastronomic creations, astonishingly light and exquisitely presented, tantalise all five senses, making this Mumbai’s premier Indian cuisine restaurant. Peshawari is perhaps the only place more crowded than a Mumbai train station. South Mumbaiites venture up to North Mumbai for Peshawari’s Northwest Frontier cuisine and décor. Eating kebabs with one’s hands didn’t deter Bryan Adams, Shaggy and CEOs of Sony and Star TV. Khyber’s celebrated frescos and sumptuous Mogul cuisine attracts international celebs galore. New York and Dubai have unsuccessfully attempted to imitate this South Mumbai institution that just opened a North Mumbai branch. Proof that Indian cuisine can hold its own among all the newcomers. AFTER-HOURS Insomnia gave Mumbai sleepless nights with its snazzy, ultra-modern space, in which glam young things boogied wildly while their parents chilled over cocktails and Camembert won tons. Now Wink – designed by the people behind London’s Zuma – ensures the city won’t sleep a wink. Mind-blowing cocktails come courtesy of celebrity bartender Nick Hawkins and world-renowned barman Giancarlo Mancino. Dance to London’s DJ James’ mixes and then succumb to star chef Eric’s creations, inspired by exotic destinations. Privé integrates the vibrancy of a nightclub with the exclusivity of VIP lounges. Three throbbing bars (Ice, Champagne and Caviar) afford plenty of choice. You’d think you’re in Monte Carlo at swish white rooftop bar Dome. Relax and take in the swooning palms below you, starry skies above, and the serenade of gently lapping waves. Enter an enchanted Arabian world at lantern-lit, dream-like Koyla. No intoxicants are served here, but Mumbai’s trendiest come for the hookahs and sensational view of the harbour. Suburban Mumbai’s latest hot spot is Aziano, fusing city slick, retro chic and untamed jungle skyline. This is Mumbai’s only nightclub that opens into a tropical oasis with a Forest Café. Enigma, a Latino-style disco with enormous chandeliers, is all the rage in North Mumbai. Famous for fashion launch parties and wild Bollywood bashes, look out for celebrities gyrating madly. Open-air, pier-top Vie Lounge, with its breathtaking sea view, superb bar and BBQ area, is where the Bollywood set throw riotous parties. At Ra the “bling bling” crowd dance on tables, while models and actors come to be seen. Squeeze’s cascading waterfall frames the bar, while a grand staircase leads to the member’s lounge. Zenzibar’s about contemporary Zen. So don’t expect to catch any Bollywood numbers here.