What’s happening in Mumbai’s hotels? A peek into the party circuit and events in the city… By Marcellus Baptista
Social network
The cheer was on as Impresario, after the success of Colaba Social, introduced the second Social in Mumbai, Todi Mill Social. On opening party night guests gushed at the sprawling 7,000 sq ft space while they sipped drinks, some in quirky containers, and had a bite of hors d’oeuvres. Host Riyaaz Amlani welcomed the many guests as his wife Kiran surprised him by singing some of his favourite songs along with the Impresario band. This Social, as the other outlet, is an all-day café and bar where you can work and play with fun drinks and comfort food. It’s also the home of creative souls looking for an exhilarating alternative to a typical workday. It’s a space where artists meet designers, innovators meet entrepreneurs, writers meet web developers, and creative independents meet to bounce ideas off like-minded peers.
Funky and fun
Monkey Bar, the fun and funky gastropub, that has taken Bengaluru and Delhi by storm, came to Mumbai with the opening of a 3,500 sq ft space, with indoor and outdoor seating, delightful décor, a bottom-lit wooden bar, graffiti, light fixtures and the signature monkey pictures. The furniture is unconventional in hues of red, yellow, turquoise blue and green. The outdoor area boasts of comfortable seating plus the trademark foosball table. The menu is quirky while the crockery is mismatched and complements the wholesome food. Wooden trays with an assortment of hot sauces add to the flavour. And the cocktails are served in Nutella jars and copper tumblers.
Novel touch
You felt you were in a brand new place as Asilo and Grey Goose presented the Couture Cabana night. The comfortable cabanas at Asilo were re-designed with a novel and eccentric look by well-known fashion designers Amit Aggarwal, Nimish Shah, Nishka Lulla and Sonaakshi Raaj. It was an exhibition of their style and aesthetics, in synergy with a signature Grey Goose cocktail handpicked by each designer, as inspiration. Amit Aggarwal showed off his style inspired by elements of gold dust, Swarovski crystals, Asilo’s trademark silver mirror tray and the Grey Goose Golden Delight cocktail, Nimish Shah designed his cabana inspired by Le Fizz, an elegant Grey Goose offering with floral notes from elderflower, Nishka Lulla said it with the refreshing Grey Goose Summer Twist and Sonaakshi Raaj went the flamboyant way with Grey Goose Butterfly martini.
Fine tuning
Guests tuned in to Radio Bar, a Silver Beach Hospitality venture, the brainchild of Hitesh Keswani, a casual chic bar. The delightful décor, comprising a superimposed speaker console, microphone lamps, audio tape murals and a shelf full of antique radio sets, captured the hearts of everyone on opening night. The jukebox stood out though it was not in operation on opening night, but the DJs were busy spinning their tracks. Cocktails like Jack Straw (Jack Daniel’s with cherry liqueur), Martinis and more, some served in jam jars, were a hit, while chef Rohan D’Souza dished out an array of hors d’oeuvres said to be global fare created by bonding and binding strong Asian flavours and European staples.