What’s happening in Mumbai’s hotels? A peek into the party circuit and events in the city… By Marcellus Baptista
Beer cheer
The cheer was on at the Brew Fest at Phoenix Marketcity with the courtyard of the massive mall offering leading international and domestic beer brands like Gateway Brewing Co., Doolally Craft Beers, TJ’s Brew Works and Beer Café serving some of their best brews on the tap. There was also Kingfisher, Kaltenburg and Magnum cider bottled beer on offer. To complement the beer there was tasty food from participating in-house restaurants like the all-new 212 All Day Café, The Irish House, The Beer Café and Rainforest. It was time for pizzas, sliders and more plus beer games, live music performances and a drum circle show.
Down memory lane
Guests went down memory lane as Sofitel Mumbai BKC celebrated its third anniversary by hosting the Vintage & Classic Car run. The gleam of the Rolls Royce, Ford, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz among over 100 vintage cars plus motorbikes of another age caught your eye as you stepped into the open-air Hriday venue. And you agreed that Hriday, denoting ‘heart’ in Sanskrit, was the ideal setting in the very heart of the city, offering an inimitable space for lavish events that require ample space and an extensive area of 30,000 sq ft. Co-organised by Vintage and Classic Car Club of India (VCCCI) in association with the Western India Automobile Association & Traffic Police, Mumbai, it turned out to be the perfect ending for the rally that was flagged off at Horniman Circle.
Hello and welcome
It was a homecoming of sorts for Dr Dhananjay Datar, the young lad from Akola in Maharashtra who went to Dubai nearly three decades ago to start a humble store and then to establish the gigantic Al Adil Group, as he launched the Masala King supermarket in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Doing the inaugural honour was Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor who received a tremendous response from the crowd that had gathered outside the supermarket. You heard that the supermarket boasts of a 100 per cent vegetarian product range including spices and masalas, pulses, rice and flour, oils and ghee, pickles and chutneys, tea and coffee, canned and instant foods, ayurvedic herbs, cosmetics, dry fruits, mouth fresheners and savouries, confectionery items and sweetmeats.
Fashion feast
Guests got a glimpse of the very first edition of India Beach Fashion Week 2015 as they happened to be by the saltwater pool at the JW Marriott in Mumbai. The setting was just right to announce the fashion week coming up at Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort in Candolim, Goa. ‘Beach is the new ramp’ was the refrain at the meet to herald this fashion week, presented by Gionee. Anusha Dandekar conducted the proceedings as models gave the guests a sneak peek of the chic collections by a few designers. You heard that Anupama Dayal would open the fashion week and the grand finale by designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock. And everyone seemed to be looking forward to India Beach Fashion Week 2015.