Introducing Mumbai’s seasoned, cosmopolitan palate to a brand new cuisine isn’t any straightforward feat, however that’s exactly what SoBo 20 units out to do — providing the town its first style of Franco-American fare. Marrying refined French approach with the heartiness of Southern American soul meals, the Dubai-based Atelier House Hospitality (additionally behind INJA in Delhi) describes the enterprise as “a thoughtful dialogue between two distinct culinary languages.”
The interiors are stylish
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Special Arrangement
This just isn’t a gimmicky fusion. As govt chef Sudeep Kashikar explains, “There are plenty of Italian and European restaurants in the city, but nobody has really explored Franco-American cuisine. That’s why we thought it was time.”
Chic interiors
Named after South Mumbai’s pin code, SoBo 20 greets diners with a playful mascot — a pelican (Louisiana’s state chicken) in a beret — hinting on the restaurant’s whimsical mix of French Art Deco and Southern American allure. Designed by Essajees Atelier, the house is trendy but inviting: a marble-topped desk adorned with contemporary florals subtly divides the restaurant right into a glossy bar and a heat, rust-toned eating room. White brick partitions, leather-based chairs, and a deep inexperienced ceiling create a comfortable, layered aesthetic, whereas brass saxophones and trumpets mounted on wooden panelling evoke the spirit of New Orleans jazz golf equipment. On one aspect, massive French home windows flood the house with pure mild; lush planters lend a smooth inexperienced distinction. A discreet six-seater non-public eating room is nestled close to the bar for extra intimate gatherings.
Fusion with a distinction
“You wouldn’t have tasted some of these dishes before,” says Panchali Mahendra, CEO of Atelier House Hospitality, and he or she is correct. At SoBo 20, govt chef Sudeep introduces Mumbai to a bold new repertoire, drawing from Creole-Cajun traditions born in Louisiana — a melting pot of French, Native American, West African and Caribbean influences. In his arms, every dish is a considerate reinterpretation.
Seafood lovers will benefit from the fare
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The menu is cleverly structured, starting with bar bites cheekily listed beneath ‘Before the Ice Melts’, adopted by small plates, massive plates, pizzas, and naturally, desserts.
All the breads are baked in-house, whether or not it’s the crisp, wafer-thin pizzas, the nice and cozy, comforting cornbread, or the signature SoBo Bread.
Though I hardly ever rave about salads, the Verte Salad was a standout, that includes traditional French elements like spinach, citrus jelly, candied walnuts, pine nuts, and a halo of contemporary pea shoots. Given the variety of vegetarians in South Mumbai, the menu gives loads of considerate plant-forward choices.
Seafood lovers are in for a deal with, with dishes spotlighting clams, prawns, tuna, salmon, sea bass, lobster, crab, even caviar. The hen pillar, topped with glistening pearls of caviar over a velvety beurre blanc, is a stunning mixture, nevertheless it works.
A succulent prawn dish
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Inventive touches abound. The Oyster Rockefeller swaps oysters for clams, baked with parmesan, panko, brown butter and chives — a deeply satisfying chunk. The B&P Skewers are one other standout: pork stomach slow-cooked for eight hours, layered with spiced buff, grilled over a robata, and plated with avocado cream and chives.
Other highlights embody the indulgent lobster gumbo fried rice, the fried hen burger, and a vibrant ratatouille that holds its personal amid the meatier fare.
Cocktail sips
Curated by mixologist Supradeep Dey, the cocktail menu gives a intelligent fusion of classics drawn from each cultures. Each of the six signature cocktails is a considerate hybrid. Take the Sidecar Smoke, a bold whisky-forward concoction mixing the Old Fashioned and Sidecar, theatrically poured tableside over a cloud of corn air. Brass & Bitters marries the Whiskey Sour and Boulevardier, served in a playful retro crimson glass, with bourbon at its coronary heart.
There can also be a bit devoted to “forgotten classics” such because the English Rose, Mamie Taylor, and Limoncello Sparkle —drinks you’re unlikely to encounter elsewhere in Mumbai. The Vesper Martini, in the meantime, packs a correct punch — simply because it ought to. One cocktail that missed the mark was the Royal Sazerac, a hybrid of the traditional Sazerac and Kir Royale. Made with rye whiskey, glowing wine, and bitters, it’s topped with a thick blackcurrant foam that overpowers the drink. The texture made it tough to sip, and the steadiness felt barely off.
Dessert
With desserts as ingenious as the remainder of the menu, some making their metropolis debut, the night at SoBo 20 ends on a excessive be aware. Take the burrata ice cream, as an example, which chef Sudeep describes as “a salad in the form of an ice cream.” Made with eggless burrata cheese, it’s completed with a French dressing of orange blossom water, honey, further virgin olive oil, and toasted almonds. Then there may be the crème brûlée-filled ginger beignet, topped with Ossetra caviar — a one-bite marvel designed to be popped like pani puri, advanced and indulgent.
It is uncommon to step right into a restaurant and style one thing genuinely unique. But SoBo 20 takes that leap, and in a metropolis hungry for contemporary, aspirational experiences, it’s poised to ring a bell.
A meal for 2 prices ₹7000 with alcohol; timings midday to 3.30pm and 7pm to 11.30pm