By Barry Rodgers
Copyright thehindu
There is never a dull weekend in Mumbai. The city keeps you on your toes with new restaurant openings, inventive menus, and bars that seem to multiply overnight. It is the kind of place where you could plan three nights out and still feel like you have missed something. But here is a side note worth slipping in — Bandra is momentarily on the move. For three days only, the suburb’s unmistakable energy is being recreated in Goa, giving Mumbaikars by the sea a taste of home. So, whether you are navigating the buzz of Mumbai or stumbling upon familiar flavours down the coast, the weekend looks promising.
Bandra goes to Goa
This weekend, Goa gets a slice of Bandra as some of the suburb’s most loved restaurants and bars head west for a three-day takeover, Weekend in Bandra, from September 19 to 21. It is less of a pop-up, more of a neighbourhood on holiday.
Friday kicks off with Seefah serving her cult khao man gai and Asian grills, alongside cocktails from The Daily — think Holy Smoke and Sea Garden Spritz — while Jai Jawan brings its famous prawn fry, chicken tikka and masala fish, with Pack-a-Pav rolling out comfort favourites.
On Saturday, Darry’s makes its Goa debut with indulgent burgers and sandwiches paired with Boojee coffee, as Sixteen33 sets up its first cocktail bar pop-up. Jai Jawan and Pack-a-Pav keep the flavour of Bandra alive through the day.
Sunday closes in style with Benne’s loaded South Indian–Bandra-style dosas for brunch, paired with curry leaf palomas and coconut cocktails.
Elephant & Co, Survey no. 16/1, Grand Pedder Field, House no, 1049/2, Anjuna
La Loca Maria celebrates World Paella Day
Bandra’s favourite modern Spanish restaurant, La Loca Maria, is marking World Paella Day (September 20) with a two-week Paella Fiesta from September 19 to October 5.
Chef Manuel Olveira, who grew up in Toledo, Spain, has designed three new celebratory paellas especially for the occasion. There is Paella de Chorizo, layered with smoky ’nduja, grilled pork belly and green beans; paella de pulpo y cangrejo, slow-cooked in a rich crab broth with cuttlefish and octopus; and paella de miso and enoki, a modern vegetarian take featuring miso broth, enoki mushrooms and Asian greens.
The specials sit alongside La Loca Maria’s signatures that regulars swear by — the indulgent lobster paella, striking squid ink paella, and hearty chicken and wild mushroom paella.
Fatima Villa, 29th Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai
A new menu at Mercii
With the arrival of chef Beena Norohna, Mercii begins a new chapter with a new menu.
Seafood leads the way with scallop tiradito in leche de tigre and ají amarillo, while a brie and pear salad finds brightness in rocket and fennel. Then there are small plates, which come with flourish: smoked duck croquettes, prawn dumplings, and tiger prawns with brioche. Pastas transform into art forms, from rose-shaped truffle ravioli in edamame sauce to amaranth cannelloni with caramelised onion and citrus pomodoro. Even cabbage takes the spotlight as cabbage au flambé, finished tableside in a pisco blaze.
Desserts include a kunafa-wrapped cheesecake, glossy strawberry mousse, and cacao bloom, a vegan mousse layered with almond brittle and florals, presented as edible theatre.
B1, Plot 81C, Ground Floor, 81 Crest Building, Linking Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai
Lovefools has a new menu
Chef Sarita Pereira unveils The Travelling Heart, a new three-part menu inspired by her journeys outside India, each course a memory turned into flavour.
It begins in Europe: beet carpaccio with sundried tomato, pickled asparagus and apple pie purée finished with blue cheese, alongside a blush-pink tuna tataki, sharpened with yuzu kosho and cooled with wasabi yoghurt. Salads take centre stage, not the sidelines, with nilah and wild honey with Eleftheria cheese, pineapple and arugula drizzled in honeyed blue cheese feels like Greece meeting Goa, while Mediterranean glow balances avocado, candied walnuts, cranberries and raspberry-goat cheese dressing.
Playful small plates follow: sushi crackers, an LF signature, reappear with wasabi mascarpone, smoked avocado and cured watermelon, while a new avo black garlic version brings bold confit garlic miso. Vegetarian innovations include aubergine parmigiana — tempura aubergine and zucchini layered with stracciatella — and Morimoto-style kebayaki, a Japanese medley glazed in tonkatsu.
The menu travels further with the lush absinthe pork roast, silken yaki pork chashu, and Lankan mutton vadouvan with croissant-parotta.
The journey closes on a high with the chocolate symphony — dark, spiced and layered, a dessert that lingers like memory itself.
C14, 525, Ranwar, Bandra West, Mumbai
HyLo Taproom by Igloo opens at Jio World Drive
HyLo, the bar-forward culinary concept known for its hyper-local Indian food, opens its second outpost: HyLo Taproom by Igloo, in collaboration with Igloo Craft Beers. Set within Jio World Drive precinct, this 75-seater taproom is designed to change the way Mumbai eats, drinks and unwinds.
More than just a bar or restaurant, HyLo Taproom brings flavour-driven Indian cooking together with the craft and imagination of small-batch brewing. The menu leans into regional traditions and personal histories: aam aur mircha wings made with Nagaland’s GI-tagged king chilli, Goan chorizo chilli fry curry dogs, and karampodi chilli paneer are among the highlights. Chef Swati Harsha’s kaaley chane ke shaami — a family recipe — adds depth, while even the desi smash burger gets a HyLo twist with paneer, mutton or tenderloin options.
At the tap, Igloo’s brews take the spotlight with exclusives like the Brewer’s Blonde Ale and Konkan Rice Lager, alongside fresh radlers and rotating seasonal specials. Cocktails echo the Indian-first ethos — standouts include the Bombay 51 with house-made aam panna and the mahua-led Tribal Story, with playful experiments under the HyLo-genizer series.
G-30, Ground Floor, Jio World Drive, Maker Maxity, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East
Banng Bar opens in Bandra
A couple of months after the launch of Banng, the team has unveiled its newest addition — Banng Bar, located downstairs. Designed as a more spacious, intimate setting, the bar brings a different energy to the address, shifting the focus from dining to drinks and late-night conversations.
The drinks programme is led by Attapon De-Silva, better known as The Potion Master — one of Asia’s most celebrated bartenders, credited with shaping acclaimed bars such as Teens of Thailand, Asia Today, Tax, and Independence. At Banng Bar, his cocktails are split into moods — Fresh & Fizzy, Moody & Boozy, and Umami & Yummy. Highlights include the White Lotus Martini, brightened with white turmeric and garlic brine; Yellow, a blend of rum, curry and ginger flower nectar; and The Andaman, a “sea in a glass” made with squid-infused vodka and guava.
The food keeps things fun and unfussy: Pattaya nachos, crab cakes, Ping Bar skewers, and even late-night Banng cup noodles. A bar for moods, cravings, and everything in between.
Pinnacle House, 604, 15th Rd, PD Hinduja Rd, Mumbai
The Black Shepherd brings British comfort to Bandra
The Black Shepherd, a 26-cover restaurant in Bandra, is dedicated to serving authentic British cuisine. Chef-founder Rahul Kotak has reimagined timeless pub culture with warmth, intimacy and storytelling, creating a space that feels both soulful and refined.
The menu pays homage to Britain’s greatest culinary comforts. Meals begin with warm, freshly baked breads and butter — a ritual of simplicity. The signature fish and chips uses locally sourced Asian seabass, fried golden and paired with triple-cooked chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. The shepherd’s pie, with its slow-cooked meat and pillowy mash, is pure nostalgia, while Jacket Potatoes arrive hearty and filled to the brim. For indulgence, the buttermilk fried chicken burger comes with a perfect crunch.
Desserts are crafted with equal care — delicate madeleines bring subtle sweetness, while the handcrafted brownies, perfected by Rahul over four years, embody patience and craft.
The drinks menu balances nostalgia with comfort: teas, iced teas, and refreshing coolers. But it is the ritual everyone returns for — the bottomless hot chocolate, rich, velvety and endlessly warming — that anchors The Black Shepherd’s promise: honest food, soulful memory, and comfort done right.
Shop No. 1-A, Gloria Apartments, St John Baptist Rd, Mount Mary, Bandra West, Mumbai
House of Paloma: Where cocktails meet culture
Bandra has a bold new addition in House of Paloma, an art-driven, cocktail-forward bar created by friends and founders Prathik Shetty, Chethan Hegde, and Samarth Shetty. With Prathik and Chethan behind Bengaluru favourites 1522, and Prathik and Samarth behind The Reservoire — named in Tales of the Cocktail’s Top 10 Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2019 — the trio brings their signature energy to Mumbai.
Designed in collaboration with architect Sumessh Menon, the 2,900 sq ft venue unfolds like a gallery. Siddharth Kerkar’s canvases, handcrafted details by ZAworks, and playful signatures such as the rotating Paloma Man and glowing Agave Lamp lend a vibrant, immersive feel.
At the bar, head mixologist M. Sunil Prathab shapes a Latin American-inspired programme. Standouts include the Caliente (Patrón Silver, apple, dill, chilli), Mogo Mogo (rum, raspberry, coconut jelly), and Paloma 1950, the house ode to its namesake.
The food menu, led by chef Pranay Shinde (ex-Masque, Indigo) with consultant chef Sombir Chaudary (SOKA), pairs punchy plates with inventive flair: crispy eggplant tacos with smoked pineapple salsa, butter kori rotti reimagined as smoky grilled chicken, and the indulgent tan lobster risotto, perfumed with tandoor smoke.
At once expressive, social and experimental, House of Paloma feels less like a bar and more like a cultural space.
545 Excel Entertainment Ground Floor 33rd Road Near McDonald’s Linking Road Bandra, Pali Village, Khar West, Mumbai
