In Mumbai, art deco occupies a space of comfortable ubiquity. You needn’t be a design expert or an art historian; simply by existing in the city, through cultural osmosis, you begin to recognise its threads woven into the fabric of the Maximum City. The restaurants in Mumbai—especially those that aim to capture the ineffable spirit of Bombay—often serve as an extension of this layered love affair with the design movement, sometimes through subtle flourishes and other times through overt thematic renderings of the Roaring ’20s. Here’s our list of seven art deco restaurants in Mumbai that capture the spirit of art deco design.
Rue du Liban
Talib Chitalwala
Middle Eastern motifs, French brasseries and Beirut art deco converge in the design of Rue du Liban, a Levantine restaurant in the heart of Kala Ghoda. The restaurant evokes the warm intimacy of cultural references from Beirut, which has inspired most of the details in this 3,200-square-foot space. London-based Dale Atkinson from Rosendale Design was brought on board for the interiors and was soon left to scour the region for inspirations. “Our aim was to transport the diners to the heyday of the region, but at the same time, not create a pastiche,” says Atkinson about his first project in India. The interiors are a throwback to Beirut, in particular for the subtle art deco elements. “The style was born in France and there are so many [art deco] influences in Beirut,” says Atkinson. “We felt this was the ideal era to harness, as [diners] would easily relate to it due to its prominent status in Mumbai.”
Original text by Pallavi Pundir. Edited for context.
Pizza By The Bay
Nuriyah Johar
Nuriyah Johar
First launched in the 1960s as Talk of the Town, then rechristened as Jazz by the Bay in the ’80s, and now, in its most recent avatar as Pizza by the Bay—this sea-facing establishment, one of the most iconic restaurants in Mumbai, has changed along with the city: embracing its obsession with live music and dance parties; growing to become a jazz hotspot and finally, coming to rest as a pizzeria in 2010. Subsequently, it has gone through multiple renovations, but flashes of Mumbai’s art deco history can be found in its façade and monochromatic interiors. Go for the kheema pizza and stay for the sweeping views of Kilachand Chowk, made better by its floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
Original text by Suman Mahfuz Quazi. Edited for context.
Paradox
“Are we sure this is an Ashiesh Shah interior?” My first (largely rhetorical) question upon entering what might just be Mumbai’s hottest new spot seems to validate its very ethos. Paradox, the newest venture of restaurateurs Aditi and Aditya Dugar, the duo behind Masque, feels like a deliberate, thrilling dismantling of trademarks. For architect and designer Ashiesh Shah, Paradox has manifested as perhaps the most audacious departure from his signature aesthetic.
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