Set against the open green stretches of Mumbai's Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Soraia is an expansive new restaurant designed by Gauri Khan. Housed within the Royal Western India Turf Club premises, the space has been reimagined into a setting that balances scale with calm, offering both indoor and alfresco dining without the usual sense of hurry associated with the city. Soraia is the vision of Afsana Verma, Amit Verma, and Dhaval Udeshi. Their focus is on building a space that is versatile yet grounded: one that feels equally suited to a quiet lunch or an unhurried evening. We visited the restaurant for an experience of the latter.
Ambience And Decor
Photo Credit: Soraia
The interiors reinterpret the former Bombay Club space with a softer, more immersive sensibility. The architecture draws inspiration from a European glasshouse, featuring curved forms, layered textures, and natural materials to create a sense of openness. Vine-draped columns, a central fountain, mosaic accents, and a transparent glasshouse structure blur the usual boundaries between leisure and restraint. Daylight filters gently through the space, while evenings introduce warmer tones through chandeliers and reflective surfaces. The design avoids sharp contrasts, instead opting for warmth, tactile finishes, and a sense of continuity that allows the space to feel lived-in rather than staged.
Food
Photo Credit: Soraia
The kitchen is led by Chef Hitesh Shanbhag, whose cooking philosophy is described as Neo-Botanical. The menu is structured around elemental themes, reflecting different stages of nature rather than conventional courses. Treats are segregated into categories, or stages named "The First Flush, The Seed, Light, Fire, Earth, and Air." Dishes move fluidly between familiar Indian flavours and European techniques, without leaning heavily on either.
We began our meal with the cool and colourful Fruit Ceviche, enhanced with puffed black rice and chlorophyll oil. We contrasted its refreshment with the cosy embrace of the Warm Brie Hive. The flaky phyllo, the crumbly cheese and coulis and the bite of the chilli maple nut crunch meant it was a delightful combination of textures. As was the Lotus Crunch & Dip, innovatively featuring lotus stem chips spiked with East-Indian Bottle Masala and served with fresh guacamole!
Photo Credit: Soraia
The creative takes continued in the form of the Mojo Koli Chicken (served with tender coconut risotto and pineapple pico de gallo) and the wholesome Lentil Lamb Kebab with Walnut Chutney, which emerged to be our favourite. In the mains, you cannot go wrong with the Spicy Mary Spaghetti, unless you cannot handle fiery food. We combated its pungency with two lovely desserts. First came the Coffee & Roses, a refined waffle sandwich-like treat with Kahlua cream and gelato. It arrived with a special 'theatrical' rose topping. The next one was even more stunning: a Sitafal Tres Leches, which was not only scrumptious but also eye-pleasing, thanks to an intricate edible 'lattice' wheel placed on it.
Drinks
Photo Credit: Soraia
At the bar, Beverage Director Fay Barretto introduces what is described as Mumbai's first omakase-style cocktail bar. The beverage programme is structured as a journey across India's landscapes, with cocktails inspired by mountains, plains, coasts, deserts, and forests. Native ingredients are reinterpreted through specific techniques, creating drinks that reference geography as much as flavour.
For instance, 'The Mountains Roars' references the Himalayan belt, combining elements such as chhurpe, plum, and butter tea to reflect the cuisines from different parts of the Himalayas. 'The Valley of Voices' looks east, featuring mountain pepper-infused whisky with wild honey and mountain mint. From the northern plains, 'The Great Indian Plains' centres on grains, using rice toddy liqueur, gondhoraj leaf distillate, and toasted makki vermouth. The Plateaus draws from central India, incorporating toasted sorghum millet tequila, ambemohar rice milk, and dagad phool. 'The Deserts' focuses on arid-region ingredients such as toasted poppy seed orgeat, ker-sangri vermouth, and sand-roasted lime gin.
Photo Credit: Soraia
Guests can either select cocktails a la carte or opt for the omakase experience at the bar, where the drinks are served as a guided tasting. Each regional collection is also tied to a women-led charitable initiative from that landscape, linking the cocktail programme to broader community support efforts.
Final Thoughts
From its light-filled setting and beautiful design to its ingredient-driven food and narrative-led cocktails, Soraia impressed us for several reasons. It seems to exude a quieter form of luxury while ensuring that every aspect of the dining experience can be moulded to suit your mood.
Address: Racecourse, Royal Western India Turf Club, Mahalakshmi, Mumbai