Girl power

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Sometimes, all you need to do is step back and look at the big picture. And that's what co-owner Karan Shah did when he opened The Terrace in Juhu in March 2015. For their second franchise in Lokhandwala, co-owners Karan and Kaushal Shah decided to join hands with young couples Nishiket Parikh and Shivani Shroff, and Kalpan and Paulomi Shah, who were regular patrons at the original outpost, and keen to enter the hospitality industry. "When we saw the ideas that Shivani and Paulomi were brimming with, we decided to step back and leave everything to the women, and focus on including more women in the team," Karan tells us, as we are introduced to the new space, The Terrace - A Maiden Affair. "We had to convince him to allow us to paint the restaurant pink," recalls Shivani with a laugh. Saniya Kantawala has designed the Pinterest-friendly interiors; even their digital and PR team members include women. Shivani, a London College of Fashion graduate also runs a design studio that specialises in home décor, and has designed some of the crockery. Like the kettle that she designed used to serve the piping hot tomato and bell pepper soup (Rs 195) that tastes divine with chunks of smoked tomato.

Shivani Shroff and Paulomi Shah

The Shah brothers have worked with chef Rakesh Talwar on their other properties (The Spare Kitchen, South Bombay Bar and Vice), but were keen to have a woman chef on board for this menu. So they roped in nutritionist and chef Aditi Prabhu to create a special healthy section that includes smoothie bowls, and a calorie breakdown for each dish.

Jack and ale

"A lot of guests, especially women, are conscious of what they eat outside, and when available, they opt for healthier ingredients. Being an all-day eatery, it was important for us to include a healthy section," Talwar tells us. For the rest of the menu, Talwar has created a mix of popular Indian and international dishes.

Aloo green pea tikki

Keeping the picturesque terrace area of the restaurant in mind, Talwar has included comfort food that you can enjoy in Mumbai's ephemeral winter. This includes homestyle classics such as aloo green pea tikki (Rs 275), and a frothy, warm mushroom cappuccino (Rs 225). Talwar tells us that he was amazed at how particular Kantawala was about what she ate and wished to feed her some ghee-laden desi food. So the menu also includes Saniya ka pakaya hua khichdi (Rs 395) that fills the space with the sweet aroma of ghee. The bar menu has been designed by in-house mixologist Atul Mundaye and cocktail stylist Vidhi Puri. All cocktails use natural jaggery instead of refined sugar, and they also plan to introduce DIY cocktails once open. Our favourite from the menu is the scarlet flex passion (Rs 475), a refreshing fruity gin cocktail infused with herbs. Other unputdownable drinks include kiwi cool (Rs 475), another gin cocktail made with kiwi, mint and lemon; and jack and ale (Rs 575), a concoction of whisky, star anise, apple shrub, maraschino cherry cordial and ginger ale. If appetisers are what you prefer to stick to, there's plenty to choose from. Like the delicate tandoori stuffed mushroom with orange cheddar (Rs 295), or the creamy kalonji jhinga (Rs 475). Baos and flatbreads, which have now become bar staples in this city, are also on the menu.

Smoked tomato and bell pepper soup

Irrespective of whether you trip over the colour pink or not, the female-centric outpost of The Terrace makes for a great place to catch up with your gal pals.

Opens January 24
Time 12 pm to 1.30 am
At Ambica Acropolis, sixth floor, opposite The Little Door, Lokhandwala, Andheri West.
Call 9852098250

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