Mumbai Food: Does new bar in Opera House do justice to its location?

Masala rumali roti

We hardly ever head to SoBo for drinks. There are two reasons. First, th­ere aren't any too many new good bars, and seco­nd, for the lack of food innovation. So wh­en a new bar, Husttle, comes up bang opposite the beautiful The Royal Opera House, we wonder if this will be the one.

A walk up to the bar reveals busy interiors with all kinds of seating - there's a private booth, and high chairs and regular seating, surrounded by a potpourri of design elements in a small space. We quickly pick a table and glance through the menu to find what we were expecting: an all-veg line-up. It's not that we mind vegetarian restaurants (the diner located below has a flavourful menu). It's just that we don't think much of restaurants that offer clich­éd options of pav bhaji fo­ndue, avocado bruschettas, and four cheese pizza at a premium price, when other restaurants have now brought on their A game when it comes to vegetarian and vegan menus.

Mumbai spring

We ignore this and hope that the simple flavours of the food will shine, and order non-Jain masala rumali roti (Rs 250) and two cocktails from their signature section - Mumbai spring and forbidden ch­e­rry. Both cost Rs 750 and are a big letdown. Mumbai spring includes a mix of be­rries and juices, while fo­r­bidden cherry has hints of peach. Neither have any st­a­ndout flavours, and the ge­neric fruity cocktail-y taste doesn't justify the heavy price tag.

The masala rumali roti is the crispy roti version of a basic masala papad topped with red chilli powder, chopped onion and tomato, served at every other restaurant. It instantly reminds us of the karari roti we often eat at a Lower Parel wine bar, which offers innovative toppings including ceviche. Our stomach growls after we leave the roti half done. For the main course, we skip the pav bhaji fondue and pack a green Thai curry with rice (Rs 475).

They don't have delivery boxes, and the foil boxes they pack the curry in are not meant for liquids. So, avoid takeaways here. The curry turns out to be a regular Thai curry you find at countless other eateries. Will we head here after a performance at Opera House? No.

TIME: 6.30 pm to 1.30 am
AT: Patel Chambers, Opera House, Girgaum.
CALL: 9292922992

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