Praia brings a Greek island vibe to Mumbai

Few things are as soothing as watching a sunset with an expansive view of the sky. However, in the concrete jungle that is Mumbai, this seemingly common experience is a luxury.

So, when you chance upon a new dining spot–with 15,000 square feet and a beautiful view–you know it is going to be special. Enter Praia, the rooftop eatery at Worli by restaurateurs Gaurav Dabrai and Kabir Luthria, which doubles that feel with its open-air ambience. 

YS Life grabbed a first look of the restaurant, before it opened doors to guests this weekend.

Paint it orange

To reach Praia, ride up the elevator to the last floor in the Atria Mall and take the special short flight of steps that leads to the restaurant. The best time to come here is past 6 PM, when the sky has shades of amber. 

Friendly and unrushed come first to mind as you step in. Walk up to either the cabanas that line the sides of the place or go with tables under the lit-up sail shades that are spaced far away from each other.

If you’ve caught the friendly nightlife in Greece, Praia will remind you of just that as founder-partner Kabir confirms, “I was holidaying in Greece and instinctively knew that I just had to recreate the energy of the bars in Mykonos in a relevant manner for South Bombay. We wanted it all to align–the vibe of the space, the FnB and the brand name and here we are!” 

I headed here on a Monday night (because why not!) and easily foresaw this place translating into a fun, high-energy space on any weekend.

Explosion of flavour 

While the ambience is its USP, the food also does the talking as Praia’s menu rides on innovation. 

I began with the Confit Carrot sprinkled with dukkah and accompanied by a spiced labneh that is also slightly earthy and sweet to taste. 

Next up, was the charred Peruvian spiced chicken with aji verde sauce, which will remind you of its Indian cousin, the tikka, but that resemblance ends there. The chicken is tender and juicy and the real highlight is its sauce–thanks to the yellow chilli peppers and lemon zest. It hits you like the second note of perfume.

Clearly, the flavours take you out of your comfort zone as cuisines like Peruvian and Japanese can have a more robust edge. It is this philosophy that has translated into a Katsu curry pizza with mildly spiced furikake (Japanese seaweed-sesame seasoning) and even a Mexican-inspired one with cheese bombs.

The novelty continues with a Korean-influenced lobster dressed with pasta and the relatively unknown chifa Peruvian food that Praia holds close to its heart. (To those not in the know, chifa describes a fusion of Chinese-Peruvian cuisine brought to Peru by East Asian immigrants. Today, it’s emerging as a new flavour order in kitchens in the West).

“Despite the menu’s esoteric edge, we have included a few safer options to handhold the diner,” Gaurav reassures. 

Those who like it mild, might opt for the tagliatelle cooked in za’atar cream and topped with avocados. The menu brings on plenty of other interesting dishes from the creamy mushrooms and water chestnuts in galangal, kafir and betel leaf ragout.

If you’ve had baklava before, forget your previous drippy-sweet notions of the filo pastry. At Praia, it gets a savoury edge and comes carefully wrapped around cottage cheese on a bed of smoky romesco sauce.

For the mains, one can opt for the artfully-done smoked salmon, avocado, whipped beet and fennel slaw. Polish fare also makes its way here with the pierogi (dumplings) served with muhammra and dukkah.

With Praia, the restaurateurs are trying to create a more sustainable supply chain that supports the local ecosystem. Case in point is how some of the restaurant’s cheese gets made twice a week at a place less than a kilometre away.

Drinks and desserts

The drinks and desserts at Praia are the real showstoppers. I picked an interesting coffee-cranberry drink called Living the Life, mostly to satiate my curiosity of how the two ingredients can meet, as coffee is hardly tolerant of a tart partner.

But the drink is so surprisingly well made as neither overpower each other. Another must-try is She is High on Maintenance, that’s a mix of kale, green apple, apple juice, honey and lime.

The desserts are light and also go the Greek route. Opt for the basbousa, which is served with toasted black sesame ice cream and a honey-citrus reduction. Or bite into the bougatsa (Greek pie) with fresh strawberry and homemade custard. 

Supper theatre, jazz nights

As the restaurant begins its journey, excitement is in the air. “Whenever anyone has walked in it’s always been a mix of, ‘Are you guys crazy to take on such a massive space?’ And, ‘You don’t feel like you are on one of the busiest artery roads in Bombay’. There’s no greater achievement for a restaurateur to offer a sense of getaway smack in the centre of the city!” the duo says.

With so much space, you can’t help but wonder if it will be multi-recreational. 

“We’ve sacrificed precious real estate to create a stage so get set for live performances, jazz dinners, supper theatre and DJs for the weekends to up the energy quotient.”

Even in the first days, Praia sure has everything going for the ‘gram. Definitely a place to catch sundowners as you hang out with friends as the bar that delivers over a dozen cocktails and mocktails.

Praia is currently only open for dinners.

And, if you are wondering how the restaurant will hold up during Mumbai’s unforgiving summers, then rest assured as the founders have already planned to keep the show running. 

“We were mindful of this fact right when we took on the location,” says Kabir, adding, “At 15,000 square feet it was an ambitious move to run an evening-only operation, but the idea is to always do right by the location, provide value to the guests’ experience and the benefits accrue. Also, I feel that dinner-only brands carry a different charm as opposed to all-day eateries.”

The restaurant, situated in the heart of the city, instantly transports one to a different, relaxed space. I visited Praia after a long Monday, but sitting back and looking at the gorgeous skyline made it seem like a cosy Friday evening.