The Theme Merchants

Themed restaurants offer a twist to those looking for a novel dining experience. You simply need to know where to look. Here are DI’s picks of interesting theme-based restaurants in India.  

- Rupali Dean

MASQUE

Where Unit 3, Laxmi Woollen Mills, Shakti Mills Lane, Off Dr. E. Moses Road, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai

Reservations [phone]/98190 69222

Timing Tuesday to Saturday: 7.30 pm 1st seating & 9.30 pm 2nd seating; Sunday: 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm & 2nd seating at dinner; Monday closed

Meal for Two ₹7600 ++

THEME

Co-owned by Chef Prateek Sadhu and entrepreneur Aditi Dugar, this ingredient-driven restaurant offers a 10-course chef tasting menu, a first of its kind in India. The distinctly nouvelle cuisine is inspired by Prateek’s own journey with food, beginning with his years as a migrant in Jammu. Each menu is a practice in reaching the essence of Indian cuisine, beginning with the ingredients—all sourced exclusively in India.

THE EXPERIENCE

Every visit to Masque begins with a tour of the kitchen, where you'll meet the chefs and eat your first course. The following courses will be brought to you by cheery staff and a chef who explains what's on your plate and where it's come from. Since the menu is entirely seasonal and dependent on what ingredients are at their freshest, it changes entirely every few weeks—you won't find any physical menus here, so be prepared with an appetite and trust in the kitchen! Traditional foods are prepared in new ways, where the focus is on putting what is essential on the plate, and bringing out singular, but familiar flavours.

MUST TRY