When news first started swirling about SoBo 20, a Franco-American restaurant swaggering its way into Mumbai’s already heaving restaurant scene, it did seem like just another flashy new restaurant trying to ride the hype wave. A mix of French and American food (which by the way is a first for Mumbai), good-looking interiors, and a drinks menu that promised a lot. All this with the usual ‘curated’ menus, ‘elevated’ comfort food, cocktails that promised to be both shaken and stirred. It had all the ingredients of a place that would trend hard for a day or two and then quietly fade out. But two weeks later, not only is it still packed, people are actually going back, talking about it, and recommending it without being asked. That’s not just rare, it’s impressive.
The interiors
As you enter, you notice there's a quiet intentionality to every detail at SoBo 20 and while the burnished brass trumpets and the sweeping bar get their fair share of attention, there are subtler cues that are just as expressive. Sarah Sham, Founder of Mumbai-based interior design firm Essajees Atelier says, “One of these is the interplay between texture and temperature across materials. From the cool gloss of the marble-topped central table to the warm grain of walnut wood panelling, every surface invites touch, not just admiration. The walls are finished in a textured marine-toned fabric that evokes both the sea and the decadence of a lounge. It's a nod to the Franco-American spirit that sweeps through space.”
The design brief was simple. It was to create a space that doesn't just house the menu, but reflects its spirit. So the palette is dusky and moody, with deep greens, warm brass and blues that evokes both the bayou and the Bombay coastline. There's a certain lived-in polish to the space here. Then there's the lighting such as the soft-glow sconces and under-bar illumination that recall the shimmer of Bourbon Street nights, without the noise. “We drew from the smoky glamour of 1920s New Orleans brasseries, the structural elegance of South Mumbai's Art Deco buildings and the drama of French salons. We blended them to create a boîte and bar that feels timeless yet unmistakably modern,” she adds.
At its core, SoBo 20 is about movement between eras, cultures and stories. And the space does feel like a conversation between tradition and reinterpretation, between the coastlines of Louisiana and Marine Drive.
The cocktails
First things first, Mixologist Supradeep Dey is in no mood to serve you Picante. There’s something missing from the current cocktail scene that Dey wanted to bring back, and hence the ‘Forgotten Classics’ that once ruled the bar world but slowly faded into obscurity. He believes the world should move on from picante already and embrace the lost gems, not just for nostalgia but to show that simplicity, balance and history still have a place on a modern menu. Dey says, “What makes our bar unique is how we blend one French and one American classic together. It’s rooted in what I call ‘crossbreeding tradition’. Today, you’ll find most bartenders riffing on single classics, but I took it a step further by fusing two distinct cocktail heritages into one balanced creation. We focus on keeping things simple yet elegant just as the original classics were born, in a time before modern techniques like sous vide or switching became popular.” There’s English Rose which is fruity but not too sweet, Millennium Manhattan packs a punch with bourbon and peach, and Limoncello Sparkle is light, fizzy, and fresh.
From their signatures, Dey suggests starting with Brass and Bitters, a fusion of the Boulevardier and the Whiskey Sour, two classics with very different personalities. The Boulevardier brings a bold, bittersweet depth with bourbon and Campari, while the Whiskey Sour adds a fresh, citrus forward contrast. He explains, “We wanted to explore what happens when these worlds collide and the result is a spirit forward drink with notes of bitterness, sweetness, and a touch of acidity. It plays on all corners of the palate and gives you a layered experience in a single sip bold yet approachable.” Next up, the Nightcap is a beautiful marriage of Blood and Sand and Alexander No. 1, two often overlooked classics. Dey says, “Blood and Sand offers complexity with Scotch, orange juice, sweet vermouth and maraschino liqueur. Alexander No. 1, on the other hand, is a dessert style cocktail made with gin, white crème de cacao, and cream. We’ve created a Blood and Sand milk punch for silky texture and depth, and paired it with a shot of Alexander No. 1. The idea is to sip the creamy Alexander first, which coats the palate, and then enjoy the milk punch in three sips creating a sensory shift and dimension you don’t expect.”
There’s Sidecar Smoke, which is not inspired by the Sidecar in Delhi, a question Dey is often asked. This cocktail is a thoughtful blend of the Sidecar and the Old Fashioned. Dey elaborates, “We took the base of a Sidecar cognac, triple sec, and lime and combined it with the spirit-forward elegance of an Old Fashioned. But instead of simply mixing them, we reimagined the drink through the lens of sustainability. We use leftover lime transformed as a cordial (to be less wasteful), cognac as the base spirit. Knowing that bourbon (used in an Old Fashioned) is made with at least 51% corn, we created a corn air foam to top the drink capturing the essence of bourbon without actually using it.”
The inspiration behind the food menu
Helmed by Chef Sudeep Kashikar, the menu was born from people moving, adapting, and creating something new. So what inspired Chef Kashikar to spend months understanding the history and techniques, and then pair them with French foundations, we ask. He says, “I was deep into studying different culinary traditions when I discovered Creole and Cajun cooking from Louisiana. The bold spices, the layering techniques, there's real soul there. And it hit me that these flavours would resonate strongly with Indian palates. It felt like the right thing to do for Mumbai.”
Incorporating local Indian ingredients or flavours into the Franco-American menu is non-negotiable for Kashikar. He explains, “We use Ambad prawns in multiple ways, smoked, pickled, even as a mousse. There's this ingredient called sukkat, sun-dried shrimp, that adds incredible umami to our dishes. Even our dairy comes from Gujarat. My thinking is simple. Respect the French-American framework, but let these amazing local ingredients do what they do best.” Franco-American cuisine to Kashikar is something he finds deeply compelling. It is food that's travelled and transformed. He elaborates, “Creole cuisine developed through African, French and Spanish influences. Cajun came with French-Canadian immigrants. These are cooking styles but also stories of adaptation and survival. I'm drawn to how food evolves when cultures meet. What we're doing at SoBo 20 continues that conversation, just in a Mumbai context.”
The food
Their SoBo bread and Fume Prawns have already made it to most people’s Instagram feed and for all the right reasons. The SoBo Bread is a two-day commitment. They do a 48-hour cold ferment and are constantly adjusting the hydration based on Mumbai's humidity, daily. “It's almost like babysitting a two day old. After baking, we glaze it with chilli-honey and finish it over charcoal. The result comes with house-made mascarpone, salted white butter and fried sage. It's technically demanding, but that's what makes it work,” he adds. It is their workhorse and showstopper.
The Fumé Prawns everyone has been drooling over is about showcasing what they have locally. Chef explains, “We oven roast prawns, glaze them with our house-made Ambad prawn pickle and then serve with warm sourdough. The combination of smoke, acid and texture, that's what people walk away remembering.”
We also tried the Chicken Paillard, a playful twist on a classic, the tender chicken paired surprisingly well with caviar over a silky white beurre blanc. The Clams Rockefeller is briny, buttery, and beautifully textured, with rye breadcrumbs and brown butter adding a deep, nutty crunch. The Wood-Fired Sea Bass is perfectly cooked with crisped edges, that goes well with burnt lemon, velvety lime sauce, and a pop of trout roe.
Time for desserts now. You can’t leave without trying their Burrata Ice Cream, a quiet stunner. It's delicately floral, slightly savoury and incredibly creamy. It's definitely something you won’t see coming. He shares, “We churn eggless burrata into a base, finish it with honey and orange blossom vinaigrette, add toasted almonds for texture.”
Another must-have is the beignets with caviar which is a heartfelt homage to Café du Monde but with an unapologetically French twist. They start with a batter that gets nitrogenated overnight (patience is key here). Inside, they stuff a ginger-infused crème brûlée bonbon, freeze it solid, then pipe it into the batter using a siphon. After frying, they sugar-torch the crust exactly like a traditional brûlée and crown it with Ossetra caviar. It's indulgent, cheeky and technically demanding. Basically a tiny, precise bite that packs a feel reminiscent of the sensory delight of eating a pani puri.
Last word
Maybe Mumbai did need a place like this. Something fun but not fake, stylish but not over the top. Everything that’s new and shiny isn’t always good, but SoBo 20 has managed to be both. The food actually delivers, the cocktails are clever without trying too hard, and the vibe hits that sweet spot. It’s a lot better than it needs to be, and right now, that feels like more than enough. It has the determination to be genuinely good. By the end of your meal, you begin to understand why this place isn’t just the current crush, it might be The One.
Where: Ground Floor, InterContinental Hotel, 135, Marine Dr, Churchgate, Mumbai
Meal for two: INR 7,000 (including alcohol)