I couldn’t go back to the 1920s, so I went to Gaylord in Mumbai instead

As the doors close with a gentle woosh, the bustle of Churchgate and Mumbai’s thunderous monsoon ceases to exist beyond the glass doors of Gaylord. Beyond the al fresco dining area, the grandeur of the dining space resembles something straight out of The Great Gatsby.

The space’s universal appeal is starkly apparent. An elderly couple sits in the dining space, video-calling their relatives. The shaky, handheld phone pans the lower dining space, emanating gasps of disbelief over the restaurant’s new look from the other end.  If your company is not the most exciting, all one has to do is look outwards through the latticework and watch the bustling area at a comfortable distance. 

Within the restaurant’s plush mezzanine, a mocktail christened Mohabat Sharbat inspired by a popular drink sold in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk on the menu comes as a refreshing interlude. It is lively, even during the odd, sluggish hours after lunch that precede teatime. The restaurant sprawls across 3,750 sq ft, designed by Rohit Sharma and Siddhartha Srivastava of Headlight Design Studio. Its new avatar has been crafted under the aegis of the restaurant’s third-generation owners Dhruv and Divij Lamba. 

All that Jazz and more

In its heyday, the restaurant used to be a buzzing spot for music lovers hosting endless jazz nights and candlelit ballroom dances. Noel D’Souza, the general manager, reminisces about the olden days with a chuckle, stating “They used to say marriages were made in heaven and blessed at Gaylord. That was my favourite line.” He confesses to spending many years watching families meet across the table, the bride’s and the groom’s side bashfully sitting on opposite ends. But it’s not just real stories that took life at Gaylord Mumbai, the space also has its fair share of the reel life ( and no, we’re not talking about the social media frenzy).

Old black-and-white photographs dating back to the 1950s of its illustrious visitors line the walls, ranging from Bollywood stalwarts like Rajesh Khanna to fashion icons like Christian Louboutin. One can spot groups of onlookers circling the pictures at any point of the day, engaging in a gripping game of guess-who-that-is trivia. 

And the way you look tonight

Housing a bakehouse eternally teeming with people to the left, the al-fresco dining area comprises big, beige chairs stationed around wooden tables, with plush, striped couches to the side. A touch of Parisienne chic in Mumbai, a la Churchgate ensues.

Gigantic, semi-circular windows provide a peek of the warm dining space within as red opera-style curtains line the sides. The lower dining area brims with warmth, well-lit and accompanied by live music reverberating across its expanse. As one climbs upwards into the mezzanine, the lights grow dimmer, the space becomes cosier and a plethora of reds and blacks replace the beiges found downstairs. 

Mirrors and stained glass windows have been affixed to the ceiling, drawing eyes upwards. The bar is a plush, glossy addition that is distinctly Art Deco in its appeal. Black and white cabinets sport hints of gold, lit aglow by tiny lamps positioned in between. As one walks through the space, it is clear — the roaring twenties are roaring again, indeed.

Out of the box

Within the menu, Mahesh Solanki, head mixologist at Gaylord, has chosen Indian spices and delicacies to infuse your poison of choice with a desi twist. From turmeric and sandalwood syrup to your favourite Banarasi paan, indulge in cocktails and mocktails that derive inspiration from India’s famous (and incredibly sought-after, as history would prove) spices and flavours. 

As for the food, Gaylord retains its place as a purveyor of the classics once again, armed with a few new additions to seal the deal. A British classic, their Fish and Chips are a mouthwatering duo, accompanied by a plethora of English staples such as Vegetarian club sandwiches and a mammoth-sized portion of juicy roast chicken and bacon. 

However, the Masala lamb chops hailing from the Indian menu came packing a flavourful punch that even our ancestors would be proud of. A new addition making the rounds is the “Lobster Thermidor, bathed in a decadent mushroom cream sauce,” as the founding duo Dhruv and Divij describe — a suggestion we will certainly be circling back to.

Keeping with the times, these changes seek to usher in a new era that is certainly one for the books. Or as the younger crowd would say — the chefs are cooking, the mixologists are mixing, and Gaylord is well, ehm, Gaylording like never before. 

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