A secretive modern-age cave? Charlee in Mumbai is a glamorous speakeasy designed by kaviar:collaborative

A glamorous batcave. Walls dripping with an otherworldly dark realism. Giant rock boulders stationed inside; poised yet. Some cocktail experiments underway at an enigmatic bar. This is Charlee, the new restaurant and speakeasy in Mumbai juxtaposed calmly in the thriving locale of Santacruz, helmed by restaurateur Suren Joshi and Mokksh Sani. 

Designed by kaviar:collaborative, I’m convinced on my first visit to Charlee that the likes of Jay Gatsby, James Bond, Batman and Max Payne, my teenagehood’s favourite game character would probably find this space befitting for their secret rendezvous. The entryway itself is rather dramatic. With a teeming bunch of black rocks dangling above the stairway as one ascends to the entrance. The suspense of discovering the space further palatably intensifies!

Adventures with dark

An almost sculpturesque statement, the cave aesthetic for interiors has been sought after for its grounded mystique for the longest time. Vividly reminiscent of the stone age, it somehow cradles a soft glimmer of connection with the earthiness of nature, albeit shrouded in darker hues. “The design concept revolves around a monochromatic palette, with dark tones dominating the space. The use of highly textural materials such as stones, gabion walls and concrete infuses an industrial edge,” state Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani, Partners + Principal Architects of kaviar:collaborative.

Then it’s not all that surprising that for us digital-world residents, palettes that conjure sensory reminders of primal ages and materials in its most natural forms, become a point of fascination. Cave-esque interiors with unfinished finishes and objects that nudge curiosity — Charlee is well a study in how to breathe a liveable character to a space while ensuring a certain enigma to its ambience. 

Material versus sensibility 

It hasn’t even been a whole minute since being gripped with the visuals of suspended stones back at the stairs, another giant rock-on-rock installation assumes focus. Behind which is also an alternate way to the second entry to the restaurant. Truly clandestine, I’d say. The restaurant was originally a bareshell without any access to sunlight. The duo informs, “Architecturally, the site was a rectangle with low-ceiling height and a single glass facade that looked into an adjacent residential building. We took this up as a challenge and chose to use the existing dark atmosphere in our favour instead of competing with it.”

They tactfully mixed real stones and fibreglass ‘look-alike’ stones to transpire a sense of realism to the surfaces while lending this melange with reflective brass and glass blocks stamped on the walls. The result? Industrial meets glamour offset with mellow, warm light installations dotted throughout. 

Between this rhythmic dance between the polished textures and lustrous accents, the restaurant emerges as a single entity with a spread of intimate seatings and lounge sofas contouring the main bar island, where occasional flares of fire in goblets grasp attention.

All vegetarian and cocktail theatrics 

Perry Road. Movie Time. Tokyo Highball. Penicillin Smash. No one cocktail at the all-vegetarian restaurant Charlee is named ordinarily. As intriguing as they sound, the cocktail alchemy here pours out in the glasses with a lingering punch to it. And if spicy concoctions is on your wishlist — try the savoury tequila-based Perry Road with bird’s eye chilli, jalapeno, citrus and chilli-coated guava on the side. Room for one more? Go for Cacao Negroni and Root next. 

With an edgy demeanour and experimentally comforting food fare on the table, Charlee imagines a convincing hideaway that unexpectedly rethinks the portrayal of a cavernous canvas set right in the heart of a thrumming cityscape. 

Address: Charlee, First floor, Above Mansionz, Vatsala Niwas, Linking Rd, Santacruz West, Mumbai-400054

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