BLACKBOOK Inside the
BLACKBOOK Inside the Sabyasachi boutique THE NEIGHBOURHOOD MUMBAI’S KALA GHODA In the southern reaches of India’s City of Dreams, a newly on-trend district beckons Until recently, the heritage district of Kala Ghoda, in Mumbai’s Fort neighbourhood, was the sleepy refuge of writers and publishers lunching at budget Parsi inns. Today, how ever, a cosmopolitan crowd of fashion-conscious gallerists and musicians sits among them, sipping ethically traded espresso. ART Chemould Prescott Road The 1963 opening marks it as one of Mumbai’s oldest galleries, but with a new space and a roster of headlinemaking contemporary artists, it still feels fresh. gallerychemould.com National Gallery of Modern Art NGMA’s Eclectic T-shirts on offer at design shop Filter incisive program of modern Indian art may well be, as one renowned Indian curator conceded, the best in the country. ngmaindia.gov.in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) The real treasure of the former Prince of Wales museum’s vast collection is a trove of miniature paintings depicting gracious gardens, bathing beauties and the mischievous young gods who steal their clothes. csmvs.in CULTURE David Sassoon Library and Reading Room The Neo-Gothic library would feel like Cambridge, England, if not for the tiled terrace and wicker deck chairs overlooking city traffic. davidsassoonlibrary.com CHECKING IN HOTEL WITH A HEART: ABODE The Rhythm House Now one of the last remaining music stores in Mumbai, it continues blithely selling CDs and DVDs from behind its iconic façade as though the digital revolution had never happened. rhythmhouse.in Welcoming atmosphere at The Pantry DINING The Pantry The Western-style café opened last year, and it’s the kind of elegant, light-filled eatery whose clientele wears Céline pumps even during monsoon. Military Square Lane; +91 22 2267 8901 Trishna In the tradition of Mumbaikar seafood, Trishna has been turning out fresh, flawlessly browned squid, tiger prawns and garlicky king crab for more than 20 years. Sai Baba Marg; +91 22 2270 3213 SHOPPING Sabyasachi Above the Kolkata designer’s Mumbai outpost is a store devoted to his more avant-garde line, for which traditional techniques are applied to swinging cocktail dresses and luxuriantly embellished jackets. sabyasachi.com Filter The narrow design shop curates a cultural amalgam that includes limited-edition photographs and objects; chic magazines; and Yoko Ono’s 1964 concept book, Grapefruit. filtershop.in ♦ Embracing the spirit of the city like no other hotel, the intimate 20-key property, located in historic Colaba, offers low-key luxe, personal service and hip interiors – all with a mindful sense of place. Designer Sian Pascale and British co-founder Lizzie Chapman (both ardent “Bombayophiles”) have referenced Mumbai’s heritage with handmade Parsi floor tiles, vintage railway station clocks, colonial-style Victorian baths and restored Art Deco and mid-century modern furniture. But Abode’s connections with Mumbai run deeper than aesthetic. Staff members relish opening their contacts books to show guests a secret side to the city, and services aim to “give back”: Abode’s taxi drivers are single mothers, and masseurs are hired from the local school for the blind. It’s the perfect karmic counterbalance to a retail splurge at Electric Bombay, or haute dining at hot spot The Table, just a stone’s throw away. abodeboutiquehotels.com STEPHANIE RAFANELLI CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: © SABYASACHI MUKHERJEE, © THE PANTRY, © ABODE, © FILTER 28 departures-international.com CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
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