The thought of walking into a five-star restaurant might make your wallet shudder. That’s exactly what the folks at Restaurant Week plan to change. Mimicking the concept that exists in cities like New York and London, the food fest allows patrons to dine at five-star hotels and posh standalone restaurants for a fraction of what it would normally cost.
“We were planning on making it a yearly affair, but the response we had to our inaugural week last year was overwhelming. That’s why this time we decided to have it in February as well, apart from September,” says Mangal Dalal, a director at Restaurant Week.
“Restaurants are not too crowded around this time of the year and it’s easier for patrons to book tables.”
All of the seven participating restaurants, which include Vetro at the Oberoi, Azok By Vineet at the Oakwood and Olive Bar and Restaurant at Mahalaxmi, will offer three-course fixed price menus with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The price per head is Rs 1,000, though for Rs 2,000 per head, the offering includes foreign wines.
“To keep our patrons interested and help build a loyal support base, we kept the participating restaurants this year completely different from the ones we had last year,” says Dalal, adding, “By next year, we hope to expand the list to at least 15 each time. In New York, all eateries offer a 50 per cent discount during Restaurant Week, we’re hoping to achieve that here too.”
{{/usCountry}}“To keep our patrons interested and help build a loyal support base, we kept the participating restaurants this year completely different from the ones we had last year,” says Dalal, adding, “By next year, we hope to expand the list to at least 15 each time. In New York, all eateries offer a 50 per cent discount during Restaurant Week, we’re hoping to achieve that here too.”
{{/usCountry}}While there is no restriction on the number of people you can book a table for, the organisers encourage smaller groups so that the focus is on the food and dining experience, rather than friendly banter at the table. They estimate to cater to about 2,500 patrons this year.
Ask Dalal which cuisine intrigues Mumbai the most and he responds, “Apart from Asian cuisine, it seems that most people are comfortable with Italian food because it allows plenty of vegetarian options as well.”
You could eat here
* Vetro, The Oberoi, Mumbai
* Olive Bar & Kitchen, Mahalaxmi Racecourse
* Great Wall, The Leela Kempinski
* The Table, Colaba
* Kebab Korner, Intercontinental, Marine Drive
* Azok By Vineet, Oakwood Premier, Juhu
* Stax, Hyatt Regency
To book a table, visit www.restaurant weekindia.com. Check out ttp://www.facebook.com/pages/ Restaurant-Week-India/151890724826600