Franco-American cuisine comes to Mumbai with SoBo 20's bold debut

The Hindu

01-07-2025

Introducing Mumbai's seasoned, cosmopolitan palate to a new cuisine is no easy feat, but that is precisely what SoBo 20 sets out to do — offering the city its first taste of Franco-American fare. Marrying refined French technique with the heartiness of Southern American soul food, the Dubai-based Atelier House Hospitality (also behind INJA in Delhi) describes the venture as 'a thoughtful dialogue between two distinct culinary languages.'
This is not a gimmicky fusion. As executive chef Sudeep Kashikar explains, 'There are plenty of Italian and European restaurants in the city, but nobody has really explored Franco-American cuisine. That's why we thought it was time.'
Chic interiors
Named after South Mumbai's pin code, SoBo 20 greets diners with a playful mascot — a pelican (Louisiana's state bird) in a beret — hinting at the restaurant's whimsical blend of French Art Deco and Southern American charm. Designed by Essajees Atelier, the space is stylish yet inviting: a marble-topped table adorned with fresh florals subtly divides the restaurant into a sleek bar and a warm, rust-toned dining room. White brick walls, leather chairs, and a deep green ceiling create a cosy, layered aesthetic, while brass saxophones and trumpets mounted on wood panelling evoke the spirit of New Orleans jazz clubs. On one side, large French windows flood the space with natural light; lush planters lend a soft green contrast. A discreet six-seater private dining room is nestled near the bar for more intimate gatherings.
Fusion with a difference
'You wouldn't have tasted some of these dishes before,' says Panchali Mahendra, CEO of Atelier House Hospitality, and she is right. At SoBo 20, executive chef Sudeep introduces Mumbai to a bold new repertoire, drawing from Creole-Cajun traditions born in Louisiana — a melting pot of French, Native American, West African and Caribbean influences. In his hands, each dish is a thoughtful reinterpretation.
The menu is cleverly structured, beginning with bar bites cheekily listed under 'Before the Ice Melts', followed by small plates, large plates, pizzas, and of course, desserts.
All the breads are baked in-house, whether it is the crisp, wafer-thin pizzas, the warm, comforting cornbread, or the signature SoBo Bread.
Though I rarely rave about salads, the Verte Salad was a standout, featuring classic French components like spinach, citrus jelly, candied walnuts, pine nuts, and a halo of fresh pea shoots. Given the number of vegetarians in South Mumbai, the menu offers plenty of thoughtful plant-forward options.
Seafood lovers are in for a treat, with dishes spotlighting clams, prawns, tuna, salmon, sea bass, lobster, crab, even caviar. The chicken pillar, topped with glistening pearls of caviar over a velvety beurre blanc, is a surprising combination, but it works.
Inventive touches abound. The Oyster Rockefeller swaps oysters for clams, baked with parmesan, panko, brown butter and chives — a deeply satisfying bite. The B&P Skewers are another standout: pork belly slow-cooked for eight hours, layered with spiced buff, grilled over a robata, and plated with avocado cream and chives.
Other highlights include the indulgent lobster gumbo fried rice, the fried chicken burger, and a vibrant ratatouille that holds its own amid the meatier fare.
Cocktail sips
Curated by mixologist Supradeep Dey, the cocktail menu offers a clever fusion of classics drawn from both cultures. Each of the six signature cocktails is a thoughtful hybrid. Take the Sidecar Smoke, a bold whisky-forward concoction blending the Old Fashioned and Sidecar, theatrically poured tableside over a cloud of corn air. Brass & Bitters marries the Whiskey Sour and Boulevardier, served in a playful retro red glass, with bourbon at its heart.
There is also a section dedicated to 'forgotten classics' such as the English Rose, Mamie Taylor, and Limoncello Sparkle —drinks you are unlikely to encounter elsewhere in Mumbai. The Vesper Martini, meanwhile, packs a proper punch — just as it should. One cocktail that missed the mark was the Royal Sazerac, a hybrid of the classic Sazerac and Kir Royale. Made with rye whiskey, sparkling wine, and bitters, it is topped with a thick blackcurrant foam that overpowers the drink. The texture made it difficult to sip, and the balance felt slightly off.
Dessert
With desserts as inventive as the rest of the menu, some making their city debut, the evening at SoBo 20 ends on a high note. Take the burrata ice cream, for instance, which chef Sudeep describes as 'a salad in the form of an ice cream.' Made with eggless burrata cheese, it is finished with a vinaigrette of orange blossom water, honey, extra virgin olive oil, and toasted almonds. Then there is the crème brûlée-filled ginger beignet, topped with Ossetra caviar — a one-bite marvel designed to be popped like pani puri, complex and indulgent.
It is rare to step into a restaurant and taste something genuinely original. But SoBo 20 takes that leap, and in a city hungry for fresh, aspirational experiences, it is poised to strike a chord.
A meal for two costs ₹7000 with alcohol; timings noon to 3.30pm and 7pm to 11.30pm