Is Comorin Mumbai the perfect blend of tradition and innovation?

By Akanksha Dean 

Seven years after first arriving on the scene in Gurugram, Comorin made its way to Mumbai’s Peninsula Corporate Park, Lower Parel. This isn’t just another transplant, it feels like the restaurant always belonged here. The menu is a celebration of India, without the clichés or clumsy gimmicks.

From kalari cheese stuffed into buttery buns to Himachali cha gosht full of rich, earthy depth, every dish feels familiar yet surprising, like bumping into an old friend who’s changed just enough to intrigue you. Even the banana leaf steamed bhetki or the aam kadhi, studded with a cheeky handful of bhakarwadi, toes this delicate line between tradition and reinvention. The man orchestrating all of this is Rohit Khattar, founder chairman of EHV International and Old World Hospitality, also the genius behind brands like Indian Accent, Hosa and more.

If you’ve encountered Khattar at his openings, you’d know, he’s a perfectionist of the warm variety. Everything from the mood lighting to the menu strata gets his relentless attention. For the Mumbai outpost, he’s brought his all stars: brand chef Dhiraj Dargan, head of bars Varun Sharma, and sommelier Kevin Rodrigues. Dargan’s plates, like his demeanour, are precise yet tinged with playful mischief. Sharma, meanwhile, dazzles with sustainable mixology tools (yes, sous vide cocktails exist), while Rodrigues rules the wine game, offering all 54 labels by the glass through Coravin’s wine preservation systems.  

Curves, Cocktails, Conversations 

A curved sanctuary unapologetically carved into a corporate box. The kind of place where you might imagine deals being whispered over Negronis, but also where you could sip a cocktail and momentarily forget that you’re in a glass-and-steel complex. The irony? It thrives on this juxtaposition. Designed by London’s Russell Sage Studio and Gurugram’s Incubus, the space feels endless, despite the Mumbai tight ceiling height. You’re greeted by a massive bar, a statement piece, frankly. A teal stooled theatre of mixology, where the buzz of shaking shakers and clinking glasses sets the tempo for the room. The communal tables, a wood-and-fibreglass ribbon snaking through the space, are a deliberate invitation for chatter. Close enough to overhear your neighbour’s spicy gossip but distant enough to focus on your date’s questionable food choices. For more intimate moments, fluted booths nestle groups of four, while two tops look out over the greened up corporate wilds. By day, natural light kisses the rust tiles and teal upholstery, while in the evening, the glow of Comorin’s iconic globe pendant lamps creates a gilded river of conviviality. But the pièce de résistance? A door at the back, which whisks you into Nilaya Anthology’s Orangery, a dreamy, skylit tropical haven that feels more Geoffrey Bawa than Gurgaon office space chic.  

Where Cocktails Transcend 

For years running, Comorin Gurugram has held the title of India’s Best Restaurant Bar by 30 Best Bars India, and within moments of sipping one of Prateek Sharma’s creations, it’s abundantly clear why. This isn’t just mixology, it’s alchemy. Tequila sous vide infused with fennel and rose transforms into a floral gin-and-tonic doppelgänger. Meanwhile, a Walnut Sour, an ode to Bourbon, stitches walnut, cassia, apricot, and mole bitters together in seamless blend. Even bolder is the Neer More 2.0, a heady, lacto clarified concoction of tequila infused with green chilli, ajwain liqueur, and coriander foam. Imagine chhaas with a wild streak, it’s herbal, vegetal, and downright audacious. And when I tell you that Comorin serves a clarified Espresso Martini on ‘tap’, I’m counting on your jaw hitting the floor. Even the teetotallers are in for a treat, zippy house made sodas (mango and fig, khus and basil), a Bloody Mary reimagined with carrot shrub and beetroot cordial, or the lush Coconut Licuado. There’s precision at every sip, from Rodrigues’ expertly curated wine program to the in-house cordials, infusions, and shrubs.  

Nostalgia, Reinvented Deliciously 

Dining here, stirs up memories, reinvents cravings, and surprises you in all the best ways. Every one of the 46 dishes walks the tightrope between tradition and reinvention, offering familiar flavours with clever, playful twists. Take the Bhakarwadi in Aam Kadhi, a childhood snack reimagined. Here, the crisp spirals float in a tangy sweet kadhi so creamy it feels like velvet on the tongue, studded with tender, dumpling like besan ke gatte that melt in seconds.

Then there’s the Amrud ki Sabzi, where guava, a fruit you never thought could be savoury, gets paired with spinach laced thalipeeth. It’s comforting and completely unexpected at once. Even the Pao Bhaji feels fresh, pillowy caramelized onion mini pavs encircle rich, spiced bhaji in a nod to Mumbai street food with upgraded swagger. Vegetarians will love the Badam Kathal ki Nihari, a dish so bold and silky it might steal the spotlight from its meaty counterpart. But dessert is where Comorin truly dares you to throw caution (and calorie counts) to the wind. The Cheeni Malai Toast, a honeycomb topped, sugar sprinkled cloud of cream, demands to be eaten mid meal. Meanwhile, the Salted Chikki Kulfi, with its Rocher center and Monaco cookie crumble, is nostalgia dressed for the Met Gala. At Comorin, every bite feels ordinary until you taste it, and suddenly, it’s extraordinary. Comorin Mumbai isn’t a debut, it’s a deep exhale into a city perpetually ready to taste something meaningful and fun. 

FACT BOX 

Where: Peninsula Corporate Park, Peninsula Point, At Nilaya Anthology, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Lower Parel West, Mumbai  

Web : https://www.comorin.in/mumbai.php 

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