The newest hotspot in Mumbai's BKC is anything but, Blah!

After spending the majority of the last year and a half being cooped up indoors, it's only understandable that we're all increasingly gravitating towards moving out and trying new places, while of course, maintaining COVID-19 protocols.

More and more restaurants are now turning into spaces that offer alfresco and outdoor seating in order to maintain social distancing. However, when the space is as beautiful and sunlit as Blah! opens up, it hardly feels like you're in a closed-off space. Located in the middle of Mumbai's business district, the city's newest, 'gram-worthy hangout is a colourful contrast to BKC's otherwise grey high rises and office compounds.

Beach vibes, don't mind

With tiled turquoise flooring, warm lights, wicker-inspired furniture and swing sets for seating, Blah! is a trendy new hub, chiefly for youngsters. Walking in, the first thing you notice is the large, lit up, circular wooden restaurant logo. It takes a minute before you start to notice the other design elements that come together to make up this interesting space.

Taking you back in time, the restaurant features a long retro bar that will allow you and your girlfriends to sip on cocktails and just dish it out. The space, at the same time, manages to give a cosy Sunday brunch vibe despite its communal setting to the DJ booth at the front of the restaurant—making it the ultimate weekend spot for evenings and day outings.

Going green within the restaurant, they have mini terrariums hanging from the ceilings that instantly caught our attention. As we understand it, the lights that shine over the suspended plants help with the sprouting of ingredients like basil, rosemary and thyme; which are then freshly plucked and used to flavour a few of the house cocktails.

But first, we brunch

We started our meal with a spread of starters and drinks, the first round of which included a DIY gin platter, the sweet and spicy lotus stem in jungle sauce, a Beijing style crispy lamb with sweet chilli sauce and sesame seeds that's definitely worth a try, and their most popular starter yet, the bruschetta made with artichoke, grilled tomato, pesto sauce and parmesan cheese. One bite and we get the hype around it.

From being able to add edible flowers and fresh herbs to your gin to the soft and easy bruschetta topped with parmesan shavings, it's evident the restaurant team has put in a lot of effort to make sure they're bringing something new and wholesome to the table. As for the quality and palatability of the food, we loved the medley of flavours in the spicy lotus stem jungle sauce and the use of artichoke and pesto sauce in the bruschetta.

For round two, we were served the vegetarian burger with a patty made from mixed vegetables and an onion ring for that extra crunch along with fries. There was also a plate of fish in a butter lemon sauce. We finished off the meal with the French toast and a stack of pink pancakes drizzled with liquid chocolate, maple syrup, blackberries and baby marshmallows.

All things chic

While most people would opt for non-vegetarian offerings when it comes to burgers, what worked best for us here was the vegetarian burger which came with baby onion rings clipped to a mini hanger. One bite in and you could tell that the bread was fresh and for a vegetarian burger, it really exceeded the expectations.

If you ask us what we thought of the food, the menu is a curation of brunch classics, breakfast favourites as well as main course options for people packing larger appetites. Nikita Harisinghani of Chrome Hospitality expressed that the all-day space was created with the vision of having an all-day brunch vibe that would take you away from the everyday hustle of Mumbai.

If you're looking for a fun, casual space to unwind at, Blah! will not disappoint. As for people who are looking for somewhere they'd be able to eat a more filling meal, you'd have to visit the restaurant to find out for yourself.