When in Doubt,Head South

The last decade or so has seen many changes in what used to be the country’s biggest and most favoured metropolis. Severe communal riots and regional politics have cost the city deeply. It is no more one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and its infrastructure is death-defying. Moreover,unimaginable growth and unreal real estate prices have shifted action to the up-and-coming suburbs. Soon enough,if anything was ‘happening’ in Mumbai,it was happening in the suburbs. Bandra,still cosmopolitan and hip,is called the Queen of them all and Santacruz’s many five-star hotels broke the syndicate held by the Taj and the Oberoi.

Swiss brand Bally and Salvatore Ferragamo opened at The Grand Hyatt,and Versace at the JW Marriott,much before Galleria brought them to the Oberoi (now called Trident). Bally then moved to New Delhi. Louis Vuitton held fort at The Taj Mahal hotel,followed by Moschino,Christian Dior and Ermenegildo Zegna.

But lately,South Mumbai has so much more to offer. The Oberoi has its share of luxe labels (Gucci,Bottega Veneta,Jimmy Choo,Tod’s,Ferragamo) and the Taj has its roster almost full. Tarun and Tina Tahiliani’s Ensemble still stands as the numero uno destination for Indian fashion designers across the Lion Gate docks. Only recently,Sabyasachi has opened a beautiful

stand-alone space across the Jewish synagogue,a hop-skip away from Ensemble. In so many ways it’s an ode to Chor Bazaar,the city’s former thieves’ market which turned into a treasure trove of faux antiques.

Just behind the Taj hotel,stands Bombay Electric,dubbed by international magazines as India’s most cutting-edge designer boutique. The International Herald Tribune calls it “the incarnation of the new Indian cool”,while The New York Times says it’s “Mumbai’s answer to Barney’s New York”. Next door is Good Earth,the country’s proudest lifestyle that can compare with Wedgwood,and often beat it with their styles.

Cross the road to Divya Thakur’s new art space,a chic-ey mickey gallery-cum-retail space for her graphic goodies. Walk down the charmingly christened Merry Weather Road for Arjun Khanna’s retro-fantasy fashion store that stands proudly in the same building as Bungalow 8,another high-on-style space for eclectic homeware and fashion. Nearby is Kavita Bhartia’s Ogaan that has traditional Indian fashion as well as avant-garde ensembles in equal measures,with designers such as Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna and Pia Pauro selling here.

The Colaba-Fort area also has a rush of art galleries: Chatterjee & Lal,Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke,Gallery BMB,Sakshi,Sree Goswami’s Project 88 and Arshiya Lokhandwala’s Lakeeren,among others.

The restaurant scene is incomparably chichi. Three delicatessens stand cheek-by-jowl near the Gateway of India; old favourite Indigo Deli,Moshe’s and the new Le Pain Quotidien. The newest restaurants in the hood are The Table and Farrokh Khambata’s Amadeus,both spectacular and highly acclaimed for their wine lists and tapas.

Come on over,South Mumbai is hip again. You will want to stay a while.

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