Nestled within the lush, historic grounds of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Soraia Bombay is the latest interior design marvel by Gauri Khan, interior designer and actor Shah Rukh Khan’s wife. The Indian–European restaurant, which positions itself as an oasis of slow luxury, offers a sensory journey that blends high-concept architecture with an intimate, nature-inspired atmosphere. Also read | Step inside Nita Ambani’s Arts Café at NMACC, featuring cosy interiors, and discover their 4 ‘best-est’ veg dishes
Content creator Anisha Dixit visited Soraia Bombay to put the designer dining experience to the test, documenting everything from the avant-garde decor to the final bill for a solo vegetarian lunch in an April 12 Instagram video.
The design and decor by Gauri Khan
Gauri Khan’s vision for Soraia centres on quiet refinement. The design transitions seamlessly between a breezy outdoor courtyard and a sophisticated indoor dining room, tied together by a consistent palette of muted golds and earthy tones. The most striking feature is a series of white, sculptural pillars that branch out across the ceiling like abstract trees. This ‘indoor forest’ creates a dramatic canopy over the diners, blurring the lines between the racecourse’s greenery and the interior space.
The furniture leans heavily into layered comfort, featuring velvet upholstery, woven fabrics, and deep-tufted leather sofas. Warmth is provided by oversized woven pendant lamps and a magnificent multi-tiered crystal chandelier that serves as a focal point in the main dining area. On the tables, minimalist brass lamps create islands of warmth for a more intimate feel.
The exterior features a classic Mediterranean-inspired courtyard with monochromatic tiled flooring, white scalloped umbrellas, and a central multi-tiered stone fountain. A glass-enclosed conservatory section allows guests to enjoy the racecourse’s natural light while remaining in a climate-controlled environment.
The menu: a vegetarian review
In the video she posted, Anisha Dixit sampled four of the restaurant’s signature vegetarian dishes and one mocktail. The content creator highlighted that the vegetarian selection at Soraia Bombay is as much a theatrical performance as it is a meal, with many dishes featuring immersive tableside service.
Highlights from the review comprised ‘Alexia No. 3′, a refreshing mocktail of sober gin and celery that only faltered with an unusual parmesan crisp garnish, as per Anisha, and the ‘Shisho Chaat’, which reimagined street food staples through a royal presentation.
For the main course, the ‘Fungi White Pide’ stood out for its unique serving style — Anisha uses scissors to cut the boat-shaped mushroom pizza — while the ‘Spicy Merry Spaghetti’ offered an intense heat that is balanced only by a creamy crown of burrata. The culinary experience reached its peak with ‘Cocoa and Sin’, a dark chocolate mousse finished with a flourish of frozen rose petals crumbled over the dish like edible confetti.
The total cost for ‘vegetarian lunch’
The final tab: for a total of five items (four dishes and one mocktail), Anisha’s bill came to ₹5,180. This brings the average cost per item to approximately ₹1,036, positioning Soraia Bombay firmly in the upscale fine-casual bracket of Mumbai’s competitive culinary scene.
Anisha noted that the luxury experience at Mahalaxmi comes with a premium price point reflecting its location and celebrity pedigree, and said, “When Gauri Khan designs a place, you already know the bill won’t be basic.”
So, for those seeking slow luxury and a chance to dine within a Gauri Khan-designed masterpiece, Soraia Bombay delivers a theatrical, albeit expensive, afternoon.
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