Sorena

Bang on Linking Road, inside Mansionz One – a building that already houses six eateries, including the newly opened CinCin one floor up – is Sorena, the latest restaurant to stake a claim.

Through the opulent entrance: a grand ceiling, a mirror-decked wall, shimmery drapes shielding the view outside. A swift left turn brings you face to face with the island bar, Atlas, and the statement chandelier hanging above it, artisanal glass and metal fragments studded with curios from different cities. That's the concept driving the whole restaurant: New York, Sicily, Mumbai, Tokyo and Istanbul under one roof.

Next to the bar is the grand, curved staircase already doing the rounds on social media. It's beautiful to look at, but with enough patrons on it, it’s worth a little caution if you're climbing it in heels. KNS Architects designed the interiors in earthy, neutral tones with the occasional pop of colour. Spread across 11,000 sq ft on two floors, the 220-seat restaurant has mixed seating throughout, two regular PDRs, one VIP PDR, and that island bar anchoring the room. Abstract lighting fixtures run through the space, giving it most of its character.

The food

Chef Sachin Kadam's menu is compact by design. Though it nods to five cities, the focus stays on flavour rather than strict culinary geography – hence city abbreviations sitting next to dishes that don't quite match, like 'MUM' beside jhol momo or mutton rezala. 

The Sorena platter, four dips with a mix of crisps, khakra, pretzel crisps, breadsticks, pita, buns and lavash, is built for sharing, but doesn't quite land. The jhol momo and avocado prawns fare better: the jhol is soupy and hearty, the momos thick-skinned like ones from remote hill villages, and the prawns come with good guac and well-smoked, tandoori-charred flavour.

The mains leave the strongest impression. The mutton rezala comes close to Kolkata's Sabir Hotel, the meat falling off the bone easily, and the khamiri naan is pillowy with echoes of its North Indian roots. The dan dan noodles, tossed tableside, are comforting rather than fiery. A gentler take on Sichuan than the name suggests.

The drinks

The cocktail programme, by Dimi Lezinska, runs on the question ‘who are you tonight?’ – pick a persona (smooth operator, sharp whisperer, moonlighter, twisted sinner, city charmer, sober cat) and get a corresponding drink, spanning reimagined classics, highballs, low-ABV, zero-proof and spirit-forward options. False promises and Between Us were both well-layered with the right amount of crispness. Guilty Until Proven Innocent, their espresso martini riff, plays firmly as a dessert cocktail. The bar shelves are worth a look too, stocked with a solid spirits collection.

Sorena draws a Bandra crowd that skews towards a party. As the night wears on, the room shifts into a high-energy bar – just one where you're seated. With a menu this compact, not every dish is going to land, and that holds true here. But the bar programme, the location and that Bandra skyline more than make up the difference.

Bandra remains the address restaurateurs chase, rents notwithstanding, and Sorena is Sumit Govind Sharma's entry into it.

Time Out tip: Go at golden hour to catch the sunset from the high windows as the Bandra skyline lights up.