Tanvi Chakravarty

Back in the 1920s, Mumbai and Art Deco had what you’d call, in today’s terms, a meet-cute. Mumbai was at its grandest then, some would say – a bustling trade centre and an irresistible magnet for expats. As folks flocked to the city, they brought along little bits and bobs of influence from around the world. Art Deco was one of them, and the city's architects fell hook, line, and sinker for it when they began planning more construction. Suddenly, it was everywhere: cinemas, restaurants, and sports clubs began sporting the typical stylised stuff the style is known for – tropical flora, curved balconies, ziggurat towers, lots of geometry. In fact, I don't think too many people know that Mumbai's home to the largest collection of the Art Deco style in India – some say there's at least 200 such buildings. Today's Bombay Deco survives rather well to tell that tale. Lotus flowers and Hindi lettering have replaced some of the French motifs, but most buildings still wear their monsoon-aged zig-zags and candy-coloured geometric patterns with pride, and back in 2018, UNESCO recognised 76 such structures as World Heritage Sites. Being a long-time admirer of the architectural style in my city, I've put together this guide on some of the best Art Deco buildings in Mumbai. 

Pizza By The Bay knows exactly why it’s special: its location. Perched under one of Mumbai’s most famous Art Deco buildings on Queen’s Necklace – the most famous street in town – this pizza joint’s enjoyed icon status among both Mumbaikars and tourists for nearly 60 years.The restaurant’s seen many evolutions, from initially being called Talk of The Town when it first opened in 1968 to being the coolest jazz haunt in town as Jazz By The Bay (straight to the point with that one) to substituting the jazz for pizza.Today, what it’s got on offer is good, cheesy pizzas and pastas, with some local twists, plus classic cocktails served in Art Deco glasses, all overlooking a sea that’s especially beautiful at sunset. The pizzeria’s always the right amount of busy – bustling, but never too full to not get a table after a few minutes of wait. Perfect for a quick, casual dinner where you’re going to get exactly what you expect.  The food’s very good, but nothing that can claim the title of being the very best Italian in town – and there’s nothing wrong with that. The Aglio Olio and Pesto pastas never miss. The Flaming Margherita is a great pizza, topped with basil, tomato and a fiery (literally) layer of vodka if you enjoy a flair for the dramatic. For dessert, there’s no indulgence more nostalgic than a gooey warm chocolate walnut brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.It’s also incidentally a great breakfast spot, being one of the few establishments that’s open at 7am on a Saturday

Founded in 1956 by the same owners of the epic Delhi culinary institution Kwality, you can be assured that Gaylord knows what it’s doing. What initially seems country club meets French brasserie culminates in a decades-old, much loved establishment reminiscent of a European café that you know serves good butter chicken.Once frequented by the likes of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and The Beatles in its heyday, Gaylord’s managed to hang on to the icon status by a grip that you’d by no means call feeble. Newly-renovated, it preserves its old Bollywood glamour, and remains to this day the oddest convergence of all kinds of diners: oldies who’ve had their regular verandah tables since before you were born; families picking up eclairs from the alfresco bakery every Sunday, and young city newcomers marvelling at the live pianist and terrazzo floors. The interior’s very fancy: black and white photographs boasting famous guests enjoying night after night of jazz; red velvet upholstery, rattan chairs. A Bombay of decades past.  The retro theme’s what it built its name on, and so the retro theme is here to stay. You’d be hard pressed to find their classic dish, the Chicken A La Kiev, made so well anywhere else in Mumbai. It’s crispy on the outside and stuffed to the brim with cheese, butter, mushroom, and chicken; cutting it open is a visual wet dream.The caramel custard is the clear winner on the dessert menu – again, one of the very best in the city, and topped off with a maraschino che