06 October,2026 09:17 AM IST | Mumbai | Phorum Pandya
Blood Orange Negroni Sorbet
We first met chef Manuel Olveira in 2012, when he was chef de cuisine with Spanish chef Sergi Arola who opened Arola at JW Marriott Juhu. The then 26-year-old sprinted across the kitchen to set up dishes for a shoot. There was a calm spark in his eyes as he worked the pass.
In the 15 years since, Olveira has established himself as a chef to reckon with: He launched the 24-seater La Loca Maria in 2019; expanded it to an 80-seater in 2022, and launched the 100-seater La Panthera in BKC.
Charred Octopus
Last month, he opened the second outlet La Panthera, with a modern European menu in the Eros building in Churchgate. The space has the old Bombay charm, terrazzo tiles, a dramatic open kitchen with a golden baking kiln, and a picturesque al fresco that opens at 5.30 pm, when it is aperitivo-clock.
Sake-tini
"Work brought me to Mumbai from Toledo in Spain at an age when I was professionally and personally still evolving. Most of my adult life has been in India. The city has a pull on me," the 41-year-old tells us. It introduced the Spaniard to its quirks. "In the beginning, I was most surprised at how everyone was always smiling at you. Now, it has become my reflex reaction too," admits Olveira.
Apart from his chef calling, he also found love. "Mickee Tuljapurkar and I met after Vicky Ratnani's book launch at a bar," reveals Olveira. He discovered the city on museum dates and classical concerts. Home is Bandra, and Olveira loves that everyone knows everyone. "You can walk almost everywhere. All the over-hyped coffee spots are my favourites" he laughs.
Aperitivos in Spain come with a round of pintxos and tapas. "Tapas are a little bigger. Pintxos are just like small tikkas," he informs. The Patata Bravas (R350) have come of age. They are crispy petals, with a brava sauce made from onion, garlic and paprika, and garlic aioli. We revived our time in Salamanca, and all the jamon (Spanish dry-cured ham) we wolfed down with the Iberico Jamon Croquetas with salmoreta, a sun-dried bell pepper dip.
Chef Manuel Olveira at Dadar Flower Market. "In my early days, the team would introduce me to local produce because I wasn't aware of what was available across the city's markets. I remember visiting them to see for myself. The colours and scents of the flowers at Dadar market are my early memories of Mumbai," says Olveira
The Cucumber Martini has a hint of tarty green apple and dry vermouth and strength to slip into its cocktail-o-clock. The Sake-tini (Rs 1050) with a touch of butty hazelnut and sweeter bianco vermouth and earthy sake is suitable to sip on, and to clear the palate in between courses.
The Bloody Mary Ceviche (Rs 890) has sea bass, lime leche tigre and a Bloody Mary granita. Here, we witness the chef's trajectory of how opposing flavours play on the palate with equal measure. The taste surprises continue in Truffled Brie Agnolotti (Rs 1190), which has the charred eggplant, braised cauliflower, pasta stuffed with cheese and finished with hazelnut dukkah and black truffle.
With long hours in the kitchen, Olveira de-stresses with early morning bicycle rides from Bandra to Marine Drive and sometimes, to Lonavala. Pics/Sayyed sameer Abedi
The Scamorza Pizza (Rs 990) has an intense tomato sauce that has stayed in the pan for an extra few minutes to create a deeper umami. The topping of fried garlic slivers have a wafer-thin chippy crunch.
Olveira acknowledges how Mumbai opened his palate. Where Spanish cooking restricts on spices, the city taught him to befriend them. "I was already Spanish-flavoured. I'm now used to cooking with more spices and flavours. At home, my mom doesn't even use pepper," says Olveira.
Olveira at the pass at La Panthera, Churchgate
We savour this in the Charred Octopus (Rs 890) that has been flavoured with a hot Spanish paprika called pimentón. It comes on a bed of smoked muhammara, pesto and small baby potatoes. In Spain, we'd only use the milder paprika," he laughs, adding, "A mix of spices also makes the stomach go bad. Not mine; my gut is Indianised."
For dessert, we opt for Blood Orange Negroni Sorbet (Rs 550). It is everything it promises: Chilled orange sorbet, a shot of negroni drizzle and a charred grapefruit for a tartier bite. Olveira is prepping for a big group. He's cool as a cucumber. "This city has taught me that chaos shouldn't be feared. No matter what, work gets done here," he says, across the pass.
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