12 July,2026 11:59 AM IST | Mumbai | Nasrin Modak Siddiqi
Sicilian Carrot Agrodolce a with Toasted Pistachio
Torrential rains couldn't dampen our spirits. After 27 rounds of "Who's coming?", "Should we meet elsewhere?", and "Running 20 minutes late", our girls' night finally happened. We squeezed into an elevator that seemed determined to collect every hungry Bandra resident on its way up, and stopped at every floor like a Western Railway local during peak hour.
Sorena, a new duplex restaurant and bar at Mansionz One on Linking Road, was packed on a Friday evening. A dramatic chandelier of red rope, glass and collected artefacts cascades through its double-height ceiling, a striking island bar anchors the room. There's a floor-to-ceiling memory wall and multiple dining spaces, including a VIP room creates distinct moods. Inspired by the spirit of New York, Sicily, Mumbai, Tokyo, and Istanbul, Sorena feels grand without being intimidating.
Safe card
Their cocktail programme, curated by Dimi Lezinska, draws inspiration from the personalities and cultures of those cities. Our round included Still Dancing (Rs 695), a fruity mocktail with pomegranate, molasses, condensed coconut milk; Pleads the Fifth (Rs 695), with pineapple, jalapeño, coriander, agave and soda had a pleasant spicy kick; Safe Card (Rs 695) was a bittersweet, citrus-forward mix of watermelon, grapefruit, kaffir lime syrup, kaffir leaves, fresh lime and grapefruit soda; Dirty Affair (Rs 1150), a bold cocktail layering Perry Road Peru Gin, Stranger & Sons, Fino Sherry, Campari and an unexpected touch of jackfruit pickle; and a glass of Man Family Bosstok Pinotage (Rs 1320), a South African red with generous dark berry notes, subtle spice and soft tannins.
Broccoli karaage
From the menu led by Chef Sachin Kadam, our meal began with the Sorena Platter (Rs 725), which unfortunately fell flat. While the presentation impressed, the dips tasted as if they had come straight from packaged bottles. Things picked up with the Sicilian Carrot Agrodolce Burrata with Toasted Pistachio (Rs 550), where silky carrot mousse, creamy marinated burrata, and heirloom tomatoes came together beautifully, finished with toasted pistachios for crunch. The Broccoli Karaage (Rs 525) from Tokyo delivered crisp, umami-packed bites. Then there was Chicken Jhol Momo (Rs 585) from Mumbai (not sure if we can say that) that stood out for its juicy dumplings and fragrant broth. The Avocado Prawns (Rs 725) of New York; (again, that's not where the dish is from) were fresh and light.
Among the sushi, the Spicy Corn Uramaki Roll (Rs 895) was a pleasing vegetarian option and the Spicy Shrimp Roll (Rs 975) with plump shrimp, seasoned rice, and a fiery spicy sauce had a balanced bite. Dessert ended the meal on a high with Turkish Coffee Hazelnut Delight (Rs 750) and the Pistachio Torte with Lemongrass Ice Cream (Rs 750) had balanced flavours. At some point, we gave up on the city-and-food pairing on the menu because some of it felt gimmicky.
Sorena is by Monarch Liberty Hospitality, whose journey into F&B began around four years ago with EVE, the company has since become known for its large-format restaurants like EVE, TAT, and Que Sera Sera. This one, at 11,000 sq ft, is their most ambitious project to date.
Founder-director Sumit Sharma tells us, "We fell in love with the space the first time we saw it and knew we had to do something special. The building houses nine restaurants, which gave us confidence that it will be a strong dining destination. Bandra was always on our wishlist, but we didn't want another multi-cuisine restaurant. The idea was to curate dishes inspired by iconic culinary destinations while giving the restaurant its own distinct identity.
The architecture also shaped the concept. The soaring ceiling demanded a dramatic chandelier, the spiral staircase naturally became a focal point, and gradually every design element fell into place. We started brainstorming with 10 to 12 cities known for their food cultures, but that would be an operational nightmare." They narrowed the list to five cities that people already associate with memorable food experiences that and fallen in love with.
