Address: ITC Maratha, Sahar, Andheri (East), Mumbai-400099, Maharashtra.
Contact: +(91) (22) 2830 3030/3131
Price for two: INR 5,000 (approx.) with alcohol
Mumbai is often affectionately called the city that never sleeps. Buzzing with activity at most times of the day, Mumbai’s denizens tend to live their lives in a constant race against time. As India’s commercial capital, the city is home to a multitude of Indian and international businesses and sees its fair share of moneyed entrepreneurs, tourists and traveling executives. So it’s no wonder then that some of India’s best luxury hotels have set up shop here. In the heart of Andheri, a bustling suburb of Mumbai, stands the ITC Grand Maratha, a venerable, 5-Star, luxury business hotel that’s a stone’s throw from the international airport.
Apart from being a magnet for well-heeled business travellers, the hotel features several high-end dining, drinking, and recreation options. At the top of this list is the Bombay High. Named after the oil rigs of Mumbai, this elegant bar offers patrons an enviable collection of spirits including rare whiskies, lavish appetizers, a selection of cigars and live music.
The rare whiskey collection includes a 40 year-old Dalmore, a Balvenie Vintage Cask, the ITC group’s private vintage reserves and much more. Single malts like the Glenmorangie and Talisker, the Japanese Yamazaki, and premium Scotch whiskeys that include popular Irish, American, and Canadian brands, are also available. Non-whiskey drinkers will find themselves spoilt for choice with an array of spirits from around the world including Grappa, Shochu, Sake and several exotic liqueurs and aperitifs. The wine menu is similarly exhaustive, with pages and pages of European classics and a healthy dose of non-European crowd pleasers from Napa Valley, Australia, and South Africa. The skilled Mixologists at Bombay High can also churn out a mean cocktail for guests looking for a little variety.
Patrons can nibble on a pleasing selection of hors d’oeuvres that span from Caribbean jerk chicken to the quintessentially British fish n’ chips to local Mumbai favourite pav bhaji. The ambience is vintage luxe – a large, airy room with commanding views of the Peshwa Pavillion of the hotel. A long 40-foot bar counter runs along one side, and plush couches and colonial-style wooden chairs and tables make this lounge feel like a roomy and luxurious living room.
A popular refrain among long-time city-dwellers is that “Mumbai is a city but Bombay is an emotion”. ‘Bombay’ was officially rechristened to ‘Mumbai’ over twenty years ago but for many, the name ‘Bombay’ evokes a bygone, romanticized past. And Bombay High eleicits that same sentiment by offering a charming getaway for folks looking to unwind and indulge themselves in a little old-school merriment.