The Team Behind Indigo Launches A New Eatery In South Mumbai This Week

We went down to The Clearing House, South Mumbai’s new potential swish spot for dining put together by the team behind Indigo, which is opening its doors to the public on Tuesday.

A 4,000 square foot space in The Calicut Lane at Ballard Estate, the former ice factory has been turned into a high-ceiling, checkered floor extravaganza. Divided into two parts, the area inside has the main bar with beige-coloured circular booths that provide a sense of privacy {which is rare to find}. The outside is bathed in natural light during the day. The smaller bar outside boasts of a glass ceiling which gives way to a view of the chimney.

Nestled in the the city’s shipping and clearing hub, the grey exteriors play the perfect background to the starkly placed letters that spell out the name and big, arched windows bordered with wood. With the advantage of being in a factory, The Clearing House casts a spell with its easy-going {yet quite fancy} vibe coupled with all that space to move around.

Chef Nitin Kulkarni, when asked about the kind of cuisine that we can expect at the eatery, pointed towards the focus on ingredients rather than sticking to a regime. The dishes will be served in small and large plates, allowing the guest to choose from tacos, broths, salads risottos and even Japanese. Ex-Ellipsis pastry chef Husna Jumani has curated the menu according to the mix-n-match philosophy as well with tarts, cookies, flans, panna cotta and ice-creams. Cost for two, we were told, will be around INR 2,500, so it’s advisable to head here at the beginning of the month.

The lane has a dearth of fine dining restaurants and with The Clearing House aiming to fill that void, it seems like the beginning of Ballard Estate’s debut as a party hub.