When we talk about Mumbai, the nightlife and the restaurants are a big part of it. The biggest part of it are the pubs and the bars which are a quick getaway and which also define the ways of the city through them. The dim lights with a signature quirky vibe are the new trends in pubs and bars. However, the first ones to bring this to Mumbai in a truly raw and rustic spirit are the Social’s.
We never knew that bare walls and dimly lit bars would make for such amazing restaurants until I stepped into Social. They have a lot of outlets sprawled across the city and each one them is uniquely designed according to the location. Each one of them have their signature style intact yet every single one is unique in itself. They have the same menu across all the outlets and that one too has a desi touch along with the popular dishes.
We have a lot of favorites here and they make for the best finger food as well as wholesome meals. Jalapeño Cheese Nads and the Double Chilli Cheese Toast are the must haves. The Nads are the cheesiest and the gooeist poppers that we have ever tried. They have a flavor to them which is quite filling and the spicy dip served with it complements it in the most delicious manner.
The Double Chilli Cheese Toast is spicy and cheesy. It is a pretty great start to the meals owing to the spicy flavor and cheesy texture. The Crispy Corn Chakna is another delicious finger food and it is one of the best dishes to pair with the drinks. It is battered well and fried to a crisp which gives it just the right amount of crunch and pop.
They make some amazing LIITs in town, both strong and colorful. During the cricket premier leagues, they had a whole array of drinks designed as per the colors of the different teams. They are a delight to be devoured. Besides the LIITs , there are a load of another non-alcoholic ones too. The drinks here are something that this one is extremely famous for. I love the Oreo Mud Pot Shake too. It is creamy, thick and extremely delicious with little crumbs of Oreo and chocolate crumbs. It is thick, smooth as well as extremely soulful.
Another one of the personal favorites is their Paneer Makhani Biryani. The aroma of this Biryani is perfect and it has this spicy and slightly sweet aroma with the hint of cardamom which gives a whole new texture to it. The biryani consists of a tomato based gravy with fried onions and lot of spices. The main element of this dish is the marinated cottage cheese which pairs the best with the rice. They serve it with a side of vegetable raita and fried crispies which make it a wholesome meal in itself.
I have visited almost all the Socials all over the city and it is all about the vibe. The vibe here is such that it allows you to be casual and free. Their ambience and interiors are a very important part of the brand that they have and each new outlet that they open is more impressive than the last one. My personal favorite is the Colaba outlet and it has just the correct lighting and the best of all the Socials. They are not just limited to Mumbai and have restaurants across India and a lot of their outlets can be spotted in backgrounds of movies too.
If you want to catch a glimpse of the youth of India and you are in Mumbai, then Socials will give you just about the right estimate of it. It is the vibe that makes you pull in and the food that make you stay!
The Hungry Duo 