Shikara Restaurant in Sanpada stands true to its name. When I first heard that the restaurant has some houseboat theme, I wondered if the ambience was really interesting. And my first visit to Shikara was truly amazing.
Yes, you guessed it right - the seating arrangement is on houseboat structures created over a manmade pool. So you actually get the feeling that you are dining on a houseboat. If there are two or four of you, you can easily occupy tables on the ‘houseboat’. If there are more of you, the restaurant staff is generous enough to arrange the tables to accommodate the gang. Traditional baithak arrangements and the regular sofa and chair arrangements are also available.
And then there are these ducks, fountains and beautiful fish tanks. A bar and a barbeque area on one side add to the ambience.
There’s live ghazal performance too and the singer and musicians are really good performers. You can even request a song. Though I think there's some issue with their sound system. Also, for some reason our song request was never entertained.
The cuisine that includes Kashmiri, Indian and Chinese specialties is just perfect. Starters are great and the quantity is more than enough. There’s a wide array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to choose from. Trust me on Blue Lagoon and Jeera Nimbu Paani.
Sometimes the waiting time before the food reaches your table could be a bit long, but it’s worth the wait.
The washrooms, separate for ladies and gentlemen, are very clean too.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Address: SHIKARA RESTAURANT, Hotel Highway View, Plot No. 3, Opposite Sanpada Railway Station, Mumbai-Pune Road, 91-22-27832196/97 - INDIA
