Mumbai restaurant: Napoli by Shatranj reopens its doors after eight years

The wine cellar at the lounge area of Napoli by Shatranj, Mumbai. (Credit: All photos by Kashvi Gidwani)

Small tea lights guide us through the side entrance leading up a flight of stairs to Napoli by Shatranj in Bandra. Inside, the warm glow from flickering candles continues to surround us from different nooks and corners of the Italian restaurant which re-opened after a gap of eight years. A fusion of modern aesthetics and cooking techniques with a nod to their glorious past, the classy restobar wants to appeal to the youth as well as attract the older generation who has seen the glory days of the popular Italian restaurant when it ran for almost 25 years.

Backlit tree installation creates a warm vibe at Napoli by Shatranj, Mumbai. (Photo: Kashvi Gidwani)

A backlit tree installation in a corner catches our eye as do the carved red bricks that create an interesting play of texture. Upon entering we had been taken in by the rustic hanging light made with bulbs and twigs with the suspended metal rack bar display right behind it. A display of the wide range of premium wines on the left of the entrance and a lit display of select wines next to the metal and fluted glass door is another décor feature by interior designer Minnie Bhatt. The 54-cover dining area can accommodate another 25 in the lounge section which is on the other side of the bar. The minimalist setting puts one in the right mood for the culinary session to begin.

Before we get on to the food, mixologist Garry nudges us to try The Po, an umami and creamy concoction of rum infused with cardamom and coconut cream. It comes with a tiny pineapple sprinkled with spices, which he encourages us to bite into before sipping the drink. The easy and mild drink is an absolute winner on the palate and we are sold.

The Po. (Photo: Kashvi Gidwani)

Herb crusted chicken. (Photo: Kashvi Gidwani)

The Truffle Potato Flat Bread with thinly sliced potatoes and cheese sauce comes piping hot and crispy to the table and is devoured pretty quickly. The other two standout dishes of the meal include an Herb Crusted Chicken with boneless wings garnished with a spicy mayo and the Chicken Caesar Salad which Consultant Chef Sanjay Kotian has reimagined with rolled chicken slices full of microgreens and caesar cream and Parmesan crisps.

Chicken caesar salad. (Photo: Kashvi Gidwani)

The restaurant’s menu is skewed now in favour of cleaner plating and cooking techniques such as sous vide to infuse more flavour into the food and create healthier dishes. There are also a few dishes which are Shatranj Classics from the original menu. The idea behind them, explains Gautam Mansinghani, business development consultant, is to appeal to the generation which used to frequent the restaurant before it shut down. Our Prawn Paprika — from the said section — with sautéed vegetables, herb rice and pan-seared prawns is slightly heavy on the paprika sauce and although it has the touch of nostalgia, we are not so impressed by the flavours.

Churros Spirale. (Photo: Kashvi Gidwani)

We try one more drink, the slightly savoury Formaggio Pepe with gin and fat washed parmesan and olive before getting on to the desserts. The Churros Spirale with a doughnut-shaped churro, chocolate ice cream and chocolate soil with its different textures works better for us than the Caramel Apple which leans towards the sweeter side with its caramel poached apple, walnut soil and hazelnut ice cream.