Make Way For Mumbai’s First Fleet Of Floating Restaurants!

They say that in a city like Mumbai, where everything changes, the sea is the only constant. The sea is the DNA of Mumbai and while we have Marine Drive to gaze at the Arabian Sea, the magnificent Sea Link to drive over it, and even a gorgeous floating hotel (AB Celestial), we, unfortunately, do not have a very vibrant or developed seafront area. But that’s about to change.

Mumbai and its spectacular sea face have always been a muse for Delhi-based businesswoman, Shripriya Dalmia Thirani. So, when the Mumbai Port Trust decided to open up Mumbai’s eastern seafront Thirani grabbed the opportunity, made a brilliant proposal, and won the bid. She is now all set to open a series of Mumbai’s first ever ‘floating restaurants’ atop the sea.

Her boats will feature multiple restaurants on deck, each with a different ambiance, oscillating from simple to extravagant, and interiors ranging from pop to formal. Thirani intends to make the ships a one-stop-place for everything spectacularly creative – from food to art to culture. However, Thirani’s pièce de résistance will be her diverse cuisine offerings, a fusion of Indian and international creations. “The chefs will have to be the Gods of the kitchen,” says Thirani, who is currently sifting through 35 of the world’s biggest names in the business of food and flavour.

Thirani’s uncurbed passion for the sea has inspired her foray into the restaurant business. She strongly feels that Mumbai has been ready for an open sea face for quite some time now; with such an expansive coastline coupled with an impressive cityscape, it is her opinion that Mumbai is in a position to give a lot of global sea side cities a run for its money. “Dining on the water will then become a must do for everyone just like it is for tourists who go to Monte Carlo or the French Riviera,” she says.

The opportunity to both open the eastern sea front and develop it with floating restaurants can be traced to Minister Nitin Gadkari. His idea appears to have been readily endorsed, as many eagerly await the chance to turn the now open canvas of the eastern sea front into a masterpiece. Chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust, Sanjay Bhatia commented, “It will give a brand-new experience to Mumbai just like we have in the Western sea side cities. The floating restaurant is part of our larger plan to open up the seafront and have international cruises and a marina.”

Tourists and locals alike will be able to experience the beauty of Mumbai’s sensational skyline from her ships in Chowpatty and Gateway Of India, early 2018 onwards, and will also be able to cruise, once the ships are ready. Diners will be taken on small boats giving them a real feel of sailing on the sea. Although the ships do not have lodging facilities they will be able to function round the clock, if permission is granted.

Thirani’s boats will be going through stringent environmental tests and pollution checks to ensure that no detriment occurs to the marine life. Moreover, a high level of onboard security will be provided for all passengers. “Most parts of the sea and the area around the Gateway of India are secured by the CISF. We also receive help to secure the waters from the Mumbai Police marine branch. We will take care of the security on the water,” Bhatia adds.

Save yourself for a night on the sea, the ships hit the water early next year.

Feature Image Source: d3r.com