What you see - Bonobo gets its name from an endangered ape that lives in the heart of the Congo. The theme of this restaurant in Bandra West in Mumbai is therefore, based on the wilderness. Thatched umbrellas, candelabra-style lights and walls stylishly painted with foliage, birds and dragonflies create a jungle like ambiance in the outdoor area. There’s a colourful island bar and a big screen for viewing sports and other entertainment too.

The 2,800 square feet restaurant also has an enclosed air-conditioned bar. In fact, Bonobo boasts of a one-of-its-kind interactive bar, which allows you to craft your own cocktails. The resident mixologist helps you select from a display of exotic ingredients, collection of alcohol, flavors, garnishes and glassware.

What you get - Bonobo serves Indian, Italian, Japanese, Continental and limited Arabic cuisine. The jungle theme extends to the menu which is divided into carnivore and herbivore sections.

In the drinks section, you can choose special martinis like Passion fruit and curry, Apple and date, Pomegranate and mint, Classic cocktails, Smoothies and House specials. We tried the spiced Rum and raisin mojito which is basically a regular mojito made with spiced rum and infused with raisins. We also sampled Midnight breakfast which is a sweet filling drink, made with vanilla vodka, a shot of espresso, chocolate cookie and Irish cream.

In terms of food, we ordered Cumin dusted potato wedges as starters which came with a sour cream dip garnished with cilantro and a Thai sweet chilli dip. That’s a good try as compared to the chilled Balsamic mushrooms which we found a bit sour and too small in terms of portion size.

For the main course do try the Pan seared rawas, which is the house special. It is served with garlic butter and paprika tomato risotto. The Bonobo Chicken served with mashed potatoes is also worth a try for its succulent texture. End your meal with an interesting variety of desserts like Oreo Cookie Mousse Cake and Banana Toffee Pie.

Our verdict - During the week you can enjoy a relaxed dinner at Bonobo. But if you’re looking to party, visit during the weekends. The restobar has a DJ who plays jazz, techno, techno-house and tribal house music. There is a lot of variety for cocktail lovers with classics being served in pitchers for large groups. Also what’s good is that since the dining area is located away from the bar area, you can shift outside when the music gets too loud. On Sundays you can try their brunch buffet with live music and unlimited drinks. Valet parking facility is provided.

What you pay for a meal for two – Rs. 2,400

Anytime between – 12 PM – 4 PM and 7 PM – 1 AM

By Bhakti Pradhan