Oriental feast

The Li Bai bar and Mekong restaurant, with their undulating seating and deeply soothing tones of copper and mahogany, and its spectacular 37th floor views of central Mumbai, are a relief in a city of lounges and bars primarily mushrooming for the hipster. Their South East Asian influenced cuisine extends to alcohol, some of which comes in mason jars, a fad that’s only just catching on in Mumbai. There is a copious use of cinnamon, star anise, ginger, plum and lemongrass. Libaitinis, the house martinis made of baby chrysanthemum, are fun.

The menu at Mekong is classified into Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai, with food derived from the regions the Mekong river flows into. While the Thai, a limited selection of basic curries, is nothing to write home about, their Vietnamese and Chinese menus are brief, varied and cleverly designed. At Hotel Palladium, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel Tel 02261628001 Cost for two Rs 5, 000