Bandra rarely needs another reason to stay out late, but Powder Room has arrived with a fairly convincing one. New at Mansionz One on Linking Road, it calls itself a dinner and cocktail club. There’s MediterrAsian food by Chef Sahil Singh, cocktails by Anonymous Food Labs, Afro jazz playing through the evening and, unexpectedly, an African strategy game that could win you a shot. There’s quite a bit to unpack.

FIRST, WHAT EXACTLY IS MEDITERRASIAN?

At Powder Room, it means Mediterranean ideas meeting Asian ingredients and techniques, without worrying too much about where one cuisine is supposed to end and another begins. 

Chef Sahil Singh’s menu moves through tapas, crudos, robata, pasta and plancha, and the combinations get interesting quickly. There’s Duck Shawarma Gyoza, where two very different comfort foods find themselves sharing a plate. Truffle Potato Mille Feuille brings a more indulgent turn, while the Powder Bread comes with black truffle and Sichuan pepper mornay. 

It’s the sort of menu where the dishes that sound slightly unexpected are probably the ones to order first.

YOUR USUAL COCKTAIL CAN TAKE THE NIGHT OFF

The bar is worth paying attention to in its own right. Powder Room’s cocktail programme comes from Anonymous Food Labs, the team behind Delhi bars Lair and AaBbCc, and looks across Japan, India, Spain, Turkey and the Philippines for inspiration.

That translates to ingredients including toasted shiitake, clarified tomato, flower pepper mezcal and cacao butter finding their way into the drinks. Nothing wrong with ordering your usual martini.

But perhaps not here.

DINNER COMES WITH A GAME

Here’s where things get a little more interesting. Powder Room has Achi, a traditional African strategy game that guests can play against their server. Win, and there’s a complimentary Zaatar Picante shot involved. 

A little competitive? Sure. But if beating your server at a board game results in tequila, we suddenly understand the appeal.

YOU’LL PROBABLY LOOK UP

The Sub-Saharan references aren’t limited to the music. The interiors draw from African art and craftsmanship through animal prints, Georgia marble, Red Levanto and handmade installations. Then there’s the centrepiece: a flowing chandelier measuring around 12 by 5 feet. It gives the room enough drama without turning dinner into a set piece. Afro jazz does the rest, keeping things looser as the evening moves along.

THIS ISN’T AN EARLY-DINNER PLACE

Powder Room operates across three evening seatings, with the last running from 11:30 PM to 1:30 AM. That tells you quite a lot about what it wants to be.

This isn’t necessarily dinner followed by deciding where to go for drinks. The food, cocktails, music and late seating are designed to keep the entire evening in one room. Which, in Bandra, could save at least one group chat argument.

Powder Room

Mansionz One, Linking Road, Bandra West

Tuesday–Sunday | From 7 PM