Karan Johar enters into restaurant biz; opens Neuma in partnership with owners of One8 commune

The contemporary, modern European restaurant Neuma is now open at Colaba Mumbai.

Co-founded by Indian filmmaker Karan Johar, Bunty Sajdeh (CEO, Cornerstone Sport and Dharma Cornerstone Agency) and True Palate Café Pvt. Ltd., it is located in the iconic, restored colonial-era bungalow on Mandlik Road in Colaba that once housed Indigo.

Neuma is poised to bring stylish yet relaxed fine dining back to one of South Mumbai’s most coveted locations. 

Neuma is Karan Johar’s first restaurant venture, marking his foray into the hospitality space.

Pronounced ‘Noo-Maa,’ Neuma means the vital spirit that exists within each of us and connects us all, transporting one to a different time and space. This is especially prevalent in the restaurant’s design – conceptualized and created by Ashiesh Shah, Neuma serves as an architecturally-prominent landmark, presented in a new avatar.

The restaurant is divided up into separate, distinct spaces, each with a unique character of its own that is guaranteed to draw guests’ attention. Maximizing the available outdoor area, Shah recreates the architectural language around the existing greenery, retaining the hues of white, detailed carvings and stone pebbles. As guests arrive, they enter into the Garden Café, an outdoor area featuring a coffee bar and communal seating under the shade of a mango tree. Continuing on, guests will step into an oakwood sun porch area with a large skylight that provides a glorious tree view and admits an abundance of natural light, immediately creating a feeling of warmth and expanse. This leads to a Courtyard, complete with black and white old-world cement tiles, ceiling-high potted plants and detailed, moulded panels on either side, resulting in a breezy, laid-back vibe. Another outdoor area, The Safari, will instantly transport guests to the glamour of a safari odyssey.

Back indoors, the striking bar, aptly named the Rose Bar, is a sultry, sexy space realized in hues of red and characterized by a sculptural light fixture inspired by Anish Kapoor. It is reminiscent of a Moulin Rouge-esque boudoir, with its wood cladding, low-slung, velvet seating, fringed cushions and chandeliers that add a dramatic flair. Shah has selected real books that add to the décor in the space, in a case under the main bar, complete with red roses, that are also grown in planters outside the bar windows. 

Guests can opt to dine in the white-hued, Danish-chic dining room, The Blanc, to the right of the Courtyard, which features more intimate seating and a whimsical vibe. The room is dotted with artefacts nestled in wall shelving designed to showcase them, and also in glass cases, just like one would see in a serious collector’s home. This space leads to the private dining area, also known as Verde, which features sage green chairs and curtains which separate it from The Blanc. The walls display braided ropes designed to imitate a woman’s corset ties and the Atelier’s signature Guccha light serves as the highlight of the space. 

The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Abhinav Sharma, who is also the Corporate Chef de Cuisine for one8 Commune. The Neuma menu is a take on traditional European cuisine with modern plating and features produce-driven dishes designed to connect with the diner’s soul (as ‘Neuma’ the name suggests). A highlight is the vegan menu, created by renowned Chef Rishim Sachdeva, who was previously the Executive Chef at Olive Bar & Kitchen before moving to London to launch Tendril, a mostly-vegan kitchen. His consulting chef role at Neuma marks his return to the culinary landscape of Mumbai. 

Neuma’s bar menu has been developed by Countertop India, one of India’s best-known bar and beverage companies, owned by Arijit Bose, with Zac Abbott consulting.

Owned by True Palate Café Pvt. Ltd. that operate restaurant like One8 commune which is an everyday bar, co-owned by Indian Cricketer, Virat Kohli. It currently has presence in 4 cities and by the end of 2023, it aims at having 20 outposts pan-India. Expansion plans in the UK and Canada are also on the horizon. True Palate’s upcoming brand, Pincode, a regional Indian restaurant that is in equity partnership with renowned chef Kunal Kapur, is also opening its first flagship outpost in Dubai this year.