Hakkasan

About Hakkasan

Hakkasan brought the London group's dark-glamour Cantonese template to Mumbai in 2011, on the second floor of the Krystal Building on Waterfield Road in Bandra West. The original Hakkasan in London won a Michelin star in 2003, and the Mumbai room runs to the same playbook: blue-lit lattice screens, low lighting, a bar that fills after nine. Head chef Chong Chee Loong, who cooked at Hakkasan London, leads a kitchen of expat Cantonese chefs cooking modern dim sum and wok dishes at a level Mumbai had not seen before it opened.

The Kitchen

Chong Chee Loong started cooking in 1992 and ran the kitchen at Hakkasan London before taking Mumbai, and the dim sum is where his team shows its hand. The Hakka dim sum platter is the order that defines the kitchen, and the roasted silver cod with champagne and honey is the signature main that travels across every Hakkasan in the world. The crispy duck salad and the Chilean sea bass round out a menu that reads modern Cantonese with a few local nods.

This is wok cooking and steaming done with serious technique, not the hotel-Chinese it could have been. The dated proof: Hakkasan Mumbai took Best Regional Fine Dining Restaurant at the Best Regional Fine Dining Restaurant, Indian Restaurant Awards 2015 and has stayed on the city's best-Chinese lists since opening. See where it sits among the best Chinese restaurants worldwide, browse the full Mumbai dining guide, or read our best Chinese restaurants outside China.

The Room

The room is low-lit and clubby, dark wood and blue-glass screens, built on the global Hakkasan look. Early evening it works as a restaurant; after nine the bar fills, the music climbs, and a DJ takes over on weekends. Tables on the dining side are reasonably spaced, but this is not a quiet room by design. Dress is smart and the crowd dresses up. Book the dining section rather than the bar tables if conversation matters more than the scene.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hakkasan Mumbai worth it?

Yes, for polished modern Cantonese in a room with real atmosphere. Hakkasan brought the London group's standard to Bandra West in 2011, and the dim sum and roasted silver cod hold up against anything in the city. At around 5,000 to 5,500 rupees for two it is expensive for Mumbai Chinese, but for a client dinner or a celebration the kitchen and the room earn it.

How hard is it to book Hakkasan Mumbai?

Plan a few days ahead for weekend dinner, more for a large group or a Saturday. Reserve through the Hakkasan site, EazyDiner or by phone. The dining section books up before the bar, so ask specifically for a table on the restaurant side if you want to talk. Weeknights are easy and the kitchen is at full strength.

What is the dress code at Hakkasan Mumbai?

Smart and stylish. There is no jacket rule, but the room is glamorous and the crowd dresses for it, especially later in the evening when the bar fills. Skip shorts and flip-flops; think the level you would bring to a rooftop bar or a nice night out in Bandra.

What should I order at Hakkasan Mumbai?

Start with the Hakka dim sum platter, the dish that shows the kitchen at its best, then the roasted silver cod with champagne and honey, the signature that runs across every Hakkasan. Add the crispy duck salad to start and the Chilean sea bass if you want a second main. The dim sum is the reason to come.