A restaurant’s second address can be something of a poisoned chalice. The original has done the hard work of winning people over. The sequel must convince them there is a reason to venture beyond familiar territory. Too often, the sequel in question is little more than the original, with a different postcode and a fresh coat of paint.
La Panthera at Eros, from founders Chef Manuel Olveira and Mickee Tuljapurkar, is a welcome departure from the above. Where the BKC original sets the tone, this restaurant is the cousin who moved to the old part of town, took up chicer hobbies and now hosts dinner parties that have people angling for invitations.
Housed within the 1930s Art Deco grandeur of Eros cinema, one of Churchgate’s most distinguished landmarks, the 80-seater has the built-in character that no amount of expensive joinery can manufacture. With the help of designer Gowri Adappa (A Design Co), La Panthera is akin to a gorgeous old-world South Bombay apartment. Vintage lighting cast amber pools, walls are clad with wood, brass and timber bring warmth and beautiful paintings force you to admire them. There is a central bar, intimate dining corners, a library lounge, a private dining room, an open kitchen and a pizza oven glowing away like a benevolent little furnace. Then there is the terrace, with partial views of Churchgate station and a ringside seat to the commuter chaos of one of the city’s great theatres.
Chef Manuel calls his approach “comfort food, refined”. Drawing on Spanish roots and years in European kitchens, the menu wanders the continent with the easy confidence of someone who has been fed well in a great many places. The Spanish accent runs strongest, with authentic ingredients imported and treated with respect. The rest of the menu (pintxos, tapas, 48-hour fermented pizzas, pastas, mains and desserts) sits in that sweet spot where the familiar and clever shake hands. This kitchen knows when to intervene and, just as importantly, when to leave well enough alone.
The Pan Con Tomate with Cantabrian anchovies is a case in point. On paper, it is little more than bread, tomato and fish; on the plate, it is an argument for knowing when to stop. Crisp bread, rubbed with a frozen tomato, carries a sweet-acidic tang, a whisper of garlic and the salty, silky richness of Cantabrian anchovies from northern Spain. Salt, fat, acid, crunch. It disappears in two bites.
The Bloody Mary ceviche is a more mischievous affair, and the plate most likely to find itself photographed and Instagrammed. Fresh sea bass is dressed in a lime leche de tigre, a bright, citrus-led Peruvian marinade with the restorative properties of a very good idea, then finished with a Bloody Mary granita.
The Shio Koji Pork Belly takes a more technical route to gratification. It’s marinated in shio koji, the Japanese fermented rice seasoning that tenderises meat while deepening its savoury character. The pork arrives yielding and richly flavoured, its lacquered exterior giving way to unctuous layers within. A roasted apple purée brings sweetness and softness; grilled cabbage, charred at the edges, supplies a welcome bitterness. The coffee jus pulls everything together, while adding a bittersweet finish.
The Chicken Ravioli is the kind of dish you’d order on a wet Tuesday and remember on a sunny Saturday. Delicate pasta parcels are filled with confit chicken, slow-cooked in its own fat until it surrenders entirely, and paired with wild mushrooms in an indulgent creamy sauce.
The Baked Sea Bass comes with Mickee’s recommendation that it is not to be missed. Gently cooked and flaky, the fish arrives in a savoury seafood bisque, with the sort of sauce that suggests someone has been tending the pot since breakfast, with pillowy gnocchi on hand to mop up every last drop. A crisp fennel salad brings an aniseed-bright freshness, keeping all that richness in check.
Finally, the Roast Chicken (which is probably one of the best roasts in the city right now). The chicken is properly roasted, with the burnished skin and juicy flesh that remind you why this is the world’s most trusted Sunday lunch. The pumpkin purée brings sweetness and velvet; the salsa verde slices through the richness like a witty interjection at a long dinner; and the jus is glossy and worth mopping up with whatever bread you have left over from the other dishes.
Dessert is no afterthought, with the famed Tiramisu delivering its familiar pleasures, alongside a gorgeous Apple Tarte Tatin, its caramelised fruit tucked beneath golden, buttery pastry. A selection of sorbets provides a lighter, fruit-forward finish.
The cocktail programme at this temple of taste also follows the kitchen’s lead. Nothing arrives smoking, flaming or wearing a hat. Clarification, infusions, reductions and house-made ingredients do their work behind the scenes, and the emphasis is on flavour rather than theatre; a refreshing stance in a city where drinks upstage the conversation.
Here’s an insider tip. La Panthera Eros runs an Aperitivo Hour from 5:30 to 7 pm, with a Spanish bar bites menu and a pintxos-forward spread. It is the most civilised reason to leave the office early. Claim a terrace seat, order a well-made drink and a round of something to whet your appetite, and watch the colours in the sky change. Then stay for dinner and after that too. Late-Night Eats run from 11:30 PM to 1am, offering Spanish bar bites and pizzas for anyone who believes an evening isn't finished until something hot, blistered and cheesy has been consumed.
La Panthera Eros respects its location without cosplaying it, honours Spanish bar culture without turning it into a theme night, serves food that’s comforting without being too complacent and gives South Mumbai a room worth dressing up for—even if the plan was one quick drink.