A new restaurant in Mumbai designed to be socially and environmentally conscious

Riyaz Amlani’s new restaurant is flooded with natural light and decked to resemble a plant conservatory

Palladium, the rambunctious shopping mall in central Mumbai, has a new restaurant that’s gaining popularity for a variety of reasons—yes, the menu is one. Ishaara also happens to be one of a handful of eating establishments that have invested in differently-abled staff to serve its customers. Set up by Prashant Issar and Anuj Shah of Stratix Hospitality in collaboration with seasoned restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani, Ishaara features a generous pan-Indian menu with a kick of fusion. Consider these as samples: Chandni Kababs in Shah Jahan style, John Dory with a Rajasthani spin, to Gajar ka halwa crumble and boondi ladoo ice cream.
 

The waitstaff, which includes folks with speech-and-hearing impairments, have been trained to serve customers through sign language. The sense of conviviality at Ishaara is also because of the décor by interior designer Minnie Bhatt. The restaurant is flooded with natural light and decked to resemble a plant conservatory. Bhatt has used dramatic bespoke botanical wallpaper to really drive home the idea in the restaurant’s private dining area and with real greens everywhere else. “We filled up the space with indoor plants and the natural finishes lend themselves to this central thought. The indoor facing facade is an abstraction of a tree form, created in powder coated stainless steel and bevelled glass pieces,” she adds. Teak wood furniture with natural veneers, accented with linen upholstery in mustard yellow, rust and more green all lend themselves to giving a sense of welcome, lightness, and most importantly, inclusivity.