SoBo 20 Deepens Its Franco-American Story with a New Wood-Fired Menu on Marine Drive

New dishes and cocktails mark the restaurant's first evolution since that pipe-smoking pelican took up residence on those crisp white napkins. 

Mumbai, November 2025: At the corner of every place setting at SoBo 20, that philosophical pelican, pipe clenched, beret tilted just so, continues to preside over a Franco-American story that's found its perfect Mumbai translation. Six months after this unlikely mascot first appeared at InterContinental Marine Drive, the restaurant has earned its place on the list of the Hottest New Restaurant Openings of the country. Now, it's turning the page on its next chapter. 

The collaboration between Dubai-based Atelier House Hospitality and Graviss Hospitality has yielded something that feels both inevitable and surprising, a restaurant where 18th-century French technique meets the New Orleans melting pot of West African and Caribbean influences, then finds itself reinterpreted through Marine Drive's salt-tinged breeze. The new menu edit keeps that DNA intact while widening the aperture: more smoke rising from the wood-fired heart of the kitchen, more comfort that doesn't apologize for its indulgence, more range for those long Mumbai lunches that slip seamlessly into unhurried dinners. 

The New Menu: The new creations build on what guests already whisper about over their second round of cocktails: that wood-fired kitchen, the playful Franco-American narrative that never takes itself too seriously and plates that manage to feel both achingly familiar and quietly revolutionary. 

The Carnivorous Contingent 

Proofed Flatbread Hot Dog - This hot dog is a meditation on what happens when street food puts on its Sunday best. The bread- slow-proofed with the patience of a French baker, emerges from the wood-fired oven blistered and airy. A glazed chicken frankfurter nestles within, crowned with pepperonata relish and fried onions that tangle together in sweet-savoury conspiracy. It's indulgent, yes, a little messy, absolutely, but somehow maintains its composure. 

Buff Smash Burger - Here's where technique meets temptation, where Mumbai meets Monroe. House-ground buffalo gets the smash treatment, pressed against a hot plate until its edges achieve that coveted lacy crispness. Melted American cheese oozes, while pickles and caramelised onions provide acidic punctuation to all that umami poetry. The toasted potato bun is sturdy enough to contain the drama yet soft enough to yield at first bite. On the side, fresh chips arrive drizzled with hot honey. It nods to a democratic American diner culture while maintaining the French obsession with technique and detail. 

Tavern Chicken - Marinated overnight like it has secrets to confess, the chicken emerges from the grill wearing its gentle char like evening wear. Tempered cucumber yoghurt plays the cooling diplomat to all that smoke and heat. It's quietly comforting, the sort of plate that anchors the middle of a long dinner. 

Pepperoni & Hot Honey Pizzette - A wood-fired flirtation where Italy crashes the Franco-American party and nobody minds. Hot honey drapes itself over pepperoni and cheese with the swagger of someone who knows they're the best-dressed person in the room. 

The Vegetarian Renaissance: In a neighbourhood where vegetarian isn't just preference but often principle, SoBo 20's plant-based offerings arrive not as consolation prizes but as headliners in their own right. These are dishes designed to make carnivores question their loyalties, if only for the duration of dinner. 

Fennel & Edamame Risotto - Fennel and edamame are coaxed gently in a fennel purée until they achieve a layered, anise-kissed richness. Crispy onion shards provide textural punctuation to all that creamy restraint. It's quietly luxurious, the kind of dish that makes Mumbai's veg-forward diners feel seen, understood, celebrated. 

Corn Fritters - Golden orbs of possibility arrive at the table, their crisp corn exteriors making a base for tender toppings. Whipped ricotta provides the creamy counterpoint, while pico de gallo and grated Granny Smith apple conspire to add brightness to what could have been heavy. 

Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Pizzette - The wood-fired base arrives blanketed with creamy goat cheese that melts into tangy richness. Caramelized mushrooms and onions add their earthiness and sweet depth, while pickled mustard seeds pop like tiny fireworks of acidity. A natural partner for that late-afternoon glass of wine that threatens to extend into evening. 

E&T Skewer (Eggplant & Tofu) - Grilled eggplant and tofu, marinated in mustard, layered with care, brushed with a delicate house glaze - arrive with the same theatrical presentation as SoBo 20's much-loved B&P (Buff & Pork) skewer. Topped with eggplant mousse and finished with avocado salsa and chives, it's a plant-based plate with the drama and depth typically reserved for more carnivorous offerings. 

Marine Drive in a Glass: Mixologist Nalin Penkar introduces three new cocktails that capture different moods of Marine Drive, from bright afternoons when the Arabian Sea sparkles like scattered diamonds to those fiery late-night moments when the Queen's Necklace lights up the curve of the coast. 

Marine Drive Mule - A coastal reimagining that feels like drinking the view. Tequila and gin form an unlikely alliance, while pineapple juice and elderflower liqueur add tropical sophistication. A touch of saline, Penkar's masterstroke; mirrors the salt in the air outside the windows. It's citrus-forward, refreshing and somehow manages to bottle that particular Marine Drive light.

Pomorita - The margarita gets a makeover, dressed in pomegranate's ruby finery. Tequila meets triple sec and house-made pomegranate saccharum in a glass that's sweet, tart and lightly floral. Sophisticated enough for a business lunch, playful enough for dinners. 

SoBo Picante - Tequila, jalapeños, lime juice, agave syrup and cilantro converge in a glass that's bold yet balanced. The herbs cool what the peppers heat, while the agave smooths any rough edges. As Penkar notes, "These cocktails are built around the way people actually use this space: a quick drink after work or that final round before the night ends." This one pairs beautifully with the Smash Burger, each sip cutting through the richness like a palate-cleansing intermission.”  

"From day one, guests have responded to the wood fire, the New Orleans references and the comfort of the food," . "This new menu is our way of leaning into that. More smoke, more soul and a stronger vegetarian story that still feels very Franco-American." 

Panchali Mahendra, CEO of Atelier House Hospitality

With nearly half the new plates being vegetarian, the evolution reflects how South Bombay eats today: sharing small plates that encourage conversation, grazing with cocktails that tell their own stories and expecting vegetarian dishes to deliver every bit as much drama as their meaty counterparts. The new dishes and cocktails reflect how SoBo 20 has been listening since opening. Watching what guests return for, what they ask about, what they bring friends back to share. It's a restaurant learning its neighbourhood’s rhythms, understanding when Marine Drive wants comfort and when it craves surprise.

"SoBo 20 was always imagined as a conversation between New Orleans and Marine Drive,". "This edit is our way of keeping that conversation alive, responding to how Mumbai is embracing Franco-American dining, doubling down on wood-fire and giving South Bombay more reasons to visit us for lunch and dinner." 

Panchali Mahendra, CEO of Atelier House Hospitality

SoBo 20 is not standing still. It's growing into its role as one of the neighborhood's most distinctive dining rooms. One that's open to the world yet rooted in its place, always evolving yet somehow, like that pipe-smoking pelican, maintaining its essential character. The restaurant remains what it set out to be: tastefully grownup, a place where Art Deco meets American brasserie, where music stays pitched to conversation-respecting registers, where that peculiar pelican continues to preside over dinners that last well into Marine Drive's glittering nights. It's found its rhythm, that sweet spot between familiar and surprising, between comfort and craft.

The new menu is available for both lunch and dinner. 

Location: InterContinental Marine Drive, Mumbai 

Reservations: +91 7506229762 | 

Instagram @sobotwenty 

Hours: 12 PM-3:30 PM and 7 PM-12:30 AM | Tuesdays Closed