Restaurant review of The Wine Rack in Mumbai

The Wine Rack is manna for oenophiles. Let’s just get that out of the way first. With over 300 labels displayed on a glass-to-ceiling rack, there’s little chance of not getting the reference after which the place is named. There is a chance that you might stick to just the wine list from the menu, but we urge you to try the rest of the bar menu as well.

With a mixologist imported from Thailand, drinks like Havana Havana (INR 425) with rum, coconut water, mint leaves and the inventive addition of fig, this is a top-class cocktail. Then there’s Coco Bongo (INR 425), a curious amalgamation with influences from Goa, Rio, Hawaii and Miami that somehow feels just right when you sip this gin and vodka concoction. Also recommended are BKK Nights (INR 495) with Tom Yum Gin and Kaffir Lime that leaves a bit of a lemongrass aftertaste and a spin on Cosmo called Tuscan Summer (INR 425).

For those interested in tasting different wines, try the available combos between whites, reds, New World and Old World wines or if you’re feeling adventurous, try the Table Trail (INR 2450) that gives you nine wine glasses from the menu.

You would imagine that the food at The Wine Rack would be a dismal affair with so much to drink on offer. Indeed, when we went there first, we almost believed it too. However, with Masterchef Australia contestant Sarah Todd’s reputation to protect, you can rest assured that the food here is worth sampling too.

We tried Todd’s take on Indian street food with two dishes – Red Wine Duck Kulcha, Cranberry and Gorgonzola dish (INR 545) and a Sun-dried Tomato Kulcha with crumbled Bocconcini and Sriracha Hummus (INR 425). The Duck Kulchas were a bit bland in comparison to the Tomato Kulchas, mostly because the meat seemed stale. Soon after, we tried the Wine Rack Loaded Fries (INR 375). Here, too, we felt that the fries could have been crispier and slightly better overall.

With our spirits dipping (forgive the pun), the BBQ Chicken with charred corn puree and pomegranate salsa (INR 495) suddenly came to our rescue. The Chicken was cooked perfectly and the accompaniments worked in sync. Next up were pizzas. We tried a couple of these too of which we recommend the Pulled Lamb with garden peas and shaved red onions (INR 750) that caught our tastebuds.

With a mixed experience from the entire food menu thus far, we couldn’t have anticipated what was in store for us by the time desserts arrived. The Iced Nougat (INR 375) was easily one of the best nougats we’ve had in recent times anywhere. But the real show-stopper was the Chocolate Chilli Mousse (INR 350) that recreated the mousse to delicious perfection. We definitely ended our tasting on a sweet note.

While the ambience of The Wine Rack is commendable and worth looking at from time to time, the service is sometimes shoddy and could be improved upon. Overall, the place is definitely a must-visit at least once. We rate the place a 3 on 5.