Sanjay Dutt’s Solaire lands at the Grand Hyatt as a thoughtful space, not a vanity project with celebrity attached. Sanjay Dutt stepping into hospitality sounds like it could go either way – celebrity vanity project or genuine food destination. Solaire lands closer to the latter. Tucked inside the Grand Hyatt in Kalina, it is not trying to be casual or approachable – simply good, and that distinction matters.
Solaire After Hours: A Space That Evolves With the Night
The space shifts through the day. Lunch reads light and leisurely, and dinner tightens into something refined. By evening, the bar takes over, and the room transforms into a cocktail-first environment with music that actually belongs in the moment. This is not a restaurant that decided to add drinks. It is a space designed to flow between identities without feeling fractured. The two-level layout, the candle-lit wall spanning both floors, and adaptive lighting that moves from sunlit warmth to evening drama all serve that fluidity. Most celebrity restaurants feel designed by committee. Solaire feels designed by people who thought about how the night actually unfolds.
Flavour Without Theatre
The menu is Chef Maher’s territory. Levantine roots, European kitchen experience – the combination shows. Chicken Yakitori arrives smoky and juicy. Kerala Fried Chicken comes with creamy peanut sauce, each bite crisp enough to justify itself. The Lamb Kebab carries real seasoning, not just salt and ego. These are not Instagram plates pretending to be food, just intentional taste.
The drinks program matches this seriousness. The Solaire Star (lemongrass vodka, gin, blue pea tea) is visually striking but actually drinkable. The Aachari Berry references Indian pickling traditions without becoming gimmicky. These are cocktails that think about flavour first, theatrics second. The bar moves between heritage and innovation without announcing the shift.
Sharing plates dominate the menu, which works for groups but also reveals the kitchen’s confidence. Truffle Dim Sum with porcini sauce, Falafel Flatbread, Chicken Katsu Loaded Fries, the range suggests a kitchen that can handle both comfort and refinement simultaneously. Nothing feels like filler. Even the desserts – Salted Caramel Lotus Cake, Nolen Gur ice cream, have the same thoughtfulness that shaped every other course.
The Grand Hyatt location keeps it insulated from casual walk-ins. This seclusion has its own charm; it lets the space breathe without Mumbai’s usual restaurant chatter. At 2,500–3,000 for two (before drinks), it is positioned as a destination, not a neighbourhood spot.
Solaire works because Dutt and his partners (Ishaan Varma, Amit Lakhyani) let the kitchen lead. The celebrity name opens doors. The food keeps you coming back.
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