We Tried Avatara Mumbai’s New 15-Course Sutras Menu & Their In-House Cola Took Us Back To The ’90s!

If there is one thing Avatara Mumbai’s new Sutras menu understands, it is that nostalgia can be just as powerful as technique. The restaurant’s new 15-course tasting menu explores the culinary threads connecting India’s diverse regions, while its new beverage programme gives familiar flavours an equally inventive makeover.

Avatara Mumbai’s New Beverage Programme

Before getting into the food, Sutras takes diners through an extensive new beverage programme spanning zero-ABV drinks, in-house vermouth, wine cocktails, lemonades, spritzers, and other India-inspired creations.

Serenity Pause

The zero-ABV cola creation is essentially an elevated take on a Coke float, but one sip immediately took me back to the Campa Cola I remember drinking in the 90s. It has the familiar fizzy, faintly herbal sweetness of cola, softened by a creamy float without becoming syrupy. The fizz keeps the drink lively, while the cola lingers on the palate. If Campa Cola is a childhood memory for you, this is the one drink on the menu I would specifically seek out

First Light Breeze is a refreshing combination of basil and coconut water soda that keeps things light without unnecessary sweetness. The drink is clean and fizzy, with basil adding a gentle herbal freshness. It leaves behind a crisp, cooling finish that makes it an easy opening drink for a long tasting menu.

Deccan Fieri, an in-house vermouth creation, takes a drier drink in a sweeter direction. Berries and dessert wine cut through the dry texture of the vermouth, creating a smooth contrast without making it cloying. The berry notes linger alongside the vermouth, making this one I’d happily revisit.

Nocturnal Bloom combines lychee and dessert wine, and it is easily one of my favourite pairings of the evening. The lychee brings a soft fruitiness while jasmine tea adds a delicate floral fragrance. The drink is silky, balanced and fragrant, with the jasmine note staying on the palate long after the last sip.

Then there is Sunfire Breeze, which could be the answer for anyone who loves the flavour of solkadi but dislikes its sometimes-curdled texture. The coconut milk-based drink retains the tangy, coconut-forward character of solkadi but feels remarkably smooth and clean. The acidity and creaminess balance each other well, leaving a refreshing, slightly tart finish.

Nilgiri Rosso is a subtly sweet, spice-rich vermouth where cinnamon takes centre stage. Its smooth texture and restrained sweetness make the spices approachable, while the cinnamon lingers warmly at the end.

And finally, the non-alcoholic Gin & Tonic deserves a special mention. Non-alcoholic gin, grapefruit, citrus slices and tonic come together so convincingly that it was genuinely difficult to believe there was no alcohol in the glass. It recreates the bitterness, botanical character and fizz of a classic G&T remarkably well. If you’re skipping alcohol but don’t want to skip the ritual of a G&T, this is worth ordering.

The 15 Courses On Avatara’s Sutras Menu

The food follows the same philosophy as the drinks: familiar Indian flavours are taken apart, reworked and presented in unexpected forms.

Shehtoot Malai begins the journey with mulberry yoghurt and a crisp ghevar tuile. The creamy, slightly tangy yoghurt works beautifully against the delicate crunch and sweetness of the tuile, creating a light opening course.

Paratha Tartlet packs considerably more flavour into a small bite. Sweet apple chutney, jalapeño chilli and cheddar cheese come together in a crisp tartlet, creating a burst of sweet, spicy and salty flavours. The chilli brings warmth without overpowering the cheese and chutney.

The Black Rice Idli uses soft Assamese black rice idli with a yellow bell pepper puree and a crisp podi masala tuile made from dosa batter. The subtle sweetness of the bell pepper cuts through the spice, while the contrast between the soft idli and crunchy tuile keeps the course interesting.

The Butternut Dhokla combines soft dhokla with crunchy fafda and a butternut squash filling, finished with black lime chutney. There is also a hidden cumin note that appears early and stays until the last bite. The combination of sweet squash, tangy chutney, and jeera makes this a surprisingly layered course.

Kachori brought one of the strongest regional connections for me. The ker sangri reminded me of the authentic version I had tasted in Udaipur, while yoghurt provides a cooling base. Mint, tamarind, and fig chutneys add fresh, tangy, and sweet notes without masking the character of the ker sangri.

Then comes Rawa Fried Yam, which is arguably one of the most convincing vegetarian recreations on the menu. The crisp rawa coating mimics the exterior of rava-fried fish, while even the inner layer has a flaky texture reminiscent of fish. It is savoury, satisfying, and a particularly clever dish for vegetarians curious about that texture.

Balchao was another surprise. Avatara transforms cauliflower into something far more complex than the vegetable usually gets credit for, giving it the punchy, spiced character of balchao. The cauliflower remains tender while the flavours linger without becoming overwhelming.

It came with a hearty soup, which makes you ask for seconds as it balances out the spice from the Balchao so well!

The Artichoke Kulcha combines juicy, melt-in-the-mouth jackfruit with Jerusalem artichoke and a crunchy, flaky kulcha. The contrast between the rich filling and crisp exterior makes every bite interesting, while the jackfruit carries the savoury depth of nihari.

Mushroom Sukka brings char-grilled oyster mushrooms together with a toned-down tambda rassa. The mushrooms have a satisfying bite and smoky char, while the spice remains intense enough to keep the dish interesting without overwhelming it.

Then comes perhaps the biggest visual and flavour surprise: Pani Puri. Strawberry, raspberry, and passionfruit fill a crisp cocoa butter shell, replacing the familiar pani with something completely unexpected. The shell provides the crunch you’d expect, while the fruity filling is bright, tart, and aromatic. If someone blindfolded me and told me there was strawberry, raspberry and passion fruit inside a pani puri, I would probably call them a liar.

Railway Curry pays tribute to Anglo-Indian culinary history through a vegetarian interpretation. Oxidised eggplant bharta meets a mellow Madras-style railway curry, traditionally served with an elaichi banana bun. I have an allergy to the bun, so mine arrived with a basic puri instead, but even that worked beautifully with the smoky bharta and mellow curry.

The Khasi Curry Rice brings together Japanese short-grain rice, akhuni or fermented soybean chutney, yellow daikon radish, and wakame. The fermented soybean and seaweed bring a deep umami character, while the radish adds freshness and crunch. It is an earthy, savoury course that rewards anyone who enjoys fermented flavours.

For dessert, Sheer Khurma is presented as a multi-textural creation. Kunafa pastry wraps sheer khurma panna cotta, dates ice cream, and rose cardamom espuma. The crisp kunafa, silky panna cotta, creamy ice cream, and airy foam make every bite different, while cardamom keeps the sweetness balanced.

Bal Mithai is a more restrained interpretation of the traditional sweet. The caramelised fudge retains the richness associated with Bal Mithai but is toned down by the Bursh Rus, which is a non-alcoholic wine with a bitter note to cut the overwhelming sweetness. 

The final bite is Paan, where paan extract is enclosed inside chocolate balls. The chocolate shell gives way to an aromatic paan filling that recreates the familiar flavour profile surprisingly accurately. It is playful, nostalgic, and a fitting way to end the meal.

Also Read: CT Review: Mumbai’s Dessert Therapy Kitchen Makes Indulgence Feel Like Self-Care With Cheesecakes & More!

Is Avatara Mumbai’s Sutras Menu Worth Trying?

Sutras works best when you stop looking at each course as an isolated dish and instead see the connections between them. For me, though, Serenity Pause remains the standout. There is something oddly satisfying about drinking a sophisticated zero-ABV cola that tastes like a specific childhood memory. And then there was the final gesture. Guests were sent home with boxes of ghevar.

In a restaurant world where the experience can sometimes end the moment the bill arrives, that little takeaway felt genuinely thoughtful. Sutras may be about the threads connecting India’s culinary traditions, but Avatara manages to extend that connection right through to the exit.

Cover Image Courtesy: Nishant Chawla

 

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