After Japanese sushi and Peruvian ceviche became staples on menus, Levantine cuisine is now set to enter people’s palates.
Eastern Mediterranean cuisine is served in exquisite style at Sette Mara
Experimenting with food is always risky, but it also pays off. Remember when guests used to be a little confused when they grazed on the dinner table, but now they’re a hit at house parties? Or how no one could understand Tex-Mex, but now quesadillas are everyone’s favourite midnight snack? The same goes for the introduction of new cuisines. After Japanese sushi and Peruvian ceviche became menu staples, Levantine cuisine is about to take over. Mumbai is lucky to be one of the first cities to experience this cuisine with the launch of the city’s first Levant restaurant.
(Also read: The St Regis Susegado Restaurant in South Goa serves a delicious dinner under the stars by the sea)
The Levant is a part of the Eastern Mediterranean region that includes Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. Being close to Egypt, Turkey, and the Middle East, their culinary influences are visible throughout the cuisines, even if they are sometimes known by different names. In Mumbai, the flag of Levantine cuisine is being carried by a restaurant called Sette Mara. It is comfortably located within the beautiful walls of the St. Regis Hotel in Mumbai. The luxurious dining destination first opened in 2021, paused during the pandemic and then made its fiery return in the summer of 2024.
Sete’s promise of authentic Levantine cuisine is honed at the grassroots level as the restaurant is run by Egyptian chef Ahmed Farhat. In addition to his Egyptian roots, Chef Ahmed’s culinary experience in Bahrain and Doha also gives him an Arabic-inspired base to combine avant-garde techniques with time-honored practices; something he is known for in culinary circles.
Warmly lit interiors with blue panels and bronze décor elements open up towards quiet seating corners, a cozy bar with Mumbai-themed accents, and a formal dining room further into the space. The bar is a treat; for art enthusiasts as well as those who love a themed cocktail. Sete’s signature drink is their Negroni which has its own dedicated menu. It includes truffle-infused creations, mezcal-based specialties, and even a tasting tray of mini Negronis. The bar’s menu also includes aromatic cocktails featuring scents such as lavender, wines from Greece and Lebanon, and a cocktail combining Istanbul apple tea with apricot puree.
Mezze, a combined platter of hot and cold appetizers, is a staple of Levantine cuisine and thus, occupies a place of pride on the food menu. The Lobster Hummus combined creamy dip with scrumptious seafood for a perfect combination. The spices of the Muhammara permeated each bite of the pita bread and finished with a delightful crunch of walnuts. The Chicken Areyes, which is pita bread stuffed with minced chicken and served with toum, is so filling that one would be compelled to eat it again and again. The portion size at Sette Mara is generous and the appetizers alone fill anyone up. If you decide to continue on to the mains, the stone oven-baked Halloumi is a unique vegetarian feast in the meat-heavy selection and the Baharat Spiced Lamb, which includes potato espuma with New Zealand land chop, makes for a perfect morsel. The Levantine meal concluded on a sweet note with baklava, a deconstructed version of the Middle Eastern classic, featuring whipped ricotta and toasted pistachios.
As Mumbai's first Levantine restaurant, Sette Mara is opening up the palette to new cuisines and diverse flavour profiles. Not only does it take that responsibility very seriously through its authentic selection of ingredients and traditional recipes, but it does it with the sheer sophistication that The St. Regis is best known for.
(Also read: Sunday brunch at Miri restaurant at The St. Regis Goa is filled with culinary excellence and the warmth of South Goa)