Soul Fry

Sandeep Nadkarni

4 months ago

5.0

Soul Fry is a veritable time capsule hiding in the guise of a Goan restaurant. Nestled in an unassuming corner of Pali Hill, every last detail here, right from the food, the cocktails, the vibe and the music (ooohh…The Music) is replete with classics. The place has live music on somedays including Saturdays (we happened to drop in on one such day) and karaoke nights on some others. The live music (pop + soft-rock) blithely shuffled between decades spanning from the 70s to 2020s, peppered occasionally by a spirited Shammi Kapoor or a Lucky Ali number to break the trance). At Soul Fry, everyone was chilled out, ….never mind if you are a winged angel or a fanged werewolf, nobody cares who you are, especially when folks are screaming happy songs into each other’s faces. The crowd sang ensemble as one soul (more often than not) and groaned collectively (albeit rarely) at some poorly chosen song. Everyone, their uncles & dogs seemed like long-lost friends on a picnic bus (it was that crowded too), such was the vibe. I had two virgins for the evening and they were perfectly spiced and balanced (virgin marys…dude!). There was an interesting Frech beer called 1664 that we tried, it tasted a bit like white Bira mixed with fruit beer from DP’s Matunga East – not a bad combo actually. So many things were going right by this time (including the cheerful service) that we were surprised the food turned out to be this good, even theportions were fairly generous. We liked the juicy Pepper Prawns and the Chicken 65 (which had the thin red coating infused with powdered curry leaves – rather than just a garnish – we really loved this touch). The Garlic Butter Pepper Mushrooms were perfectly cooked al-dente swimming in a finger licking semi-gravy. Thank you Vilma & Aniruddh for getting us here – it was both a soulful & wholesome experience.

Chaitra R

1 year ago

2.0

The ambience is Goan but the food can hardly be called Goan! We ordered bombil fry, prawns lonche, Tisarya sukha masala, sol kadhi and rice. Bombil was crispy and good. But was prawns was tasteless. Teesarya had a gravy that tasted sweet!!! Sol kadhi was possibly not made from fresh coconut and carried kala namak. It’s certainly not authentic Goan.

Sunetra Goswami

4 months ago

1.0

The man at the entrance (possibly the owner) was unbelievably rude and arrogant. My friend and I, both women, wanted to visit Soul Fry. When we were stopped at the entrance, we politely explained that we did not have a reservation but were perfectly happy to stand and wait if required. Instead of responding professionally, he laughed at us and bluntly said that without a reservation there was no entry. We then asked a very reasonable question: how and when should we make a reservation for our next visit? Rather than helping, he simply shrugged us off and claimed that tables were booked months in advance. We months after the above stated incident, around 9:30 PM, I decided to try my luck once more. The same man stopped us again despite there being visibly empty tables inside. After we insisted, he suddenly said that standing would be allowed, which is exactly what we had been willing to do from the start. He then demanded a DigiLocker ID. We did not have DigiLocker but showed our original government IDs and explained that we were both 24+ years old. When we casually said, “Uncle, DigiLocker nahi hai,” he immediately started raising his voice, accusing us of being rude and loud. We were completely baffled. We had spoken calmly throughout the interaction and had done nothing to justify such a reaction. It honestly felt like he was looking for an excuse to create a scene. The entire experience was unnecessarily hostile, disrespectful, and unwelcoming. Good food and a popular reputation can only go so far when customers are treated this way. I genuinely do not understand why people continue to tolerate this kind of behavior.

Twinkle Thomas

7 months ago

1.0

Extremely Disappointed! This Is Not Hospitality! We had one of the most unprofessional experiences at Soul Fry, Bandra. Before we even properly entered, the man at the gate (possibly the owner/manager/old man at the gate) asked our age in a very abrupt tone just with the intention to chase us away. We replied humbly that we were 24, and clarified that we were not there to drink. We just wanted to eat food. His response? “Oh, you all don’t want to drink? Then no table for you. There is no table. Please go.” Let’s be clear: Even if alcohol laws apply, there is absolutely no rule that prevents a 24-year-old from dining and ordering food. Refusing to seat customers purely because they are not drinking is not policy , it’s poor business practice. The manner in which we were dismissed felt arrogant, rude, and completely lacking in basic hospitality. Please learn some manners and treat your customers well. Respect the profession that gives you your business.

user_220630164

7 months ago

1.0

My experience at Should Fry was extremely disappointing. Even before entering the place, the owner or manager was constantly staring at us as if we have come to eat for free, As soon as my friend and I approached the gate, he immediately asked whether we were 25 years old when mentioned that we are 24, Before we were even given a chance to properly respond, he said we could not enter. We clarified that we were not there to drink but simply to eat. However, he responded by saying there was “no point” if we were not drinking and told us to leave. This was one of the worst experiences I have had. Such behavior is highly disrespectful and unprofessional, especially from someone working in the hospitality industry. I hope others take this into consideration.

Riya Nagda

1 year ago

1.0

I visited Soul fry on a friday . First they didn’t give us a table when the place was clearly not full . We came back after having dinner to see if we could grab a beer at the bar and they denied us entry saying it’s full . They allowed 2 other people to enter in front of us and upon asking why the guard was absolutely rude . On a friday where stags are not allowed we are 2 girls and a guy . what sets totos and old street apart is not just a huge space but better staff and hospitality. If you’re loosing customers it’s probably because the security guard is extremely rude and had manners how to talk to girls .

Souvik Nag

3 months ago

1.0

Me and my plus one weren’t allowed even when we had valid ID, they said we need to have 25+ ID’s and even when we did have 25+ ID’s they denied entry. My question to the man outside was were everyone inside 25+? He didn’t have an answer to that question. A place should have their policies right, but not cheat. If the rule is followed by one person, make sure everyone follows it. Thanks. Would never visit again even for food.

Guryaman Walia

1 year ago

1.0

We called and asked the restaurant what time were they serving till they said 3:30 we said we’ll be there by 3 they said sure. When we reached the restaurant at 3 after confirming we were treated rudely and essentially told we’re not welcome by the staff. Sad experience after having been here numerous times. Never again.

Simi Ankola

1 year ago

1.0

The manager who stands outside is super rude and doesn’t let people inside even when they are of Legal age I hope they start treating the customers better

Angela Pereira

8 months ago

1.0

you need to askbyournstaff to be polite. They show a lit of attitude and behave as thou they are the owners.