Mumbai Review: Game Palacio Is The Best New Place To Eat And Play

If you’re looking for a buffet of entertainment, you can hardly do better than visit Game Palacio in Mumbai’s Bandra suburb. A fine-dine, bowling alley, nightclub and retro arcade zone all vie for attention as soon as you enter the cavernous space that houses Game Palacio. Does it all live up to the hype though? Let’s find out.

Drinks –

Let’s start off with the drinks. We started off with Night Empire made with charcoal-infused tequila, fresh cucumber juice and elderflower. The drink was slightly unbalanced with a heavy charcoal flavour but the freshness of the cucumber juice saved it from being underwhelming. I’d still recommend it for its experimental nature.

We then tried the Golden Haze, a whisky cocktail with peach, apple juice and fresh galangal and shiny gold bits all over the glass. This one was truly good with the apple complimenting the non-peaty whisky perfectly. Next up, the Maid of Honor was on our must-try list with its combination of blue pea-infused gin along with kaffir lime and tonic water. This one lived up to our expectations as well with its slight bitter overtone coating the mouth beautifully and left us refreshed for the next one to come.

This was followed by Jokkmoss Kiss, a vodka cocktail with saffron, rose water and litchi that was in danger of being too sweet but ended up being wonderfully restrained. Finally, the Spiced Old Fashioned with cinnamon, orange, hint of spice bitters and demerara sugar added to bourbon whisky made for one delicious drink on the eyes as well as the palate.

While it might have started off slightly unbalanced the signature cocktails at Game Palacio kept upping its ante as time went by. I’d gladly recommend you take a gander at their cocktail menu, most of which are priced at INR 575 pre-tax.

Food –

Coming to the food, we started off with Chicken Yakitori skewers on grill (INR 525). These were the perfect appetisers to nibble on, charred perfectly and moist and juicy on the inside. So much so that I decided to stick to their Asian cuisine for the rest of the review. Indeed, while Game Palacio serves Pizzas and Pastas, you’ll find the majority of the menu tilts towards Asian, which is also something that they do really well.

The next appetiser I had was the Chicken in Black Schezwan (INR 585) dim sums. Once again, these were steamed to perfection and the dipping sauce complimented the dim sum quite well. It was time for the main course.

I tried the Roast Chicken (INR 825) with pomme puree, baby roast veggies and red wine jus. From the presentation to the dish itself, everything looked and tasted really good. In fact, I was sceptical of the chicken being cooked properly looking at its size but it was done perfectly. The accompaniments were generous and made for a filling portion.

For desserts, the Belgian Tiramisu (INR 495) was a passable last dish. It didn’t meet my high expectations as the rest of the food that had been served up until then but then again, I was already happy with the menu before trying the tiramisu.

Décor –

As mentioned, Game Palacio is a bit of an all-in-one. The bowling arena is right by the eating area so a crowded group would mean some noise coming in while dining. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means but if you’re expecting an intimate setting from this fine dine then it’s probably best to reset your expectations. That said, there are VIP rooms on the first level that offer private party guests a more intimate environment.

That said, the bowling alley is a must-do while you’re at Game Palacio. The alley boasts of bespoke transparent bowling lanes, a first in the world, are made of treated pinewood with exclusive black and gold-lining done in Hungary to match the design of the premise. It’d be a shame to miss out on a sport we don’t have much of in the city.

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You can rewind to the 80s at the arcade lounge as well since Game Palacio also houses a solid arcade or gaming parlour. The arcade features a large collection of classics like PAC-MAN and To the Net, as well as the latest and greatest like Tomb Raider and Super Swirl. Get your kids some quality entertainment at the arcade or turn yourself into a child at the arcade.

Verdict –

Game Palacio is a different type of restaurant experience. You don’t go there just to eat or drink, although you can do just that if you so wish. The bowling alley is always in the background, tempting you to try it out (and which you definitely should). The arcade is another area to explore in all its neon glory.

During my visit, I already saw celebrities at the venue. Kubbra Sait was there to celebrate her birthday with brother Danish and few other known names. Leander Paes and Kim Sharma also made an appearance. In recent days, the place has seen many celeb launches, making it the new hip place to be seen at.

Circling back to the food and drinks, I believe this is a place that offers good food in the right ambience with a list of interesting cocktails. This is a place to bookmark and visit as soon as you can.

Game Palacio, G1/B, 206, Krystal Building, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai. From 11 AM to 10 PM

Gurgl was invited to review Game Palacio. All opinions are as per Gurgl’s editorial policy.