Chennai | Check out this beach bar shaped like a ship on ECR

Mirabilis 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

ECR is getting livelier with new beach bars dotting the coast. This latest addition almost feels like a secret. A secret that I would like to hold on to, to safeguard the tranquillity of the place. But then, I am not selfish.

An unassuming lane in Injambakkam leads you to a gate with high walls. Inside, swaying date palm trees welcome you, alongside a cheerful green lawn, a glass house, pool and a ship-shaped building. We are at Mirabilis, a newly minted hotel and lounge bar.

The one-and-a-half acre property houses nine rooms, including four cottages, and a banquet hall. We make our way to the ship-shaped lounge bar that is spread across two floors. The upper level gives the feel of being on the deck of a ship, stationary albeit.

Mirabilis entry
| Photo Credit:
Priyadarshini Paitandy

Vertical gardens along the walls, hanging wisteria over the bar, and pink bougainvillea add bursts of colour to the primarily white space. We arrive in time for sundowners, and fill our phones with pictures of the sky transitioning from sky blue to orange and finally, an inky blue. Service is quick, and while we wait for our drinks, we enjoy the idyllic view of the sea, as the night sky blends into it. What is also well blended is our drinks.

Mine is fragrant with the flavours of pandan leaves from trees grown in-house. It is called Replica and tries to replicate the palmyra toddy, with an infusion of pandan syrup, orgeat syrup, apple juice — the rum will be added once the liquor license is approved shortly. For now, I enjoy it as a mocktail.

View from Mirabilis 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The starters arrive in quick succession. The shakarkand broccoli tikka is a favourite. It is marinated with hung curd and beetroot puree. The sweet potato is mushy while the broccoli adds crunch to the dish. Chandni paneer tikka is white like the moon and melts in the mouth. Each cube is stuffed with minced cottage cheese, bell peppers, raisins and marinated with hung yogurt cream. While it is fine for people (like me) who cannot handle anything fiery, it can be slightly bland if you have a palate for the spices. The mutton cheese sheekh, sharp with aromatic hand-blended spices like cinnamon, amchur, and cheddar cheese, steps in next to cancel the monotony of the paneer. I take a sip of Sea Above — a blue and purple mocktail, sweet with lychee, passion fruit jam and cranberry juice — to offset the heat from the sheekh.

But what we love is the kanthari beef. It has the punch from small red kanthari chillies soaked in homemade apple cider vinegar for two days, and a distinct flavour from caramelised onions slow cooked in coconut oil.

For main course we try the drunken noodles, which we recommend. The wheat noodles are made in-house. It also has a dash of gin added for good measure. Loaded with bok choy, Chinese cabbage, green pepper corn and chicken, it has a slightly sweet aftertaste and a light green colour thanks to the kefir lime paste.

Food at Mirabilis 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Some may argue that after all this, dessert might seem unnecessary. But how does one deal with greed? Homemade gulab jamun blanketed in vanilla ice cream and nostalgia is comforting. The white chocolate brownie comes with a little swan made of whipped cream and white chocolate flake. It is drizzled with white chocolate. The texture is different from a usual brownie and is akin to mawa cake. And finally, the winner: sticky toffee cake redolent with vanilla and mashed dates. It is warm, moist, and simply the perfect dessert to end a beautifully windy day by the coast.

Mirabilis is located at Sparkling Sands Avenue, Injambakkam. Meal for two ₹2,000. For details, call 9118123450.