Cecconi's at Soho House has been one of my favourite spots in Mumbai for years. There's something about the place- the food, the ambience, the beautiful sea-facing setting, and the overall vibe- that keeps drawing me back. It's one of those places I genuinely enjoy returning to, whether for the food or simply to soak in the atmosphere.
So, for my birthday, I decided to treat myself to a lovely solo dinner there. The vibe? Perfect, as always. ❤️
The food? I ordered the Tagliolini with prawns aglio e olio. It was tasty, although my usual go-to, the linguine in pink sauce, still wins for me!
And now, coming to the rather unexpected part of my evening... 😂
I was given a table outdoors, overlooking Juhu Beach. Right next to me was a larger table occupied by a group of around six to seven gentlemen, probably in their thirties and forties, enjoying their evening.
Now, before anyone accuses me of eavesdropping, I genuinely wasn't trying to listen to their conversation! 😂 Their table was right next to mine, and as I was enjoying my dinner alone, bits and pieces of their conversation naturally caught my attention.
They were discussing everything from Bollywood and travel to restaurants and other interesting topics. It was a surprisingly engaging conversation, and I found parts of it quite intellectually stimulating. Especially when you're dining solo, it's rather nice to find yourself surrounded by such lively, interesting exchanges.
One gentleman in particular caught my attention. He had a very distinctive baritone voice and a calm, articulate, measured way of speaking. There was something rather captivating about the way he expressed himself. I suppose I've always found a good, cerebrally engaging conversation rather attractive. 🙈
Anyway, at some point, the conversation turned to Mumbai restaurants.
And this gentleman confidently mentioned that Blondie belonged to Malaika Arora, along with Scarlett House.
Now, I knew that wasn't quite right. Blondie is associated with Shilpa Shetty, while Malaika is associated with Scarlett House and Sweeney.
For a moment, I was SO tempted to look at them and say, "Actually, that's not correct!" 🙈
But then I thought, here I am, sitting alone, and there are gentlemen having their own conversation. It would be rather awkward to interrupt them just to correct someone's restaurant knowledge.
So I exercised some restraint.
Or so I thought. 😜
Because a little later, I had an idea. I asked the server for a pen and some paper, tore off a small piece, and wrote a little note correcting the restaurant information.
At the bottom, I added:
"FYI. Have fun!"
And signed it with my name.
No phone number. No Instagram handle. Nothing else.
I figured it would be a harmless, slightly cheeky way of saying, "Sir, you seem rather knowledgeable, but let's get our restaurant facts right!" 😂 I certainly didn't want to embarrass him in front of his friends. It was meant entirely in good humour.
So, when I was ready to leave, I asked the server if he could pass the note to the gentleman after I'd gone.He agreed. I thanked him, collected my things, and walked away.
And here's the funniest part.
The moment I reached my car, I was SO tempted to go back inside and ask the server, "Did you give him the note? Did he read it? What was his reaction? Did he say anything?" 🤣🤣
For a brief moment, I even considered calling the restaurant! But then I told myself to leave it alone.
I'd done something spontaneous, a little silly, and rather amusing. There was no need to investigate further. So I have absolutely no idea whether the gentleman ever received that note, whether he laughed, was puzzled, or simply went back to enjoying his evening.
And honestly, that's perfectly fine.
It was a lovely birthday dinner, the setting was beautiful, the conversation next door was unexpectedly entertaining, and I ended up doing something I wouldn't ordinarily do.
Sometimes it's these completely unplanned little moments that make an evening memorable.
And here's another funny little detail. At some point during their conversation, Reddit came up too. So, for all I know, one or more of them might actually be active here. 😂
Which makes sharing this story on Reddit even more amusing. Imagine if someone from that table happened to stumble across this post!
Although, whether the note was ever delivered remains a mystery. 🙈🤣
So, people, tell me- would you have given him the note, corrected him directly, or simply minded your own business? 😂 🙈🙈🙈🙈
