By guest contributor and India Correspondent Saloni Rege
Imbued in a mountain chalet aesthetic, Luna Et Sol offers a sense of serenity in a dreamy, Harry Potter-themed escape in Lower Parel, Mumbai. Spanning across 3,400 square feet, the restaurant is located in an upscale residential and retail neighborhood of South Bombay (SoBo). A testament to the convergence of design, dining and visual storytelling, this standalone establishment offers solace to visitors in a city that never slows down.
Jade Design Studio, led by Vaishali Singh and Anshul Razdan, has created an atmospheric design that encourages spatial discovery, evoking old-world nostalgia and the evolving passage of time. A central aspiration for the designers was to create a space that blurs the boundaries between imagination and reality, urging guests to forget their existence within a vibrant cityscape and help them teleport to an otherworldly haven.
Moving away from the visual neutrality of minimalism, this restaurant consciously embraces maximalist Gothic influences through warm materials, rich textures and layering. This decision is not merely a stylistic statement, but an intentional response to the emotional fatigue of contemporary interiors.
Much like its name, Luna Et Sol mimics the ever-changing experience of dining under varying seasons, achieved through an arched pitched-roof punctuated with generous digital skylights that transform the mood of the space throughout the day. From Aurora nights and celestial skies to maple-hued fall and Amalfi-inspired summers, the restaurant shapeshifts through digital projections, sensory dining, culinary presentations and music.
For example, their snowy winter theme goes further by dropping the indoor temperature to freezing cold (in contrast to Mumbai’s warm and humid weather), providing the diners with shawls to stay comfortable. The interiors feature expansive double-height ceilings, which are crowned with wrought-iron chandeliers glowing with candlelight, while candle wall sconces and table lamps add to the soft, intimate ambience.
In stark contrast to the subtle lighting, tall Gothic windows frame dramatic mountainscapes acting as visual anchors of the space while allowing the dining landscape to mimic a shifting backdrop, capturing the dreamy feeling of Hogwarts. Subtly animated vintage frames showcase “pastel oil paintings” – digital images that move; a playful nod to the Harry Potter universe. Jade Design Studio worked with Abhimanyu Chopra, the Content and Projection Art Consultant to achieve the effect, which adds a layer of magic and storytelling to the interiors.
A peculiar feature of the space is the custom overhead screen that simulates a skylight, displaying curated wonders, from calm blue skies to star-lit cosmos. Another prominent element is the fireplace adorned with a reindeer head, a symmetrical composition with animated arched windows on either side. Utilising the volumetric nature of the space, the designers have positioned a bar at the transition between the lower-ceilinged dining area and the larger part of the restaurant, where a mezzanine-level DJ console overlooks the entire central space, adding a social dimension to the otherwise intimate setting.
The rear area is a crimson private dining room (PDR), juxtaposing the warm expansive interiors throughout the restaurant. In addition to that, the space offers varied seating assortments, ideal for family dinners, a group setting, date nights, or corporate outings, each distinct with a unique material palette, furnishing, and lighting fixture. For instance, a suspended, candle-lit willow branch serves as a striking focal point over a group dining area set against wooden bookcases.
Reflecting on their design philosophy, Singh and Razdan state, “We believe in embracing maximalism over minimalism, creating deeply immersive, theme-driven spaces rather than simply designing pretty places. For us, design is about crafting an experience, one that tells a story, evokes emotion, and transports you to another world.”
While the restaurant’s soaring volume speaks of grandeur and opulence, the restrained lighting adds warmth. Shadows, textures, and ornate details emerge gradually, encouraging a slower pace of dining alongside a heightened awareness of the surroundings.
As daylight transitions into evening, the restaurant morphs, allowing time to be felt rather than measured. Luna Et Sol is beyond an European-inspired dining destination; it is a thoughtfully curated journey that momentarily removes guests from their urban life, and immerses them in a surreal alpine setting. A truly ethereal experience to cherish.
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