Waarsa at Nariman Point Is Where Awadhi Grace Meets India’s Many Biryani Tales

There’s something about Waarsa that instantly draws you in. Maybe it’s the pale blush of the dining room, the NCPA lawns shimmering through the glass, or the quiet hum that feels like the pause between two stories. You sense right away that this isn’t another self-proclaimed “royal Indian” restaurant with overstuffed chairs and oil-heavy gravies. Here, the food is lighter, gentler, and confident enough to let you taste every grain, every leaf, every memory.

Helmed by Chef Rahul Akerkar and Chef Mukhtar Qureshi, Waarsa is an ode to inheritance, not just of recipes, but of emotion. The name itself, Waarsa, meaning “heritage” or “legacy,” sets the tone. It’s Awadhi food, yes, but seen through a lens of restraint and realness.

A Lighter Take on Heritage
The meal began with galouti kebabs- soft, smoky, and perfumed with cloves that melted before I even registered chewing. The mutton seekh, meanwhile, was assertive yet balanced, its spice held in check by finesse rather than fire. Each bite felt thoughtfully calibrated, indulgent, yet never heavy.

But this month, Waarsa gives its diners something even more immersive, the Biryani Tales, a festival that travels across India through seven distinct biryanis.

The Biryani Tales: A Month of Culinary Storytelling
Running from October 1st to 31st, 2025, Biryani Tales is less of a promotion and more of a pilgrimage. Each biryani tells a story of where it comes from and how it got there.

The Varanasi ki Tehri, all peas, potatoes, and Gobindo Bhog rice, tastes like fasting-day comfort; simple, fragrant, and homey. The Uddhampur ki Gudi Mushroom Biryani from Kashmir is a quiet revelation with nutty daliya meeting earthy mushrooms in a dish that feels both rustic and refined.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Golconda Kacchi Gosht Biryani from Hyderabad is pure poetry; the saffron-streaked basmati, tender mutton, and that unmistakable slow-cooked perfume that lingers long after the last spoonful. The Islampur Chaap Biryani from Bengal, with its soft mutton chops and the faint sweetness of sweet potato, is food that feels like a memory.

And just when you think you’ve travelled enough, the Kamadia Ka Samundari Khazana Biryani from the Gujarat coast brings in prawns, squid, and fish. It is a whisper of Surat’s Persian connections and the sea’s generosity.

A Sweet Ending
If the biryanis tell stories of migration and legacy, dessert at Waarsa is where nostalgia lives. The karare jalebi, crisp, golden, and coiled like memory itself, pairs beautifully with the lush lacchedar rabri, a combination that’s impossible not to smile through. The phirni, silken and scented with saffron, brings everything back to the comfort of home. These are not showy sweets; they’re the kind that make you linger at the table, chasing the last spoonful.

To drink, I skipped the cocktails and chose the kokum drink. It was tart, refreshing, and grounding. It cut through the richness of the meal perfectly, a reminder that sometimes, the simplest pairing is the most memorable.

The Last Word
When Chef Qureshi says, “Jab hum ghar pe khaate hain, itne dil se khaate hain,” you can taste that philosophy in every dish. Waarsa isn’t about spectacle; it’s about sincerity.

If you’ve ever thought of Awadhi cuisine as heavy or dated, Waarsa will change that perception in one sitting. And if biryani is your love language, Biryani Tales would be your pilgrimage.

You leave not weighed down by food, but uplifted by flavour. The kind that feels both familiar and new.