Spice Market (CLOSED)

Famed designer Jacques Garcia transformed a 12,000- square-foot space into this stunning Mumbai palace, with antique wall carvings and a ceremonial wedding pagoda where chef-owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten himself got married. The space is vast, but chances are you’ll still have to accept a late reservation or drop in for a space at the long counter facing the immaculate open kitchen. Dishes are meant to be shared; check spiciness with your server beforehand, so you don’t end up with your mouth on fire and no bread in sight. The seasoning balance can be perfect, as with star anise in a dish of shrimp and egg noodles, or a delicate herb salad atop moist halibut. Desserts include Ovaltine kulfi, which tastes like an exotic frozen Milky Way and grows on you very quickly. Ultimately, you’re eating pricey snack food, but it’s all in good fun.