Despite being part of an illustrious family, entrepreneur Arpita Khan Sharma maintains a low profile. Arpita is Salman Khan’s sister and actor Ayush Sharma’s wife. She has recently launched Mercii, a luxury European fine dine in Mumbai. With chic interiors, massive space, white walls and a ceiling designed to look like the cosmos, Mercii is all set to win the hearts of foodies. We catch up with Arpita Khan Sharma to understand more about Mercii, why she wanted to be in the food space, hospitality and her European travels. 

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1. Can you tell us more about why you started Mercii

We come from a family that's big into food. My mom is a great chef and we love her food. A lot of the interactions with my family - happy or sad happen over lunch or dinner. We all go from our homes to my mom’s home and enjoy a meal together at least once a week. I wanted to extend our galaxy table to a restaurant and that’s where Mercii comes in.

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2. Where are the interiors inspired from?

We tried doing the interiors from Mumbai but what they were doing was quite typical to all the other places in Mumbai. I wanted to create a vibe which is fresh - something like Bagatelle from Dubai, where you can enjoy a meal and it converts to a party place. We ended up meeting at the Creative Clinic in Dubai and they came up with great renders. After we gave them our inputs, we wanted to create a family restaurant that the grandparents, children and grandchildren can come in together. I wanted bright walls and bright interiors. When you dine here, you can see the sky on top. Eat indoors but still feel like you are outdoors. We have tried to make the space as happy as possible for people.

 

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3. Why did you choose to call this spot Mercii

Mercii in French means thank you. I believe the universe has been so kind to us that we should say thank you and showcase gratitude more often. I believe the newer generation moves really fast and sometimes forgets to say thank you. This was my way of saying thank you to the universe. Whenever you say Mercii, you are being grateful. 

4. Since your cuisine is inspired by Europe, what have been your memorable experiences there?

I extensively travel every summer and I have been going to Europe since I was a child. I enjoy a diversity of food and cuisines from across the world. We try the different ceviches, gazpachos, pizzas and pastas there. I wanted to bring these dishes back here. I was inspired by LPM and wanted to be as close to that as I could. This is as authentic European as I could go to. I wanted to move away from casual Indian, Chinese and Japanese restaurants. I wanted to do something unique. I wanted to do specific European food.

 

5. What are three things that are Arpita that you see in the restaurant here?

I would say the white open luxe interior. I like spaces that are white open and spacious. This is me. Also the wide variety of dishes in the menu is very me. We have more than 75 to 80 dishes on the menu because variety plays an important role. I feel everyone coming here should be able to get something they like. The final would be the hospitality offered by the staff here. I want people to feel at home like they are in their living room.