Nothing defines Mumbai like the sea. Ambitious new restaurants in the city, slated to come up in the next few months, are navigating uncharted territory as they plan tables on the sea Sitting in a cafe or a bar with a sea view has its charms. In Nice or Saint-Paul de Vence, or the dazzling Cote d'Azur in France, you can sip on your rose wine, slurp on the bouillabaisse, cut into roast chicken and be charmed by the same vistas that inspired Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and others. Even in port towns, where the sea is not as azure and the artistic lineage not as pronounced, waterfront dining can be a therapeutic experience.However, reverse the gaze, and look at some of the most iconic city skylines from the water -while poking into your souffle or jacket potatoes - and the experience can be even more compelling.Mumbai's skyline may be as spectacular and glitzy as that of any maximum city by the sea but options to see it from the waters have been nonexistent till now. Surprisingly for such a bustling port city with such a long coastline, there has never been any on-sea dining option. That will change when a set of restaurants come up off the city's coast this year-end."All of Manhattan's most iconic photos are from the sea. Why should it not be the same for Mumbai, which is more spectacular and iconic than any other world city by the sea?" asks Shripriya Dalmia Thirani, a 37-year-old Delhiite in love with Mumbai's Arabian Sea charms.[ In pic: Shripriya Dalmia Thirani]Thirani, whose grandfather cofounded Dalmia Cement in the 1930s, has been in the business of films for the last few years as producer, exhibitor and distributor of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu movies. She was busy investing in theatres in the South and expanding the business - until she decided to indulge in her childhood fascination with the deep blue and give a shot to the idea of setting up restaurants on the sea.Earlier this month, she won the bid for the much-touted, long-delayed plan by the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) to open up some of the city's historic waters to retail and entertainment. Thirani has won the contract for 15 years to have a ship with restaurants off Girgaum Chowpatty.For now, the MbPT plans to open up the waterfront at three places, Girgaum Chowpatty, Gateway of India and the Ferry Wharf.The overall plan includes, among other things, building a world-class cruise terminal, new waterway projects, a 500-room floating hotel to be anchored off the Raj Bhavan coast, threefour floating restaurants, a Ferris wheel on the lines of the London Eye, and marinas and jetties to promote intra-city water transport in Mumbai.So, what's in store for the city's dining populace? A ship with two-three restaurants catering to different cuisines and price brackets on different decks is expected to come up by this year-end. According to MbPT's terms, the ship with floating restaurants will operate for eight months a year, and be allowed to move between Chowpatty and the Gateway of India. It will not function during the monsoon. Only dining is permitted, not overnight stay or casino activities.A first-time restaurateur with no prior experience in the food business, Thirani says, "Frankly, it is not so much about the restaurant as it is about the sea for me. The sea is the DNA of Mumbai and everyone watches it from land. What I have always wanted was to see its spectacular skyline from the sea."In many ways, the ebb and flow of restaurant business is as tricky as the tide.How a first-time restaurateur helms such an ambitious project remains to be seen.Thirani has "grand plans" - of tying up with the world's top restaurant chains and "gods of the kitchen". She is not associating with any Indian restaurant and will look at her own brand instead. The project is being financed by her. When the ship sets sail to the clink of wine glasses, we will exactly know its course.The next few months are going to see much restaurateuring activity in the Bandra Kurla Complex, where 19 restaurants are slated to open in the next four months, including one by former Taj chef Hemant Oberoi. However, nothing is generating more excitement than the buzz about the Sri Lankan superbrand Ministry of Crab making its first appearance in India.The restaurant in Colombo is housed in a 400-year-old former Dutch hospital and helmed by chef Dharshan Munidasa. A fixture on Asia’s 50 Best lists, it celebrates the Sri Lankan crab.For a while now, Munidasa has been planning to expand operations to India. While industry sources suggest that Ministry of Crab will come up in BKC, a spokesperson for Munidasa says: "While there are ongoing discussions, we have not yet signed up with any franchisee partner." Watch this space.You may not have seen Narayan T Poojari at parties and on Page Three. But you will immediately recognise his restaurant brands: Mahesh Lunch Home and Shiv Sagar. Poojari, a majority partner in Mahesh Lunch Home, set up Shiv Sagar, serving vegetarian fast food, in 1990. That was just a decade after he landed in Mumbai from his village, Gujjady, in Karnataka. Now, the 49-year-old is set to launch an ambitious, upscale seafood restaurant.Fish and Bait is set to open at the Bandra Kurla Complex in May. A mammoth 120-seater, with an expensive bar serving classic cocktails through the day as its highlight, the restaurant will serve seafood from across the country — bhetki from Kolkata, prawns from Chilika, meen curry from Alleppey."There will be the finest seasonal fish from around the country, plus fresh seafood flown in from around the world as well," says Poojari. The price: Rs 2,500 plus for two.Is that not turning the Mahesh Lunch Home philosophy of dining for the masses on its head? "Seafood is expensive and we will be flying in fresh catch from all over," says Poojari. This will be the first such restaurant attempting to capture the variety and flavours of the entire Indian coastline. Watch your plates.(The writer looks at restaurants, food trends and culinary concepts)