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Sanjay Dutt's Restobar Crafts Zodiac Cocktails, Pisces‑Inspired 'Ebisu' Sparks Row Over Live Fish In Glass
Sanjay Dutt's Restobar Crafts Zodiac Cocktails, Pisces‑Inspired 'Ebisu' Sparks Row Over Live Fish In Glass
You’ve seen cocktails garnished with flowers, dry ice, even gold leaf. But a live fish swimming inside your drink? That’s what a Mumbai restobar thought was a good idea — and it took exactly one viral video for the city to say otherwise.
Alta Stella is a rooftop constellation-inspired restobar located on the 30th floor of Parinee I on Veera Desai Road, Andheri West — co-owned by actor Sanjay Dutt and entrepreneur Abhimanyu Jakhar, with cocktails crafted around zodiac signs and celestial mythology.
It opened on March 11 to considerable buzz, with influencers and guests praising its sky-high views and aesthetic concept.
The bar serves 12 signature cocktails inspired by the zodiac, with standouts including Enki (Aquarius), Jasper (Aries), Chimera (Leo), and Ebisu — inspired by Pisces.
It was Ebisu that caused all the trouble.
A viral video on Tuesday showed a blue Betta fighter fish — alive and swimming — placed inside a cocktail glass as part of the drink’s presentation. The visuals spread rapidly across social media, and the reaction was swift and unsparing.
According to The Times of India, the outcry centred on allegations of animal cruelty, with users calling the presentation inhumane and irresponsible.
“A living breathing fish trapped in a glass for aesthetics. This is not creativity. This is cruelty made Instagrammable," one user posted. Another asked pointedly: “‘Spot the Fish’, seriously?"
Animal welfare voices highlighted that fish can suffer for several minutes when deprived of oxygen, making such presentations deeply problematic.
Experts and activists pointed out that fish removed from proper aquatic conditions can suffer severe stress and may die slowly.
The backlash was wide and sharp. One user wrote: “We have forgotten what it truly means to live on earth and respect every creature that makes mother earth."
Another asked: “What’s next? Animals and birds in minuscule cages as your table centrepiece? There’s a difference between wanting unique interior aesthetics and common sense." A third simply said: “I’d die than eat in such a restaurant."
Many accused the bar of using shock value to attract attention, while others questioned the ethics of luxury establishments normalising such practices in the name of innovation.
The Times of India reported that it reached out to co-owner Abhimanyu Jakhar through three of his establishments — with no response. But by Wednesday evening, Alta Stella had posted a statement on Instagram announcing it was pulling the cocktail from its menu.
In the post, the bar explained that the Ebisu cocktail was inspired by the Pisces zodiac sign, and that the Betta fish was chosen because it is naturally solitary and can breathe air from the surface. Then came the line that stood out: “But intent does not outweigh perception. We recognise that the presence of a live animal in a cocktail raises valid concern."
The drink has since been discontinued.
The controversy has put the spotlight on the responsibility of hospitality businesses, with growing calls for stricter accountability when it comes to the treatment of animals in food and beverage spaces.
Alta Stella is a premium venue — with a cover charge of approximately Rs 3,500 for two — and its clientele skews young, urban, and social-media-savvy.
That the bar responded within 24 hours of the video going viral says something about how quickly public sentiment now moves — and how little room luxury brands have to defend the indefensible, even when the intent, as they put it, was rooted in a story.
A fish in a cocktail glass is not a narrative. Mumbai made that clear.
Source: News18
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