Atulya Yatra All about Marmoris: The new beach lounge where sea meets sky in Mamallapuram – Atulya Yatra in India

Entry of Marmoris | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

Panoramic views of the sea, sunset violets, languid lilac creepers and the distant sound of the sea carelessly enveloping conversation: the new beach lounge in the town of Marmoris. Located on the outskirts of Mamallapuram, this three-storey building is conveniently located amidst curio shops, beach wear stalls and leather sandal shops.

Ground Floor Sitting Area | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

Jiva Rathinam explained that the owner Marmoris translated to the shining surface of the ocean. “I designed this place to be Instagrammable and wherever you sit, you have an ocean view. For example, the ground floor has indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the waves, the first floor has a hammock overlooking the ocean and a cabana on the roof top.

The view from the hammock on the first floor | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

The ground floor is divided between an indoor seating area adjacent to a small outdoor dining area. The second floor has the same setup but shares space with an artfully done bar. The cabana-style third floor can be too warm on summer days, but is perfect for breezy evenings, especially those by moonlight.

Cabana style third floor | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

Marmoris is located in the sprawling resort Sea Breeze of Ziva. The resort has green gardens dotted with towering coconut trees, a children’s playground where the blue of the sea blends with the blue of the sky.

Settling in the outdoor dining area, we order a glass Am Panna And a bowl of seafood bisque soup. Although the drink is quite sweet, the soup is a delicious brown with calamari and tender shrimp.

Sea Food Bisque Soup | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

For starters, we order their Crispy Lotus Stem, Pan Seared Sticky Honey Whiskey Chicken, Masala Fried Calamari and Tawa Prawn.

Spicy Fried Calamari | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

Crispy Lotus Stem | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

While the lotus stems are crispy and flavorful, the chicken featured in the four shashliks is bland and doesn’t live up to its inviting name.

Calamari comes in generous portions and makes an ideal snack to complement cocktails and drinks. The lounge does a twist on the classics here – from the spicy guava meri to their Marmoris Retreat, scented with rose water and cardamom.

Along with all-time favorites like the Long Island Iced Tea and the Long Beach Iced Tea, the bar is experimenting with cocktails inspired by the location, like Mahab’s Dreams with kaffir lime, white rum and coconut cream.

The prawns are spicy, but a bit rubbery. For the main course we order Marmoris’ Genovese pesto pasta, which feels like a warm hug to the insides after the fiery shrimp.

Genovese Pesto Pasta | Photo credit: Shreya Banerjee

As the project is still in the soft launch phase, many dishes (especially pastas) are not available on the menu. Many of the cocktails are also currently unavailable, but Jiva will fix that in the next couple of weeks.

For a city that loves sunsets on the beach, Marmoris is a new addition to the scene.

Marmoris is located at 18, Othawada Cross Street, Fishermen’s Colony, Mamallapuram. Open from noon – 3.30pm and 7pm – 10.30pm on all days. A meal for two costs approx ₹2,000. For reservations, call 7845663035.