A sprawling 170-year old British mansion, Barr House was the second of the original British residences in Matheran, built for Captain Barr of the Royal Army and later owned by an eminent Parsi family for decades. Nestling under a canopy of towering Jamun trees, barely a hundred metres from Lake Charlotte and close to popular points like One Tree Hill, Echo Point etc, this stately colonial building was painstakingly restored by Francis Wacziarg, an Indophile French connoisseur and today is the favourite haunt of Mumbai’s eclectic mix of artistes, intelligentsia and the well-heeled, who want to get away from the stress of hectic city life and the relentless onslaught of information, the blessing as well as the bane of modern life. So iconic is the grand veranda that Barr House is today known as the “Verandah in the forest”. Sink into a world of colonial charm with no interference from technology and reconnect with nature and oneself. In the evenings try a perennial Parsi favourite, Dhansak and brown rice or tuck into a rich home-made chocolate ice-cream or better still, a fresh jamun ice-cream made with jamun collected from the towering trees in the estate. Or play scrabble in the stately Dubash hall, curled up on one of the sofas, sipping a cup of Cona coffee made with organic coffee straight from our plantations in Kodaikanal, listening to the philharmonic of nature, or enjoy a cup of tea with a slice of matured plum cake in true colonial style. The kitchens dish out hearty Continental and Mediterranean fare as well as earthy Marathi dishes from around the region. Better still; enjoy a four course candle light dinner in the communal dining hall, at the ancient 18 seater oak table. Barr House has a character which has remained firmly rooted in its colonial past and is immersed in the natural splendour of Matheran.