Around India Through 20 Of Its Most Unique Concept Cafes. Pay Them A Visit. [Vol. II]

Finding a cafe that suits your personality is a little bit of an identity thing. And it’s been interesting to note the refreshingly ravenous risk appetite of café owners in recent times. Rather than sticking to comfortable culinary trends like Indo-Chinese-Punjabi joints or yet another mediocre Italian eatery, we’ve spoken a fair bit about how culinary culture in urban India is evolving fast, but there’s even more good news on the cafe front.
People are paying more and more attention to the conceptualisation and themes of their cafes, developing philosophies and ideas that they want their spaces to stand for and then creating decor, menus and additional facilities to further cement their concepts as well. Including a travellers’ cafe high up in the hills of Himachal Pradesh (that also doubles up as an art gallery) and a cafe that’s also a movie theatre, we took a little trip around India to find the best concept cafes around the country and brought you Vol I earlier. Now it’s time for Vol II.

I. Art Blend Cafe, Bengaluru

Part-art gallery and part-café, but all-round spectacular

Address: 659, 22nd Cross Rd, Sector 2, HSR Layout, Bengaluru | T: 080 2258 1913

Art Blend Café in Bengaluru, as the name suggests, is where art meets food. It offers art workshops and classes and the in-house artists are always available for consultation and help.

II, BAD (Bring A Difference) Café, Mumbai

Where it’s not just about eating

Address: Kapadia House, 22G, New Kantwadi Road, off Perry Cross Road, Bandra West, Mumbai

BAD Café located in the leafy bylanes off Perry Cross Road is one of Bandra’s newest, most exciting spots. A chic, minimalistic tapas bar with some serious eye for detail—everything from the cutlery to lighting fixtures and general décor grabs your attention. BAD is divided into three levels—Soul, which is the café; Body, which is the yoga and meditation studio; and Mind, which is the library and community hangout zone. The food at Soul is on-point; Body, the yoga studio holds Chinese yoga classes each morning; and Mind stocks clothing and footwear.

III. Blistering Barnacles, Bengaluru

For fans of Tintin

Address: No. 54, 3rd Floor, MSK Plaza, 100 Feet Road, 3rd Main, Defence Colony, Indiranagar, Bengaluru | T: 080 4126 3331

This Indiranagar café is decked out like a ship. Though the décor isn’t very Tintin-esque, it’s the menu that really channels the beloved Beglian series: it’s a comic with names of dishes and drinks inserted into comic-style speech bubbles. Though perfect for lunch or dinner, Blistering Barnacles looks particularly delightful at night when it’s all lit up.

IV. Café Torque, New Delhi

Where the décor is bike-inspired

Address: 4, Basant Lok Community Centre, Vasant Vihar, Delhi | T: 095405 59960

Café Torque in the tony New Delhi neighbourhood of Vasant Vihar is a stunning industrial space that’s been inspired by the high-octane world of motorcycling. There are heavy-duty bikes on display as though they are art installations, and a snazzy collection of leather biking jackets, and some seriously cool graffiti to keep you company.

V. Cable Car, Bengaluru

Modelled after San Francisco’s famous cable cars

Address: SFO - Hotel & Suites, #24, 46th Cross, 5th Block, Jaya Nagar, Opp. Sri Krishna Sevashrama Hospital & Raghavendra Mutt, Bengaluru | T: 080 4297 7777

Cable Car at Bengaluru’s SFO – Hotel & Suites serves Italian and Lucknowi fare and its décor has been inspired by the famous city by the bay, San Francisco, and its ubiquitous cable cars. You dine in a recreated cable car as murals of San Francisco line the walls. The restaurant even has its own kiddy corner.

VI. Drifter’s Inn & Café, Manali

A travellers’ café high up in the mountains of Himachal

Address: Manu Temple Road, Old Manali Village, Manali, Himachal Pradesh | T: +91 9805033127

Drifter’s Inn & Café is a charming little establishment in Old Manali. With boardgames, books, free Wi-Fi and tons of travellers exchanging exciting stories, there’s never a dull moment here. The café serves some great American and Continental fare, along with a few select Indian dishes. It’s known to draw a rich, varied crowd so plonk yourself down next to anyone and strike up a conversation.
[caption id=”attachment_44929” align=”aligncenter” width=”600”] Drifter’s Inn, Manali[/caption]

VII. DYU Art Café, Bengaluru

Where art and flood blend together seamlessly

Address: Shop No. 1, No. 23 MIG, KHB Colony, Next To Mangala Kalyana Mantapa, 5th Block, Adugodi Road, Bengaluru | T: 097420 76685

DYU Art Café in Bengaluru is a massive house built in the traditional South Indian style with a large central courtyard. It has a space where art by amateur as well as established artists is displayed, and a wonderful little cafeteria to top it all off. DYU believes in sustainability and everything from its coffee to the ingredients for its food is sourced responsibly. Go check it out and sit back and relax with a book, a nice cup of coffee and some of their banoffee pie. You won’t regret it.

VIII. Kasha Ki Aasha, Puducherry

An art boutique and café

Address: No: 23, Surcouf St, White Town, Puducherry | T: 0413 222 2963

Kasha Ki Aasha is a gorgeous little space set in a restored Tamilian home and specialises in handmade products sourced from around India. It stocks everything from shawls and perfumes to semi-precious stones, costume jewellery, bags and natural skincare products. And its café serves organic coffee and homemade cakes. Stop by the next time you’re in Puducherry.

IX. Kunzum Café, New Delhi

Where travellers come together to share stories

Address: T-49, GF, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi | T: 011 2651 3949; 09650 702 777

Kunzum Café in Hauz Khas village is so much more than an eating joint. Travellers from all over converge here to sit on their wicker chairs and exchange stories on their travels and experiences. The café has a selection of travel books that you can thumb through as you sip some coffee and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. And that’s not even the best part. The best part is that Kunzum is one of those pay-what-you-like places. So being broke can never be a valid excuse to not visit.

X. Kaidi Kitchen, Chennai

A jail-themed restaurant

Address: 20/3, Bishop Wallers Avenue East, Next to St. Ebbas School, Mylapore, Chennai | T: 044 4200 9701

Kaidi Kitchen in Chennai is a vegetarian, jail-themed restaurant, complete with iron-barred cells and dingy lighting. The owners have definitely gone all out when it comes to detail because everything has been painstakingly researched and implemented—including the décor, and the waiters who are all decked out in prison attire.

XI. Lost The Plot, Pune

An open air cinema + restaurant

Address: Seasons Apartment Hotel 128/2, Laxmi Road, Aundh, Pune | T: 0830 817 4419

We’ve all grown up hearing about drive-in movies in the West—and we’ve all romanticised the experience in our heads. While not a drive-in, Lost The Plot in Pune a rooftop cinema experience—and probably the closest we’ll get to it. Wireless headphones, chilled beer and a stellar movie collection all make us really really want them to open a branch in Mumbai soon.

XII. New Lucky Restaurant, Ahmedabad

Where you can dine amongst graves

Address: Opposite City College, Lal Darwaza, Ahmedabad | T: 097126 39232

This Ahmedabad restaurant hit headlines a while ago for its reasonably unique USP—it lets you dine amongst graves—and has been popular ever since. It’s not just decorative, in case you were wondering. The site used to actually be a graveyard. But when the owner Krishnan Kutti bought the land, he decided not to cover them up to make way for his restaurant. Instead, he chose not to disturb the graves, and his wise and respectful move resulted in New Lucky Restaurant becoming an instant hit.

XIII. Ohrir’s EatMor 70MM, Hyderabad

A blast from Bollywood’s past

Address: Ohri’s Jalavihar, Necklace Road, Hyderabad | T: 040 6453 6666

Ohrir’s EatMor 70 MM in Hyderabad is one of those places that has clearly been inspired by Bollywood—particularly its golden age. There are even rich, red velvet ropes to cordon off areas, just like the kind they use at movie theatres for premieres. Go for the theme and stay for the food.

XIV. Silver Metro, Bengaluru

You’ve never experienced a metro ride like this before

Address:3rd Floor, Total Mall, Madivala, Koramangala 2nd Block, Koramangala, Bengaluru | T: 080 4000 3333

Silver Metro in Bengaluru is an area of Total Mall’s food court that’s decked out to resemble a metro train. Sleek, silver and modern, this eatery is one heck of an experience. It serves North Indian, Mughlai and Continental cuisine. We won’t blame you if you find yourself unexpectedly reaching for your metro pass.

XV. Taj Mahal Tea House, Mumbai

A quintessential teahouse in a quiet Bandra lane

Address: Sanatan Pereira Bungalow, St. Baptist Road, Bandra West | T: 022 2642 0330

Everyone knows Indians take their tea very seriously. And Taj Mahal Tea House goes all out for the most perfect tea experience to be had in Mumbai—the only thing that comes close is Tea Centre, which is all the way across town at Churchgate. Our favourite thing to do here is curl up with a book as we wait for our chai to be served. Be prepared to spend a fair deal of time poring over the tea selection though, it’s pretty exhaustive. They also have free Wi-Fi but please try to resist and disconnect from your gadgets instead. You’ll be thankful for it later.

XVI. The 4Tables Cafe & Gallery, Bir, Himachal Pradesh

Where you can sip chai and admire local art nearly 8,000 ft. above sea level

Address: Main Road, Gunehar, Himachal Pradesh | T: 097365 80963

The 4Tables Café  & Gallery is located in Bir, one of the world’s paragliding hotspots and is run by an Indo-German who serves up some delicious home-style fare. The adjoining gallery displays local art and craft in a bid to foster local talent.

XVII. The Minute Bistro, Bengaluru

Where you pay for the time you spend there, not the food

Address: 419, Above ICICI Bank, 2nd Main Rd, Kasturi Nagar, Bengaluru | T: 099161 73613

Easily one of the coolest concepts we’ve heard of, The Minute Bistro in Bengaluru doesn’t charge customers for the food they order, it charges them for the time they spend at the cafe. At a rate of Rs. 5 per minute. Why? Because the café believes that time is the most precious commodity we have—and we rarely slow down to appreciate it. At the café, you can chill out, read a book or magazine, use the free Wi-Fi, and even bring your own food if you prefer. Remember to book online through their website though.

XVIII. The Project Café, Ahmedabad

A truly multi-faceted space

Address: Yellow House No. 7, Polytechnic Road, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad | T: 079 6050 6060

The Project Café in Ahmedabad is all sorts of cool—everything you see is a work of art that’s been created for the café itself and it’s all on sale. And the space itself is done up beautifully with kota stone flooring, dynamic furniture and art installations. There’s also stationery and jewellery for sale, and the food is pretty damn delicious too. We hear the wood-fired pizzas are particularly good.

XIX. Toilet Café, Ahmedabad

Where toilets sit in place of chairs

Address: Safai Vidyalaya, Next to Sabarmati Ashram, Ashram Road, Hridaya Kunj, Old Wadaj, Ahmedabad

This one is definitely one of the stranger ones on the list. Toilet Café inside Ahmedabad’s Safal Vidyalaya has no chairs. Instead, table seating consists of porcelain thrones aka toilets. Thankfully, they’re only for show.

XX. Yogi-sthaan, Bengaluru

A yoga space and an organic store

Address: Plot 89,11th cross road.Indiranagar, Stage 1 Bangalore, India | T: 080 4091 4888

Yogi-sthaan in Bengaluru is a spacious all-white space dotted with greenery—very calming for a yoga studio, indeed. Aside from having a macrobiotic, vegan-friendly café, Yogi-sthaan holds yoga classes and even has on-site accommodation for those wishing to check-in for a few days of rejuvenation.

Research by Diva Garg