Goa's Culinary Revival
Goa welcomes Pincode Bungalow, a significant addition to Vagator's dining scene. This establishment is chef Kunal Kapur's Indian flagship, inspired by
his international ventures. Housed within a beautifully restored Portuguese bungalow, it offers a multifaceted experience across three distinct zones: Indiroom, a charming café partnered with Caarabi Coffee Roasters, serving breakfast staples like bhurji pav; Baar-Bar, a vibrant cocktail lounge focusing on nostalgic Indian tastes such as kala khatta and paan; and a main glasshouse dining area. The culinary philosophy centres on exploring India's diverse regions through their culinary codes, featuring dishes like dubki aloo with bedmi poori, nadru kofta, and Champaran meat. Reinterpretations are enhanced by traditional techniques like dum cooking and charcoal grilling. This layered concept, encompassing a café, bar, and restaurant, brings a geography-driven Indian menu back to its roots, perfectly complementing Goa's relaxed, all-day dining rhythm. It's an establishment that truly embodies a taste of India in a captivating Goan setting.
Delhi's Intimate & Rooftop Gems
Delhi's culinary landscape is enriched with two distinctive new venues. The Cavity, a nine-seater micro-bar in GK II M-Block Market, offers an exclusive cocktail tasting journey centered on India's GI-tagged ingredients. Collaborating with chef Amninder Sandhu, this weekend-only spot presents a nine-course menu where cocktails lead, followed by complementary small plates. Ingredients like Uttarakhand's Malta oranges and Assam's Bhimkol bananas are showcased, with cocktails like the Tooyamalli Rice drink and Guntur Chilli Chicken cocktail demonstrating innovative pairings. Chef Sandhu's creations echo the drinks' regional influences. The intimate chef's table setting fosters an interactive experience. In contrast, Second Born, a new rooftop bar in the same market, offers a more laid-back ambiance. Designed as a relaxed open-air living room, it complements its sister restaurant, Staple. The cocktail menu explores 'sibling ingredients' such as coffee and cascara, or cacao and chocolate, alongside classics. The food menu features casual, shareable bar bites like mutton birria tacos and milk-bread sandos, with unique desserts like phiti coffee tiramisu.
Mumbai's Diverse Openings
Mumbai's vibrant food scene welcomes several new establishments this March. Coffee Capital, a 34-seater café in Versova, elevates specialty coffee with single-origin Arabica beans from various Indian regions and international microlots. Their menu explores innovative brews like brown butter cappuccino and whiskey barrel-aged coffee, complemented by a matcha program and a food menu featuring Neapolitan pizzas and paninos. In Anjuna, Nova Sandwich Shop offers artisanal sandwiches on freshly baked, overnight-fermented bread, with fillings like crispy Tori Katsu and slow-cooked Roast Beef. The shop also features a playful duck theme with merchandise. PUBLIC Beer Hall & Snack Bar in Versova provides a casual, neighbourhood hangout with a brighter beer hall aesthetic. The food menu emphasizes regional Indian drinking snacks and comforting meals, aiming to fill a gap between upscale cocktail bars and traditional quarter bars. Lastly, Bastian Beach Club at Juhu's Sun-n-Sand Hotel expands the Bastian group's presence, offering a sprawling sea-facing venue with a blend of signature dishes and influences from its sister restaurant, Inka, designed for all-day enjoyment from wellness mornings to high-energy nights.
Pan-India Culinary Explorations
Beyond the major metros, culinary innovation is thriving across India. In Gurugram, Novy, from chefs Ashay Dhopatkar and Neha Lakhani, presents a globally influenced modern comfort food menu in a chic setting. The kitchen harmoniously blends diverse cuisines, offering dishes like edamame momos in Kolhapuri pandhra rassa and mutton haleem croquettes inspired by chicken Kiev. The bar also features cross-cultural cocktails, and the desserts include pistachio tiramisu. Hyderabad gains Yuzu at Hilton Hyderabad Genome Valley Resort & Spa, introducing a Nikkei-style menu led by chef Palden Sherpa. This restaurant fuses Japanese techniques with Peruvian, Thai, and Chinese flavors, highlighting citrus-forward dishes and robata-grilled plates, alongside Asian-inspired cocktails. Meanwhile, Jaipur's JLN Marg is now home to Jacob’s Brew House, an all-day café with a maximalist, early-2000s garage aesthetic, focusing on expertly brewed coffee with detailed origin and technique information. Their signature brews and a range of hearty food options make it a unique destination. Cafe Nola in Jaipur offers a neighborhood café vibe with soothing interiors and a fluid menu designed for all-day dining, featuring signature coffee creations and globally inflected comfort dishes, alongside a dedicated podcast studio. Finally, Pune welcomes Meesah, a restaurant inspired by global flavors, offering dishes like Eggs Benedict on lachcha paratha and Filipino adobo chicken, alongside playful cocktails and a dessert nod to Portuguese serradura.
Kolkata & Mumbai's Unique Flavors
Kolkata's Park Street welcomes Yokocho, chef Auroni Mookerjee's tribute to Japan's lively food alleys, blending East and Southeast Asian flavors with a local touch. The atmospheric space features a charcoal grill and subtle nods to Murakami. The menu emphasizes 'bajaar-to-table' philosophy with dishes like smoky market greens and hearty rice bowls, complemented by clever, unfussy cocktails. Mumbai also sees the opening of Stoned Pig, a 24-seater bar inspired by the hippie era of Anjuna, offering riffs on classic cocktails with fresh ingredients and a magazine-style menu referencing the 'Stoned Pig' publication. This spot is ideal for pre- or post-dinner drinks and late-night snacks, with a focus on spirit-forward yet refreshing concoctions. Number 16, perched above Louve in Khan Market, offers an open-air rooftop bar with contemporary Chinese cuisine and a conceptual cocktail program inspired by Japanese philosophies like wabi-sabi and ikigai, providing a lighter, atmospheric contrast to the dining room below. Lastly, Sweeney in Mumbai, co-founded by Malaika Arora, offers a unique fusion of Thai home-style cooking and European comfort dishes in a breezy, holiday-home-like setting, with standout cocktails and generously portioned food.
