Where to eat… this June

There’s always a brand-new bar, a hot new chef, a splashy new dining spot, a pop-up to reserve, a sauce to taste, or, even at your usual place, an exciting new menu to try. Check Please, our monthly rundown of food news, is just the kind of edit for those who may not eat out every night but love to be in the know.

Pouring all this month, across the country: a southwest monsoon, cocktails, and coffee. Not that this annual wet season ever puts a dampener on our always enthusiastic food scene.

Ahmedabad just got a European plant-based place with some Asian zing, thanks to a Parsi chef from Mumbai. Bengaluru now has a smash burger shop that puts desi dark rum in its chocolate dessert. The guys behind the caffeinated chain Coffee Culture are finding ways to keep things exciting with morning matcha and midnight Malibus in Morjim. An elaborate, indulgent Mumbai high tea by the Arabian Sea will make you skip dinner. And if, like us, rainy weather makes you hungrier too, a chef is bringing his spicy, experimental take on Asian food to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai that is #sosatisfying. Dumplings were designed for downpours, don’t you think?

OPENINGS

Union, Ahmedabad

A Bawa chef doing a vegetarian menu in Ahmedabad? We’re checking for oddball planetary alignments and retrogrades. Viraf Patel—one to “never miss an opportunity to knock back a Buff Choila” at his restaurant Across in Mumbai—is collaborating with partner Prakriti Lama Patel to bring a plant-based European menu with Asian influences to Union, Ahmedabad’s newest restaurant. His fibre-forward foods are equally fun: smooth chickpea hummus with chilli-dusted chickpeas, caramelised onions, pickle-spiked veggies, and black and green olives and served with warm stone-baked house pita; mushroom ajillo; patatas with sour cream and hot honey drizzle; and oven-roasted carrots layered with lemon yoghurt, hazelnut dukkah, and pomegranate molasses.

Koca, Gurugram

Another former cricketer (Yuvraj Singh), another restaurant biz. At the sap-green and wood Koca (Kitchen of Celebratory Arts) on Golf Course Road, Gurugram, drinks like Whis-tea and Mauritian Kick are accompanied by a vast, varied menu straddling populist Asian, European, and desi flavours, alongside ‘Yuvi’s Vegan Menu’ featuring tempura fries and ‘cauliflower Koliwada maki’.

The Love Hotel, Delhi

At the heart of The Love Hotel, AD Singh’s latest venture, is its cocktail programme by leading mixologist Nitin Tewari, co-curated with brand manager Shiva Kant Vyas and their team at Olive Group of Restaurants. It’s short, sweet and sinful—just like a one-night stand, but way more ’grammable. The ‘naked bar’ with its red glossy tiles and suggestive little props (furry pink handcuffs among them) is where all the action is at. Here you can watch the bartender whip up mischievously named concoctions, giving your cocktail a good shake or puckering it up with a gorgeous garnish. (Read the full story by Geetika Sachdev.)

Smash Guys, Bengaluru

Why’s the smash burger getting so much attention? Is it the juicy, crisp-crust, caramelised patty? Is it the ’grammability? We’ll soon find out. From the team behind The Pizza Bakery and Paris Panini come smash burger spot Smash Guys in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar. It promises to bring the crispy-edged, high-heat sear of American smash-style burgers in a space that pays homage to classic diner culture. At Smash Guys, punters can sample buns like the PB & Bacon Smash, the bone-marrow-laced Flintstone, the Nashville fried chicken and the Buffalo chicken; and side dishes like truffle wedges, deep-fried Oreos, as well as instant fav Old Monk chocolate mousse, in a 45-seater diner with booth seating, communal benches, and a live kitchen.

Mamma Killa, Delhi

Zorawar Kalra’s private members-only sanctum of a bar is up the flight of stairs (blocked by a red velvet rope and manned by a guard) from Swan, also owned by him. The stairs lead to the rooftop bar that’s named in tribute to the Moon Goddess from Inca mythology, in keeping with the Aztec theme. Once you’ve made it to the list and past the door, the experience of Mamma Killa rests in its Aztec inspiration. Here, most of the cocktails and food have been inspired from Latin American and Mexican cuisines. Their pride and joy is the cocktail menu, completely on-trend with a food- and dessert-based twist, carefully put together by their beverage manager, Suvrat Mahindroo. The Pizza-illa is like a pizza in a glass with a pesto-washed tequila, while the Milky Way combines the umami of a shiitake and tiramisu cordial with the smoothness of hazelnut-butter-washed whiskey. (Read the full story by Deepali Dhingra.)

NOX, Westin Mumbai Powai Lake

A brand-new rooftop bar brings cutting chai mezcal negronis and curry leaf- and cardamom-infused gin alongside Mediterranean classics such as calzone, gambero picante, and forest mushroom risotto to Powai’s Westin with a side of sprawling views of the city and lake. Big-city design meets lakeside lounging—the 9,800-sqft NOX’s industrial-chic, open-air deck, alcoves, and nooks are warmly lit and plushly furnished.

The Paris Coffeehouse, Delhi

Surabhi and Sahil Mehta, founders of Paris My Love, a made-to-order French boulangerie and patisserie, are about to launch a cafe called The Paris Coffeehouse in GK2’s M Block. More about this soon!

Morjim Culture, Goa

It’s monsoon, but try stopping us from going to the beach. The newest open-all-year-round beachside spot in Goa is by the gang behind Coffee Culture. Morjim Culture is all things trendy at once—cafe by day, sundowner by dusk, and speakeasy(ish) after dark. As the day progresses, it segues from smoothie bowls with oat mylk espressos and Dirty Matchas, to Malibu coconut cosmos with golden kataifi prawns and Vietnamese beach bowls, to raw mango picantes and coffee-spiked negronis.

POP-UPS, SPECIALS and NEW MENUS

New treats, tunes, and brews at Bandra Born, Mumbai

New treats, tunes, and brews at Bandra Born, Mumbai

Chef Gresham’s delicious playground has some new games. Additions to his Mumbai menu include a savoury spin on the cheeni malai toast with podi butter and creamed stracciatella on cumin focaccia, and a retro revival of Salt Water Cafe’s famous chicken liver pate with strawberry jelly. We’re excited about the stir-fried morning glory Bandra-fied with choris, and are chuckling over the description of the tenderloin pepper fry. On the cocktail menu, there is The Impressionist (mezcal, amaretto, umeshu, Italian lemon, egg) and Peppered but Cute (Malfy limone gin, dry vermouth, pickled peppercorn, coconut oil). Go visit this evening (June 4, 6:30 pm onwards). Alongside some ales and IPAs, Great State Ale Works is presenting Great State of Mind, a limited-edition vinyl compilation celebrating India’s diverse and vibrant independent music scene.

La Loca Maria Taqueria, Mumbai

Red corn, purple chips, pistachio churros—La Loca Maria (LLM) is building on a limited menu they had in 2019 to briefly convert LLM into a taqueria. All manner of ingredients have been braised, flame-grilled, charred, slow-braised, and barbecued for this menu. In vegetarian tacos: tempura avocado, sweet potato, smoky chipotle, tomatillo sauce; black bean, corn salsa, and crumbled goat cheese; and charred zucchini and crispy Brussel sprouts with guac and sticky BBQ sauce. In non-vegetarian: prawn al pastor, pineapple, and pickled cabbage; tenderloin tacos piratas, guacamole, chimichurri, pico de gallo, guajillo chili sauce; braised lamb adobo, and more. Also here: tostones and tetelas, griddled triangle masa pockets stuffed with king oyster mushroom or confit duck leg.

Vino vacays in The Holland House, Nashik

A glass of sparkling wine at check-in marks the beginning of a stay centred on wine and food, in that order. The Holland House, a new chalet-style property in Nashik by India’s only Master of Wine, Sonal C Holland, offers wine experiences, guided tastings, masterclasses, and sit-down dinners paired with top-tier Indian and international wines. Tailored sessions exploring global wine regions, varietals, and curated food pairings are available thanks to an in-house sommelier. Guests who are feeling fancier may also request an exclusive masterclass led by Holland herself. Because it’s Maharashtra, Kolhapuri chicken and bharli wangi sit as well on pairings as butter garlic prawns and truffle mushroom risotto. Venues span the 2.5-acre space, so you can enjoy snacks pre-siesta poolside or sit down for a plated meal in the dining room.

High tea at Nksha, Mumbai

To meet the needs of peckish hours, 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, Nksha in Churchgate has laid out a table filled with the sort of small indulgences that we forgive ourselves for before sunset. There is paneer kathi roll, avocado sev puri, Jodhpuri mirchi vada, besan nankhatai, malai chaap, masala chai, dalgona coffee (remember that?) and masala shikanji. Skip dinner, I suppose.

KOKO goes experimental, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai

All of June, KOKO’s chef Eric Sifu is presenting never-seen-before, experimental hot takes on Asian flavours. There’s a crab tempura sushi with water chestnut and Thai chilli, chicken (or prawn) in peppercorn oil, gently steamed ultrasoft tofu in chilli bean sauce, plant protein tempura in a sushi roll with avocado and lantern chillies, lettuce wraps with wok-tossed seitan in Sichuan seasoning, and, just the thing for wet weather—mouth-numbing mala lamb.

A cocktail menu inspired by a turtle at Kamei, Delhi

This Asian restaurant in the capital will launch a new cocktail menu tomorrow called Kamei’s Odyssey. It’s inspired by a turtle’s life and its thirst for adventure and flavour, following six ‘sacred passages’: birth, awakening, journey, return, release and transcendence. We’ll tell you what’s really on it in a couple of days.

Lady GooGoo back at Bomras, Goa

On Saturday June 14, Phyu Cyn aka Lady Good Goo, the ‘Burmese Nomad Chef’, is back with her iteration of Anglo-Burmese flavours to chef Bawmra Jap’s award-winning Anjuna Garden restaurant. This time, we have details about her menu in advance. There is Bay of Bengal seafood salad spilling over with clams, a cold zoodle salad of Bagan gourd, Burmese mochi with jaggery topped with long shreds of coconut, Anglo-Burmese crab masala with black rice, and a “golden-hearted cooler” with coconut, tapioca pearls, and pandan noodles. Bawmra calls Cyn his “sister from the south”, so expect plenty of banter served at your table.

Mizu Izakaya pops up at The Conservatory, Bengaluru

From June 13 to 15, chef Lakhan Jethani will take Mizu to The Conservatory in Bengaluru with an eight-course and a chef’s tasting menu. Among the fun flavour combinations on the menu: fresh salmon with house-made gondhoraj-truffle vinaigrette and wasabi crème fraîche; fatty tuna with mentai bread, black garlic, and a 62-degree egg yolk sauce; sweet potato korokke with cheese custard and ikura; and fire-grilled scallops with miso corn mousse and mentaiko butter. The chef’s table, a more limited seating, has an extended nigiri progression with chūtoro, toro, foie gras aburi and Hokkaido scallop, alongside warm dishes like chawanmushi with tobiko and shimeji, and uni rice finished with Beluga caviar.

Seefah at Kopitiam Lah, Bengaluru

Masak masak translates to ‘cook cook’ in Malay, and means cooking casually and playfully with friends. To celebrate Kopitiam Lah’s first anniversary, Joonie Tan is inviting friends over to her kitchen. The first one is chef Seefah, who also has a pop-up at Goa’s Bar Outrigger this weekend and will bring her signature dishes from Mumbai, such as Saan grilled pork, chilli cereal prawns, miso-glazed bone marrow with wasabi and jalapeño salsa, with toasted shokupan, fresh crab meat fried rice, and much, much more. Available for lunch and dinner on June 21 and 22. Book here.

Mirai’s omakase meal, Mumbai

Thrice a week, six people get to feast on 18 courses over 90 minutes at Mirai’s dedicated omakase counter. Omakase, which means ‘I leave it up to you’, has the chef deciding what you will eat, allowing for leaps of inspiration and creativity using ingredients that are currently available. Which means, there is no way to say what’s on the menu until you show up. What’s guaranteed is nama (freshly brewed, unpasteurised) sake.

Radio Bar opens in Hyderabad

Hyderabad’s HITEC City seems to have an endless capacity for dining and drinking. Most recently, it’s the location for the decade-old Mumbai’s Radio Bar’s second outpost. Here, the menu also features locally loved flavours in dishes such as RB’s Ultimate Kodi Chips, Guntur chilli chicken tikka, gongura paneer with bagara pulao, and khatti teekhi tandoori mahi, alongside other RB faves such as the lamb smashburger, St Kilda chicken parmy, and prawn thermidor. Mixologist Bensan Varghese’s highlights include the Gulabo Margarita and Radio’s Espresso Martini.

Coffee Island, New Delhi

Hankering for a bliss bowl, a custard croissant, and a Bobastic Coffeeccino at 3 am on a Thursday in GK2? Coffee Island’s got you. The massive European coffee chain headquartered in Greece has opened its third outlet in the country, in GK2’s M Block. And like its first two Indian locations in Gurugram and Hyderabad, this one is open 24/7. The brand is gearing up for more openings in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune, with a bold plan to open 250 cafes across India by 2029. They’re all tailored to keep us caffeinated around the clock.

FATHER’S DAY SPECIALS

Raise a toast to dad at Foo in Bengaluru

Starting today, for 10 days, Foo’s Garden City outpost will serve a cocktail menu that’s devoted to fatherly advice and humour. On the limited-release menu, (D)Advice on the Rocks with smoky Laphroaig, nutty Amaretto and orange bitters topped with an almond chocolate dome, and a tribute to dad jokes with strawberry-yogurt-washed Bacardi, banana liqueur, mirin cordial, and sparkling wine called Sir-Jokes-a-Lot.

Take pops to Hylo’s brunch, Mumbai

The grazing table has an Indian cheese board, eggplant borani with crackers, Congress peanuts, and aam papad chaat. There is a separate chaat station with Banarasi tamatar ki chaat and puchka. Fully local salads include Shaadi Wala Russian Salad and Nepali aloo ko achar. A Himalayan live counter brings Mizoram sanpiau—a rice congee with soy-braised chicken or mushrooms. The Mumbai Ki Baarish section has veg and mutton momos, Bangalore chicken kebab, and dal wada. Mains include Bihari mutton curry, Goan prawn curry, and Bhutanese ema datshi with tingmo. Desserts feature jalebi-rabdi, chocolate sandwiches, Victoria Iyengar tart, and rasmalai cake. Optional: bottomless cocktails. Not optional: taking the rest of the day off.

Get grilled at JW Marriott, Kolkata

A backyard cookout, but in a nice hotel in Kolkata? This Sunday, dads can play pitmasters at ‘Grill and Graze’, or they can also merely kick back and watch grill-side theatrics by the kitchen team as they fire up a bacon flight featuring thick-cut bacon glazed three ways: sticky bourbon-maple, fiery honey-sriracha, and smoky black pepper caramel. Or grilled avocado and corn salad. Or BBQ pulled-pork hash on sweet potatoes and roasted red peppers topped with a runny egg on a cast-iron skillet. Or mini buttermilk pancake sliders layered with sausage, egg, and cheddar, drizzled with maple-dijon sauce for the perfect sweet-and-savoury bite. One dish is Bengal meets brunch meets BBQ: smoked rewaji mutton benedict with chipotle hollandaise.

Say ‘Dear Dad’ at Si Nonna’s, Surat, Delhi, Indore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru

Want to let your old man know how much you appreciate him, but finding it hard to say it to his face? Take him for a slice of sourdough with a side of senti. On June 14 and 15, diners can head over to any Si Nonna’s outlet and leave a sweet message, note, or letter for their pops (or they can DM Si Nonna’s). The message gets pinned on a ‘Dear Dad’ board at the restaurant and pops can take a look when you take him over for a meal over Father’s Day weekend. Kids of all ages can also sign up for a ‘Pizza With Papa’ session, a hands-on pizza-making experience where they can assemble a custom-made pie together.

Shake it up at Donmai, Mumbai

Every father dining at Donmai on Sunday will be invited to create his own complimentary cocktail with Donmai’s bartenders. He’ll get to shake and stir a range of libations, from smoky infusions to citrus-forward mixes. The brunch menu (₹3,199 for adults) includes unlimited small plates, like furikake chips, spicy edamame, avocado and tuna uramaki, miso glazed eggplant, as well as robata-style bites like beef tsukune, shishito peppers, and grilled corn. Mains have yaki soba, yakimeshi, and rich katsu curry.

Dad jokes at Ode, Mumbai

This Sunday’s boozy brunch is an Ode to Bob. Bob’s what chef Rahul Akerkar’s daughters Shaan and Amalia sometimes call their dad. For this family affair, Akerkar and his girls will get behind the bar at Ode for a shift filled with “strong pours, dad jokes, and delicious chaos”. Anyone can see that Akerkar’s sense of humour is all over the drinks menu.

Here goes… Bob’s Your Uncle has Singleton, amaretto, coffee liqueur, and ginger juice; Hedonistic Homer has Singleton with passionfruit, lime, and cacao bitters; Rool da Phool adds a floral-spiced twist to Singleton; Bloody Bob has tomato, fennel, cucumber, and rosemary; The Bobbit is sharp with kaffir lime; Bob & Daughters is smoky, punchy, and playful. If you’re going, plan for a long brunch, messy desserts, and a vast menu that begs for second helpings. Truffle scrambled eggs are layered with creamed spinach, shimeji mushrooms, and chive crème fraîche on sourdough. Golden, airy Dutch Baby has citrus honey and fresh berries. Also on offer are smoked salmon benny; khamang lobster salad tossed with coconut, crustacean rouille, peas, and peanut thecha; buff cheek ciabatta with honey-chilli bacon and gruyère; pork belly carbonara risotto with egg bottarga and parmesan crisp. Fibre followers, here’s a chance to try okra flatbread with jalapeño and feta cream, and wood-fired mushroom lasagne with smoked ricotta and kale. Fight the nap with espresso granita with whipped vanilla mascarpone and brioche, among other sugar rushes.

Send over a Glenmorangie Infinita 18-year-old single malt

Not near your paterfamilias this Sunday? Send a good bottle over, one that mom can share and you can also dip into when you visit. Glenmorangie Infinita 18-year-old is a rich but accessible quaff, gently honeyed and floral with notes of orange blossom, jasmine, and lemon blossom, layered with dried fruit and spice, and a whiff of warm campfire smoke. Friends and folks who have tried it have all nodded in approval after a couple of sips.