The Bagel Shop is gone. The Deli is here

When The Bagel Shop, a celebrated Bandra institution, closed its doors earlier this year, the regulars—Bandra locals, Mumbai hipsters, and Carter Road’s dog-walking adults and children—had questions. What could possibly fill the space that The Bagel Shop had carved for itself over its 18-year run? Would the new owners, Nitin Mongia and Dipinder Sandhu, retain it as the kind of casual, unpretentious haunt that made the OG cafe so iconic? Would it remain accessible enough for locals to drop in whenever they liked? Would this new space serve exactly what Bandra diners want to have right now, just like its predecessor did almost two decades ago? Also, importantly, would their pets still be welcome? What about the students who would sit for hours sharing one chocolate fudge cake? And, and, and, what about the bagels?

Luckily, Mongia and Sandhu already had a sense of what they were up against. For the last 20 years Mongia has been running eateries in Alibaug, the coastal idyll that’s now just a Ro-Ro ride away for Mumbai’s elite. There, their all-day casual dining spot, The Deli, is already considered a local favourite for its breakfast—Turkish eggs with labneh, eggs Benedict, smoothies and juices, or pancakes and brownies from the counter for the kids in tow. Now the pair have brought the second outpost of The Deli to Bandra.

The new space brings Alibaug’s relaxed, tropical flavour to the city. While The Bagel Shop opened onto the road, this new space has been enclosed, serving as a modern, minimal retreat from the chaos and Mumbai’s always-dug-up dusty roads. The 48-seater space is upholstered in shades of blue and white with dark wooden furniture and skylights that pull light right in.

Mongia, an Arjuna Award-winning sailor who later discovered his passion for food, is the chef and the brains behind the menu. “It started out because I hated washing dishes. So, I would offer to cook and the rest of the team would wash up,” he recalls. That simple start—the focus on feeding others flavoursome and filling food and drinks—seems to still be the basis of his menu. “I’m not into fusion. I want things to be simple but flavourful, light, and tasty.”

At The Deli, you will find food you can count on for a quick weeknight dinner—think, gently spicy charred corn and kale salad with a hearty buff ragu lasagna, which I could easily declare as my favourites. “We make everything in-house, and the ragu is cooked for almost three hours, which is what makes it nice and rich,” shares Mongia. It’s also the sort of fare that hits the spot after a game of pickleball, when you want a light meal—their iced vanilla sea salt cold foam matcha latte and the chickpea and salmon vitality bowl fit right in. Those who like something more filling can treat themselves to a cracker crust pizza margherita or a slice of cheesecake.

As in Alibaug, the breakfast here is really what sings. Dutch baby pancakes cooked in a skillet and served with lemon curd, or the ham and cheese omelette washed down with a classic Vietnamese iced coffee. Naturally, there are bagels—filled with lox and cream cheese or avocado. For a mid-week indulgence, try their lobster roll, which is not the usual, heavy, butter-filled version. It’s light, perfect for one person, and somehow still leaves room for a tiramisu.

Mongia and his partners worked on the space for months but fate nudged them to hurry along. “We were forced to just open one weekend because one of our neighbours was pulled in while walking her dog. The Bagel Shop was part of the dog’s routine and so he insisted on stopping by,” recalls Mongia’s wife, Dipti, when I meet her on a Saturday afternoon for a matcha latte and a peanut butter chocolate smoothie. Since they have opened, many such anecdotes have played out during the day. She recounts a child who cried when he walked in recently and saw that his favourite restaurant was no longer the same. Soon, he settled down after being enticed by the treats on offer at the deli counter and sampled some of their desserts. Clearly, The Deli is ready to live up to its predecessor. If the kids can give it a try, so can we.

Address: Anand Villa 30, Pali Mala Road, Bandra West, Mumbai

Price: ₹2,200 for two

Timings: 8 am to 11 pm; open all days

Reservations: Call +91 7304463258