Every month, India’s restaurant scene finds another way to keep us interested. September and October's openings range from a hidden cocktail bar in Versova that begins with a secret code to a basement tasting menu that serves regional Indian food in 18 verses. There’s Portuguese baking in a Bandra bungalow, a chocolate bar in Hyderabad, Japanese-style sandos in Bengaluru and a Jaipur restaurant bringing its Kashmiri roots to a new city.
Coffee, too, is getting more adventurous, with omakase tastings and barrel-aged brews entering the mix. Whether you’re in the mood for a long lunch, a new neighbourhood café or a night that calls for a more theatrical drink, here are the openings worth knowing about this month.
Hidden behind an unmarked door in the basement of an Asian restaurant, Fitour is a 14-seater tasting-menu experience led by Chef Ashwin Singh, whose previous kitchens include Gaggan in Bangkok and Masque in Mumbai. Instead of conventional courses, Singh presents the meal as 18 verses, bringing poetry, music and playful surprises into regional Indian cooking.
What to try: The karela-amla pani puri, the thepla-inspired farsan and the mogra dessert.
Tucked inside a Portuguese bungalow in Chimbai Village, Bandra, Pastel is a bakery and all-day café founded by twins Yash and Simran Advani, with Head Chef Supriya Asgaokar leading the kitchen. The Portuguese egg tart, pastel de nata, gets its own dedicated corner, while the rest of the menu revolves around fresh pastries, house-baked breads, coffee and café staples. Drop in for a quick coffee or settle in for a leisurely breakfast.
What to try: Pastel de nata, the chargrilled chicken sando and loaded French toast.
Trapdoor has opened in Versova with a speakeasy-style experience built around progressive mixology and immersive theatre. Entry begins at a retro telephone booth, which guests unlock using a code shared after booking. Inside, the six-course cocktail pairing takes the place of a conventional drinks menu, with bartenders guiding guests through a sequence of creations that combine distinct flavours, presentations and storytelling.
What to try: The six-course cocktail omakase
Set inside Colaba’s heritage Amarchand Mansion, Fieno pairs Italian countryside cooking with a setting that preserves the building’s arched ceilings and original columns. Chef Bruno Ferrari leads the kitchen, while sommelier Nikhil Agarwal oversees a wine list spanning 120 labels from Italy and beyond.
What to try: The olive oil tasting, slow-fermented pizzas, lamb meatballs and tableside desserts
The Alter Ego splits its personality between Blanco downstairs and Noir upstairs. Led by Krish Shah, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and previously worked at The Bombay Canteen, the restaurant draws on his experiences in London, New York and Mumbai. Blanco is geared towards relaxed lunches and brunches, while Noir brings an island bar and more playful plates. A private ten-seater dining room within Noir allows guests to order from both menus.
What to try: Truffle edamame upma, sol kadhi ceviche and sticky toffee pudding.
Drawing on its sister restaurants Blondie and Janu, The Blondie House is a Japanese-inspired all-day café designed for matcha breaks, casual meals and lingering afternoons. Earthy interiors, handmade ceramics and colourful murals give the space a relaxed feel, while the menu brings together favourites from both restaurants, alongside bakes and a froyo cart. There is also a matcha omakase programme and a retail corner, with workshops, tastings and book-club gatherings planned as part of the café’s community offering.
What to try: Thai red curry ramen noodles, mutton pepper dosa and salted caramel cold foam
Australian gourmet burger brand Burgertory has made its Mumbai debut with its first store in Andheri. The menu is divided into two playful camps, Saints and Sinners. The former is the menu to go for if you want something light. The latter goes all in on indulgence. Alongside familiar burger formats, the brand adds local influences to its lineup, making this a stop for anyone who likes their burgers with a little more personality than the usual cheeseburger.
What to try: The Seoul Smash, Chipotle Stack and Kerala fried chicken burger
Bloody Dangerous is a cocktail bar in Goa that goes all in on the eerie. The entrance is lined in deep red lights and the interiors are filled with unsettling, theatrical details. The concept invites guests to engage with the things they might usually find frightening. The drinks follow suit, with combinations built around fruit, tea and agave spirits with an added spooky twist. The food menu offers substantial bar bites to accompany.
What to try: The Jigsaw cocktail, Dangerous Disco and smoked-duck dirty chips
Jaipur-based The Forresta has arrived in Goa with a sprawling 35,000-square-foot destination framed by tropical greenery and colonial-inspired architecture. Multiple dining areas, an open terrace and al fresco corners give the venue different moods throughout the day, be it breezy brunches or sundowners. The menu moves across global comfort food, pairing seafood-led preparations with Italian classics and casual sharing plates.
What to try: The crispy chilli chonak, kingfish ceviche and Tuscan cannelloni
Nām is an 80-seater contemporary Thai restaurant in Hauz Khas. It features an 18-foot bar overlooking the open kitchen and a cosy atmosphere to boot. An ’80s disco soundtrack sets the mood as the kitchen works through punchy salads, fire-roasted grills and smoky stir-fries. The menu offers a broad take on Thai flavours, with a mix of seafood, meat and sweet finishes for a relaxed meal.
What to try: The Nām prawn donuts, grilled coconut sambal fish and Biscoff sticky rice
Hidden below M-Block Market in Greater Kailash II, The Dark Side builds its identity around the Seven Deadly Sins. Chef Aditya Mohan’s menu favours indulgent comfort food over formal fine dining, while seven signature cocktails follow the same thematic framework. Unlike its sister bar Refuge, which focuses on precision and spirit-forward drinks, The Dark Side is deliberately more casual, built for familiar food and easy cocktails.
What to try: The Anthony Bourdain Sandwich, mac and cheese with chorizo and the signature cocktails.
Freddy Who is a contemporary Asian restaurant inspired by classic hotel bars and private members’ clubs. Oxblood accents, warm wood, brass detailing and a monolithic bar shape the interiors, creating intimate corners for dinner and drinks. The menu focuses on modern Asian flavours, with seafood, robata cooking and more indulgent options, while the cocktail list moves from savoury and smoky to tropical and spirit-forward. It is designed for repeat visits as much as a special night out.
What to try: The Hokkaido scallops, Freddy’s caramelised chicken and king shroom robata
Hyderabad’s award-winning craft chocolate brand Manam Chocolate has opened its first standalone beverage bar, combining a live drinks counter with retail. Chocolate takes several forms here, from indulgent shakes to more functional protein-focused drinks. The menu also lets you customise your beverages, making the space an easy stop for a shopping break or an afternoon chocolate fix.
What to try: The blueberry oat iced chocolate, custard matcha iced chocolate and malted chocolate chai
MaatriBhoomi draws on a 14,000-kilometre journey across India to explore indigenous ingredients, regional recipes and heritage cooking techniques. Instead of focusing on one state or cuisine, the restaurant moves between lesser-known regional preparations and familiar comfort food.
What to try: The temple-style khichdi, Mathura-style Braj ki subzi and regional thalis
Delhi restaurant Chor Bizarre has opened a 55-seater at the InterContinental Jaipur, carrying over its eclectic interiors filled with antique furniture, memorabilia and retro Bollywood posters. A private Kashmiri dining room encourages guests to gather around carved chinar wood tables for a wazwan-style meal. Kashmiri cuisine leads the menu, though the restaurant also draws on regional signatures from elsewhere in India.
What to try: Tabak maaz, goshtaba, dum aloo and the khus and mango gimlet
Alpaca is a chocolate drink house in Bengaluru built around the idea of slowing down and exploring cacao in different forms. Guests can choose from eight cacao intensities, different milks and a range of inclusions and toppings, from spices to marshmallow and whipped cream. A rotating selection of bakes accompanies the drinks, while the Cacao Atlas introduces different traditions of chocolate drinking around the world, from thick Spanish-style chocolate to milky Swiss and caramel-forward Vietnamese versions.
What to try: The Spanish-style hot chocolate, Vietnamese-style chocolate and rotating bakes
Goonj is an Indian food house and cocktail destination on Indiranagar’s 100 Feet Road, built around memories of Indian music, colours, family kitchens and changing seasons. Its 75-seater space carries the same idea into the interiors, while the cocktail menu is split into Nostalgia and Colour. The drinks use techniques such as clarification, infusion, distillation and carbonation, giving the familiar references a contemporary treatment.
What to try: The Nazaakat, Sawan and Kohinoor cocktails
Toast House takes inspiration from the convenience-store sandwiches and soft breads popular in Japan and Thailand, building a menu around pillowy shokupan filled with sweet and savoury combinations. The selection moves from fruit sandos with whipped cream to Japanese-inspired egg and chicken sandwiches, with French toast adding a more indulgent option.
What to try: The chicken katsu sando, tamago sando and burnt caramel French toast
The All American Diner, the Delhi-born restaurant that has been around for two decades, has arrived in Hyderabad in a new avatar. Its interiors take cues from classic American diners, with cherry-red seatsa, chrome accents and a jukebox. The menu sticks to hearty American comfort food, from breakfast plates and stacked pancakes to burgers, hot dogs, milkshakes and classic desserts.
What to try: The sunrise skillets, milkshakes and pecan pie
Located one level below Asian restaurant Lili, Foxie is a compact cocktail bar inspired by the nine-tailed fox of Asian folklore. Artist Siddharth Kerkar has created 100 fox-inspired artworks for the space, while the drinks menu features nine signatures built around ingredients such as black tea, puffed rice, mung bean and mulberry tea. The food is designed to pair with the drinks, bringing seafood, duck and vegetable preparations into the mix.
What to try: The truffle lobster cone, hoisin duck zambusa and signature cocktails
Hyderabad bake space Du Jour has moved beyond its cloud-kitchen beginnings with a 15-seater outlet dedicated to viennoiserie, specialty coffee and matcha. Its signature Crobun combines the laminated layers of a croissant with the shape of a bun, made using French butter and an extended fermentation and baking process. The range spans chocolate, pistachio, fruit and caramel variations, while savoury options broaden the appeal beyond the sweet counter.
What to try: The Signature Chocolate Crobun, Pistachio and Raspberry Crobun, and Cheese & Olive savoury bake
Jaipur-born Swinton House has opened on Park Street, Kolkata, expanding its café, cocktail bar and nightlife concept to a new city. While its original property was imagined as a heritage home, the Kolkata outpost takes the form of Mr. Swinton’s apartment, with themed spaces inspired by a bedroom, office and library. Chef Prince Beniwal’s menu, titled “Kolkata, Reimagined,” combines European café cooking with Bengali flavours and street-food favourites, bringing the city’s culinary identity into the restaurant’s playful setting.
What to try: The Bhetki fish croquette with kasundi mashed potato, Mishti Doi cheesecake and Kosha Mangsho