From Rola to The Mahjong Club: 9 New Restaurants and Cafés In Mumbai To Try This September

Mumbai has an overwhelming amount of restaurants, “hidden gems” and cafés opening up every week, which means keeping up with the city’s dining scene is like an endless game that you’re at the risk of losing at.

Some places deserve your time and money, and for some, you definitely should skip out on standing in a line, waiting for 45 minutes to probably get in. We’ve put together nine of the newer openings around Bombay that you can try before they blow up on your socials, from French toast and specialty coffee to Mahjong, cocktails and all-day dining, that are worth putting on your list this September.

Pali Hills’ newest all-day diner comes from hospitality entrepreneur Puneet Anand, the founder of Anandvan Resort in Bhandardara. Rola moves between breakfast, lunch and dinner, with home-style Indian curries, Neapolitan pizzas and a specialty coffee programme, along with an outdoor coffee cart. The pizza menu includes a Kejriwal Pizza with a sunny-side-up egg, green chillies and cheese, along with a Truffle Malai Chicken Tikka Pizza. There’s also a Chai & Parle-G Cheesecake for anyone who considers dessert a perfectly reasonable reason to visit.

Rost has taken one concept of its own and given it an entire address: French toast and coffee. Founded by cousins Param Arora and Abhishek Chaurasia, the Khar café has a menu developed with MasterChef India finalist and Development Chef Karishma Sakhrani, with brioche used for both sweet and savoury versions. There’s the Nashville with crispy fried chicken and skin-on fries, Nepo Baby with mushrooms, Eggs Fury with a tornado egg omelette, and Ube Coconut French Toast. The coffee menu goes beyond the usual flat whites and cold brews, with a Rost Affogato and toasted brioche latte with French toast sticks.

Linking House has arrived on Linking Road, surprise, surprise! It has an all-day menu, so every time is a good time to go. Founded by Riya Goon and Vivek Chandaliya, the 4,000 sq ft space moves from coffee, breakfast and bakery items into lunch, high tea, dinner and cocktails. Chefs Satish Rawat and Venkatesh Swamy lead a menu that moves through Eastern, Mediterranean and Latin influences, with dishes including Cottage Cheese Tonkatsu Sando, Crispy Cafreal Chicken Sando, Mojo Fish Skewers, Curry Leaf Cottage Cheese and Lamb Rendang.

JOKER on Turner Road is a space where you can plan your coffee and cocktail plans around. It starts as a specialty coffee bar, with drinks such as Joker Twist Granita, Frost and Fortune Cold Brew and a Brandy Barrel Aged Pour Over, before turning into a cocktail bar in the evening. The food follows the same easygoing approach, with Beer Batter Fish & Chips, Boom Boom Prawns, Moroccan Pulled Lamb on Sourdough and a Mountain Chilli Cottage Cheese Rice Bowl. The Bandra opening comes from Aspect Hospitality, which is also behind The Mahjong Club.

Even Steven is a 25-seater Bandra diner from Geeta Amin and Timanshu Mokal, with Chef Christopher Fernandes developing both its food and beverage menus. The sandwich section is the heart of the place, with house-made breads used for everything from a Fried Chicken Donut with hot honey and smoked cream cheese to the Pain Suisse Smash with a double beef patty, cheddar and black garlic aioli. There is plenty for vegetarians too, including a Grilled Halloumi sandwich and roasted red pepper rigatoni. The drinks menu has Coca-Cola Espresso, Tiramisu Iced Coffee and Island Pineapple Coffee.

The Mahjong Club is a café whose concept is built around the increasingly popular tile game, which everyone has just grown to love more and more over the months. Above Radio Bar in Khar, the Aspect Hospitality project welcomes beginners with lessons and guided play, while regulars can book tables, join open games or sign up for tournaments. Food is Pan-Asian and designed for sharing, with Edamame Truffle Dim Sum, Asparagus Avocado Uramaki, Ma La Chilli Prawns and Salmon Crudo Bowls on the menu. There’s also a Golden Tile Latte, Jade Matcha Cloud and Four Winds Coffee Tonic to keep things on theme.

The Tuck Shop at Savio’s is a tiny nook tucked into the lanes of Bandra West, with the kind of nostalgic feeling everyone loves. Srishti Sawhney has made the space feel a little like sitting in someone’s drawing room, with wholesome food, coffee and plenty of nostalgia spread around it. The keema pav and a good coffee are the specialties here.

The Powder Room opened at Mansionz One on Linking Road on September 3, bringing together cocktails, food and Afro-jazz in a setting inspired by African design. Chef Sahil Singh’s menu is described as “MediterrAsian”, drawing from Asian ingredients and techniques alongside Mediterranean cooking, with tapas, robata, flammkuchen, pasta, crudos and plancha dishes. The Truffle Potato Mille Feuille with smoked wasabi crème fraîche, Duck Shawarma Gyoza and Powder Bread with black truffle and Sichuan pepper mornay are among the dishes to look out for. The bar programme comes from Anonymous Food Labs, the team behind Delhi’s Lair and AABBCC.

Versova has a new specialty café in BBRWN, founded by Drishti Gundecha, with coffee and ceremonial matcha at the centre of the menu. The food includes almond flour cookies, sugar-free bakes, a mushroom truffle sandwich, hot sweet avocado and a chef’s special malai toast with a chocolate yoghurt bowl. For drinks, there’s the South Bombay Cold Coffee, Mont Blanc and Coconut Cloud Espresso. There is also a small secret menu of signature creations for anyone who wants to go beyond the usual coffee-and-toast order.