15 new restaurants and menus across India to eat your way through

Lately, there seems to be a new restaurant popping up on the Indian culinary scene every few weeks, and we’re not complaining. Be it an all-women kitchen in Jodhpur doling out Tamil fare, a new cocktail bar in Goa or a new menu at a popular Japanese restaurant in Mumbai’s Bandra, the options (and opportunities!) for diners have never been so vast. 

Bookmark these restaurants and menus across Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Jodhpur, Goa, and Bengaluru for the next time you’re contemplating where to eat.

Mumbai

AER 

AER at Four Seasons Mumbai, one of the city’s most happening rooftop bars, is back in a brand-new avatar, inspired by the interiors of a yacht club. Designed by architect Phillip Pond, the bar is re-imagined to give a nautical vibe, with a central bar that can be accessed from all sides. The menu gets a makeover too—expect hand-crafted cocktails that reflect the seasons (with names like Clear Skies, Thunderheads, and Cumulus) and balanced non-alcoholic concoctions, along with a selection of small and large plates featuring a mix of global cuisines that are a nod to the coast too. 

Izumi—new menu 

In order to celebrate five years since its opening, Izumi, the Japanese restaurant in Bandra, favourite with the city’s crowd, has launched a new menu. From sashimi, ramen, and small plates, to cocktails and desserts, there are ample never-seen-before dishes to try. The kale and curried prawn salad as well as scallop tartare are a must try. Fans of all things fried should give the rock shrimp and squid tempura a go. Ramen is Izumi’s specialty, so don’t miss the spicy miso ramen on the menu. 
The desserts get an overhaul too—sample the dual-layered basque cheesecake, the mango mille feuille, or the tart au chocolat served with a scoop of berry sorbet. 

Circle Sixty Nine  

From the group behind the restaurant Masque, comes a new bistro inside the leafy Kathiawada City House nestled in a heritage art deco bungalow. Circle Sixty Nine, helmed by Aditi Dugar and Sangita Kathiawada, puts the spotlight on European fare made with fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. The menu has dishes like beetroot and orange salads, barramundi ceviches, eggplant brûlée, and braised pork belly. Pair them with an extensive list of house breads, desserts, and sorbets. Of course, where there’s a bistro there will be wine—Circle Sixty Nine has a wide range to choose from. 

Morii Cafe

There’s no dearth of cute cafes in Bandra, but Morii Cafe sets itself apart by offering plant-based ice creams and desserts that are as good (and indulgent) as their dairy counterparts. From cheesecakes like the seasonal blueberry mango, to moreish mocha cakes and mascarpone tarts, there’s much to choose from. Don’t miss their scoops, which come in flavours like caramel cookie dough, lemon olive oil, and more.

Paul and Mike Cafe 

The Kerala-based home-grown chocolate brand Paul and Mike has ventured into the cafe arena with their new offering in Kemps Corner. The tiny space with just enough space for three guests delivers big on flavours with desserts crafted using their chocolate—try the pain au Suisse, a classic French pastry with custard and chocolate chips inside laminated dough, gooey brownies, or the uniquely-named ‘0-100’, which has layers of chocolate sponge, ganache, cremeux, mousse, and toppings all made with different chocolates ranging from milk to extra dark. Wash it all down with single-origin coffee by Bili Hu. 

O Pedro—new menu 

Change of seasons means a new menu at O Pedro, the modern Goan-inspired restaurant and bar at BKC. Their summer menu is a refreshing mix of fruity tipples made with seasonal stars like jamun, chiku, mango, and melon, and an exciting selection of dishes. Pair appetisers and mains like stir-fry mushroom sukh-he, Bosco’s pan roll, Goan tomato phaji, and Rita’s chicken omelette curry with your drink of choice—we suggest the tart Strange Sour made with gin and jamun cordial, or the rum-based Chiku Punch with spices, lime juice, green tea, and sugar. Don’t miss the goat cheese cake served with fresh mango coulis, candied pistachio, and toasted cookie crumbs.

Delhi-NCR 

Chard 

After its wild success as a delivery-only service, Chard finally has a brick-and-mortar space in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar neighbourhood. Started by chefs and partners Hanisha Singh and Jamsheed Bhote (who are also behind Plats, a modern European restaurant in Malviya Nagar), the restaurant serves their crowd-favourite burgers along with small plates like pimento cheese poppers, charred corn ribs, along with heartier dishes like vegetable platters and tender barbeque ribs. Choose from burgers like hot fried chicken, tenderloin with Korean bulgogi glaze, and double lamb with smoked bacon among others. Finish off your decadent meal with their ice cream sundaes and desserts. 

Mia’s 

Inspired by a British pub but given an Indian twist, Mia’s is the latest addition to GK-2’s flourishing culinary scene. The kitchen is helmed by chef Anahita Dhondy Bhandari, with a menu that spotlights old-school pub grub—think grilled fish doused in a lemon-butter sauce, jumbo prawns in pesto with cherry tomatoes, bar bites like marinated olives and wafers, out-of-the-box millet salads, and decadent desserts like their signature tiramisu. 

Pret a Manger 

After opening two outlets in Mumbai, beloved British fresh food chain has made its way to the north, opening up a new branch in Gurugram’s DLF Cyberhub. You can enjoy all the usual Pret favourites here, from their popular sandwiches like the chicken super club granary sandwich or the hummus and chipotle chicken wrap, salads, baked goods, and more. Of course, there’s a wide range of drinks to go with them—pick from coffee that you can customise with non-dairy milks, teas, smoothies and shakes.  

Greenr (GK-1)

This one has quickly become a favourite for folks in Delhi, and we are so glad there is another branch of this vegetarian and vegan cafe. Everything on the menu is carefully crafted, thoughtfully sourced, and made in-house. Above all, it as mouth-smacking as any food gets—we aren't missing the meat. Special mention to their asparagus tempura sushi (even the wasabi is made in-house), all the pizzas, and their baja black bean nachos. If there is one thing you can't miss out on, it's their mushroom and truffle oil risotto. 

Burma Burma (across cities) 

Burma Burma, the popular Burmese restaurant serving all-vegetarian fare across Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, is here with an all-new menu that marries traditional Burmese recipes with exciting flavours. Start with the small plates like soba noodles with tea leaf pesto, crunchy shiitake fingers, or the taro and tempeh pan-seared bao before moving onto the mains that feature wholesome noodle and rice bowls. If you’re looking for a refreshing and light meal, their salads, like the Aunty Pey Pey’s guava salad, which is inspired by a lady, who is known for whipping up salads with unique ingredients, the team met in Burma. The plated desserts are a must-try too—we love the samuza cheesecake. They have a range of artisanal ice creams on offer, too, with flavours like dark chocolate and olive oil, durian fruit, and pineapple Energee. 

Jodhpur 

Unaavu Kitchen 

Started by Seema Marothi, a homemaker, and Chandni Arora, a PR professional, Unaavu is an all-women run kitchen in Jodhpur. Serving up regional food from different south Indian states, it’s on a mission to bring the myriad cuisines of the southern states to the city’s residents. Most of their ingredients are sourced from farms in Tamil Nadu and everything is prepared by a team of women trained by home cooks from Tamil Nadu. The menu has all the classics, including idiyappams, payasams, sundals, and poriyals among others. They also curate community-style sit-down meals for diners. 

Goa 

Clumsy 

The burgeoning bar scene in Goa continues to grow, and Clumsy, in the state’s Vagator neighbourhood is a chic new addition to the crop. Built around a 70-feet-long swimming pool, and with fun, vibrant interiors, the bar has an exciting drinks menu featuring concoctions like Clumsy Panky, Tequila Blanco, Fernet Branca, Sweet Vermont, and more. The food is just as creative—it focuses on hors d'oeuvre-style small plates meant to be shared. Sample dishes like the scorched avocado that has ripe avocados atop a bed of spicy-smoky beans, fresh cream cheese, and mango salsa on a masa tostada. Meat lovers will enjoy the salumi platter and the bistec asado con chimichurri, which has a seared dry-aged beef loin served with baked sweet potatoes and refreshing chimichurri. 

Bawri 

Bawri, meaning ‘crazy’, is a truly a crazy amalgamation of a charmingly rustic ambience and culinary gems from across the country. Founded by chef Amninder Sandhu and Sahil Sambhi, the restaurant has all the elements of a traditional coastal cottage—bamboo and pottery inspired by Goan crafts, floating cabanas, and a canopy shed housing an open kitchen. During your visit, dig into dishes from all over India—Kashmiri guchhi mushrooms stuffed with mushroom butter and served with ragi and walnuts rub shoulders in the small plates section of the menu with a Naga crispy pork salad and a plant-based ‘pathar ka gosht’ made with Konkani breadfruit. The large plates are just as imaginative, featuring dishes like jackfruit haleem with seeded amaranth roti, a wild mango curry that has Goa’s mangoes grown in the restaurant’s own backyard as the star, and chef Sandhu’s signature raan biryani, among others. Pair your meal with refreshing cocktails and end it on a sweet note with desserts that are fun and indulgent—think bubblegum jalebis, black and white gajar halwa served with a dollop of nolen gur ice cream, and a stuffed Bawri jamun that comes with slow-churned rabdi. 

Bengaluru

Maverick and Farmer—new monsoon menu 

The contemporary coffee shop’s monsoon menu is inspired by ingredients of the rainy and lush Western Ghats, meaning there are plenty of season-appropriate drinks to sip on. Warm up in the slightly chilly weather with the Shoonti Kaapi, a flat white sweetened with palm jaggery and spiced with dried ginger. The smooth Kallu Hoovu cappuccino makes the most of the aroma of stone flower (kallu hoovu) used in traditional Malnad cooking. If you’re an “iced coffee no matter what season it is” person, then the Yellaki and Elaichi cold coffee infused with cardamom and concocted with banana milk will appeal to you.