Mumbai’s dining scene shows no signs of slowing down. From Japanese-inspired restaurants and ingredient-led cocktail bars to all-day cafés, gourmet retail concepts and beloved favourites expanding across the city, these new openings reflect how hospitality is becoming increasingly experience-driven, localised and story-led. Here’s what to add to your dining radar this month.
House of Akina
Grilled hamachi
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Special arrangement
Aspect Hospitality, known for names like Opa Kipos, Radio Bar and Nom Nom, introduces House of Akina, a new contemporary dining destination in Bandra rooted in Japanese culture but expanding well beyond it. The space is designed to feel more like Akina’s personal home than a typical contemporary restaurant, combining an expansive culinary vision with the intimacy of being hosted.
The menu moves beyond geographic labels, with dishes and cocktails inspired by the atmosphere and memories of specific places. Signature cocktails include Nights in May, layered with citrus and mango; Windflower Waltz, rooted in the monsoon breezes of the Philippines; and The Silk Route, built around saffron, dates and ginger.
The food menu is equally well-travelled. Standout dishes include the refreshing Goi Buoi Bhel, inspired by Vietnamese fruit salads, and the Konkan mushroom teriyaki with kokum and pineapple salsa. Other highlights include Gondhoraj salmon ceviche, where salmon meets green apple and a spicy gondhoraj dressing, and the wonton lamb birria taco. Thecha hakka noodles bring together familiar Indian heat and wok-tossed Asian flavours.
Golden Palace, Turner Road, Bandra West, Mumbai
Adam & Eve
The Brie cocktail
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Special arrangement
At Adam & Eve in Khar, the cocktail takes centrestage. Conceived by Pratik Gaba of HOMM and developed by bartender Pankaj Balachandran, the intimate 25-seater builds its menu around the idea of one ingredient, one story. Positioning itself as a “discovery bar” inspired by the concept of original sin and the biblical tale of Adam and Eve, the space encourages guests to explore familiar ingredients in unfamiliar ways.
Drinks draw from pantry staples and culinary ingredients such as ponzu, enoki mushrooms, moringa honey, yerba mate and even beeswax, which forms the basis of what the bar claims is India’s first beeswax-led cocktail.
The approach is thoughtful rather than gimmicky. A clarified tomato cocktail cleverly reimagines a Bloody Mary, while an enoki-and-truffle whisky drink delivers subtle umami depth. Elsewhere, ponzu lends savoury brightness and moringa honey softens smoky agave spirits. The food, from Kerala fried wings to grilled prawns and hearty rice bowls, is designed to support rather than compete with the drinks.
Shop No. 1, Zindagi CHSL, Pali Road, 15th Road, Khar (W)
Breve 2.0
The breakfast board
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Special arrangement
In a city increasingly crowded with speciality coffee shops, Brevé Café’s new Bandra flagship stands out by offering something beyond caffeine. Founded by Usman Bhadelia, a triathlete, and Farhaz Bhadelia, an experienced coffee roaster and barista, the 36-seater has evolved from a café into a genuine community hub, anchored by its popular Running Late by Brevé run club. The space is designed to accommodate everyone from post-run regulars and remote workers to leisurely brunch-goers.
The menu reflects this lifestyle-first approach. The customisable Breakfast Board is a clever addition, allowing diners to build their ideal morning spread, while dishes such as the Middle Eastern halloumi bowl, miso prawns with soba and the avocado chicken sandwich strike a balance between wholesome and satisfying. Coffee remains the star, particularly the pistachio cold foam cold brew and Brevé signature coconut coffee. Pet-friendly and community-driven, Brevé succeeds because it understands that today’s café culture is as much about connection and routine as it is about what is served in the cup.
Shop G-2, Mount Apartment, St John Baptist Road, Reclamation, Bandra West
Gong
Dan dan noodles
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Parth Gada
As Indian diners develop a deeper appreciation for Japanese cuisine, restaurants are responding with greater nuance. The Japan National Tourism Organization reports that Indian travel to Japan crossed 315,100 visitors in 2025, a 35.2% increase over the previous year. “My wife and I have visited Japan thrice since 2023, and each time we’ve come back with an appreciation for the food,” says Avik Chatterjee of Specialty Restaurants Limited.
That growing curiosity informs Gong, the group’s newest restaurant in Bandra. Designed by Sumessh Menon Associates, the elegant space pairs understated luxury with a menu that explores Japanese cuisine through chuka and itameshi influences, bringing together Japanese techniques with Chinese and Italian takes. Standout dishes include the richly flavoured mapo tofu with miso butter rice, the comforting dan dan udon and the deeply savoury sake duck yakimeshi. Cocktails are equally compelling, particularly akai koji, with Japanese whisky, tamarind and miso syrup, and Kagero, a bright, layered mix of pisco, kaffir lime, wasabi and honey.
8th Floor, Mansionz One, Linking Road, Bandra, Mumbai 400050; meal for two costs ₹3,500 plus taxes
RumBabaa
Flavour-packed bites
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Special arrangement
Andheri’s newly opened all-day café RumBabaa is embracing the summer season with a menu of refreshing cold brews, matcha-led beverages, salads and nourishing bowls, all served in a relaxed, vinyl-led setting designed for lingering through the day.
The seasonal beverage lineup features slow-crafted, fruit-forward cold brews such as the citrus cold brew spritz, orange cold brew and spiced cold brew tonic, alongside coolers like the coconut blue cloud and coco lime soda. Matcha enthusiasts can choose from a variety of options, with the mango matcha standing out for its combination of fruit, oat milk and dehydrated mango chunks.
Breakfast offerings include the signature RumBabaa Eggs served with garlic-lemon yoghurt and beet harissa. To complete the experience, there is tiramisu French toast and matcha coconut chia. Health-conscious diners can opt for vibrant salads and bowls such as the avocado burrata crunch with kale, orange and pistachios, or the K.O.C.O bowl, which combines kodo millet, grains, miso carrot and cashew cream.
For those seeking flavour-packed bites without committing to a large meal, the small plates section features bajra tacos with jackfruit, kataifi prawns, Peruvian chicken pot pie and vegan coconut buns.
Shop No. 9, Ground Floor, Remi Commercio, Shah Industrial Estate, Off New Link Road (opposite Yash Raj Films), Andheri West
A new Veronica’s
Mapo tofu sloppy joe
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Special arrangement
Veronica’s has opened a second outpost, crossing the sea link and arriving in Lower Parel. The stacked sandwiches, fresh bakes, small plates and coffees that made the cosy Bandra outpost a favourite now move into a space that’s larger and livelier.
The new location features twin bars serving both cocktails and coffee. The expansion also brings additions to the menu, including drinks inspired by global aperitivo culture — the Italian pre-meal ritual centred around bitters and cocktails designed to stimulate the palate before a meal.
Ground floor, Trade Tower, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
Foodstories
From the Grocery Cafe
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Special arrangement
Foodstories, a new-age gourmet retail ventures, has expanded to Mumbai with two experiential stores in Bandra and Andheri.
Launched in 2024 by sisters Avni and Ashni Biyani after successful ventures in Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, the brand seeks to transform food from a convenience into an immersive experience centred on freshness, storytelling and culture. More than a gourmet market, the Mumbai stores will introduce two new food-and-beverage concepts built around community and curation. The Grocery Café offers an all-day, community-driven café experience designed around slowing down within a retail environment, while the Bev Bar serves as a beverage-forward destination focussed on experimentation, discovery and social interaction.
110 Hill Road, Bandra West
Café Lento arrives in Pune
Cafe Lento
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Special arrangement
Goa-based Café Lento has opened its first outlet in Pune. Rather than simply replicating its Goa outpost, the team has adapted the concept to the city. Chef Jyoti Singh spent time understanding Pune’s eating habits, particularly its stronger vegetarian culture and preference for all-day cafés, resulting in a more vegetable-forward menu.
Highlights include the Bunnywich with roasted carrot and stracciatella, the Fun-Gai sandwich, rice bowls, freshly baked breads, savoury shio pan and lighter daytime plates alongside Lento’s Goa favourites. As part of this evolution, the café has also introduced its first cocktail programme.
Architecturally, the Pune outpost represents a rare creative handover between two architects who chose collaboration over duplication. Rather than copying what worked in Goa, architect Faizaan Khatri of FK’D Workshop interpreted Ayaz Basrai’s original “Beautiful Ruin” philosophy for a new geography.
Above The Daily All Day, Lane 7, Koregaon Park, Pune
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