Paint, Read, Quiz, Plan The Perfect Weekend! 8 Cafes in India That Go Beyond Food
From painting ceramics, and taking a Twitter quiz to unleashing your hidden poet on stage, here’s a list of unconventional cafes that encourage unique activities.
With their array of delicious snacks and a cuppa chai made to go, cafes in India are underrated for the kind of experience they provide. However, in the past decade, there has been a shift in the roles that cafes play, and we aren’t complaining.
Numerous cafes around India have gone beyond their definitions of being meeting hubs for people. They now have a range of fun activities that people can partake in whilst they lunch or dine.
Here, we’ve put together a list of cafes across the country that offer more than just scrumptious snacks.
1. Bistro Claytopia, Bengaluru
Head to Bistro Claytopia in the garden city if you are someone who loves blending food with art. One of India’s first concept cafes, the bistro started out by giving people something fun to engage in whilst they lunch. This includes designing their own home decor, painting on ceramics to create beautiful mugs, jewellery boxes and more.
The cafe provides all the necessary materials and all you need to bring is your creativity!
2. The Project Cafe, Ahmedabad
We’d recommend that before you settle down into your seat, take a walk through the cafe admiring the sheer beauty of the place. Everything you witness as part of the backdrop, the walls, the furniture and the crockery has been painted on by artists from across the globe. We’re serious! What’s more, is that along with providing guests with the unique experience of dining in an art gallery, the cafe also enables artists to contribute to the existing art.
Routine workshops at the cafe get people together and give them a platform to learn from artists, collaborate, and paint something they’d like or simply listen to music whilst having a club sandwich.
3. Dialogues Cafe, Bengaluru
In the prime locality of J P Nagar in Bengaluru, where hustle is the theme of the day, there lies a quaint cafe where each second counts. The Dialogues Cafe has never charged its guests by the price of dishes on the menu but rather by the time they spend at the cafe. This encourages people to spend hours and order to eat only if they really want to.
With a large library that houses an eclectic range of titles, the cafe gives readers a chance to shut themselves away from busy Bengaluru and get lost in a world of fantasy fiction.
4. Doolally, Mumbai
At the Doolally Taproom in Mumbai, there is never a dull moment — whether it’s a canvas painting workshop, a Twitter quiz Friday or a boho painting workshop. The cafe is a hub where creativity flows and the ideas keep coming. What’s amazing is that you’ll meet other like-minded individuals during these activities and maybe even form a group.
In addition to these creative workshops, the cafe holds frequent group discussions. One such example is the upcoming Screenwriters Club where directors, screenwriters and actors are encouraged to come together to discuss the plot of the film Bridesmaids.
5. You and I Arts Cafe, Shillong
Get a taste of over 110 flavoured teas, all infused with the magic of the North East, or choose from a platter of Khasi foods, delicacies of Meghalaya — dohthad masi (smoked beef), dohthad sniang (smoked pork), dohsyiar kylia (a mustard chicken gravy) and phan (potatoes). The cafe is the brainchild of Wanfai Nongram who wanted to create a space that blends the past and present while setting the tone for the future.
The utensils used to cook the food at the cafe are the same as those used in tribal Meghalaya. There are dedicated corners in the cafe where people can engage in traditional board games and test their musical prowess on the tribal instruments. In addition, the cafe is a space for tribal handicrafts to bloom and locals are encouraged to make their own products which are then sold.
6. Guftagu Cafe, Gurgaon
For all the poetry enthusiasts out there, here’s a little surprise space in the form of this quaint magical space in Gurgaon. Said to be India’s first poetry cafe, Guftagu encourages the poet within all of us to step up on stage and let that shayari find its way to the world, or at least the majority of Delhi.
The ambience is in tune with the theme of poetry, with its dangling bulbs and wooden seating with comfy bolsters.
7. Bean Board Cafe, Vizag
At the Bean Board Cafe, there is the firm belief that a lot can happen over a cup of coffee or tea. The cafe’s interesting concept allows people from different walks of life to come in and speak to guests. Through sharing experiences, memories and life events, there is a chance to form unique bonds here.
In an interview with The Hindu, Isaac Jeremiah of Bean Board got vocal about how these monthly sessions would foster the bridging of the gap between mentors and aspirants.
“Our idea is to channelise the energy of the youth, give a platform for people to come together, listen to these inspiring stories in an informal setup of a cafe and also enjoy the specials from the menu,” he said.
8. Project Hum, Mumbai
A unique approach at Bandra’s Project Hum lets guests actually meet the farmer behind their food. The food is served in 100 percent biodegradable bowls and guests can tuck into chicken and avocado, cowboy wrap prepared with guacamole, cheddar, mashed beans, byadgi chilly macha, gourmet salads and sandwiches.
Jatin Talreja, one of the friends behind the inception of the venture, reveals that their Farmer of the Month project has been a hit.
“People get a chance to spend time with the person behind their food in a literal sense. It indulges a lot of people who care about what they are eating. The farmer of the month is decided on the basis of what vegetable or fruit was consumed the most in a month and which farmer was responsible for growing it,” he says.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
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