Blue Tokai will open a cafe and roastery in Mahalaxmi in May.
• The Village Shop, an all-day cafe by the folks behind Bandra eatery Birdsong Cafe, has replaced Serpis’ Wild Side Cafe, a meat and grills-focused restaurant in the suburb. Set breakfasts; date porridge; chicken and walnut salad; walnut pesto sandwich; shiitake mushroom burger; mutton burger; chicken kebab; vegetable lasagna; lamb stew; and carrot cake are among the offerings at The Village Shop, which opened on Monday, March 7. Open Wednesday to Monday, from 8.30am to 10.30pm; Tuesday, closed. The Village Shop, Serpis Villa, near St. Andrew’s Church, off Hill Road, Chimbai, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 2642 0651.
• Blue Tokai, purveyors of single estate Indian coffee, are slated to open a cafe and coffee roasting facility in the Laxmi Mills compound in Mahalaxmi in May. This will be their second cafe after the flagship in Delhi, where they are headquartered. The venue will also host brewing sessions for small groups of coffee enthusiasts. The cafe will serve cortado, flat white and summer specials such as iced lattes and cold brews.
• Lower Parel restaurant and bar Cafe Zoe has opened a weekend delivery and catering kitchen in Alibaug. Their menu lists dips, cheeses and meats, mini burgers, quiches and pastas. The choices include pulled pork in brioche; lamb burger; penne in pesto sauce; spaghetti with truffle butter sauce; caramelised onion and Brie quiche; tenderloin and jalapeño quiche; garlic yoghurt; black bean hummus; and smoked salmon mousse. Open Friday to Sunday, from 9am to 9pm. Deliveries will take place from 11.30am to 10.30pm. Orders must be placed two hours in advance. To order, call 98334 90490.
• Philadelphia’s speakeasy-style bar 1 Tippling Place has popped up at Olive in Khar where it’s serving signature cocktails such as Lavender 75 (gin, lemon, sparkling wine and lavender); Paper Plane (bourbon, Aperol, Amaro, lemon); and Penicillin (honey, ginger, lemon and Talisker). Until Friday, April 1. Open daily, from 7.30pm to 1am. Olive Bar & Kitchen, Le Sutra hotel, next to Out of the Blue, Union Park, off Carter Road, Khar. Tel: 022 4340 8229.
• Churchgate has a new all-day, multi-cuisine restaurant called Mockingbird Cafe, which opened on Monday, March 7. The menu lists mushroom and kimchi bao; pork ribs in rum and BBQ sauce; Cafreal chicken skewers; Cajun lamb burger; lamb kheema hot dog; pepperoni and fig pizza; roasted garlic chicken and kasundi pizza; Thai curry with basil coriander rice; Thai pao bhaji; chicken ramen; tiramisu; sugarcane sorbet; and white chocolate and mixed berry cheesecake. Open daily, from 9am to 12.30am. Mockingbird Cafe, Parekh Mahal, Veer Nariman Road, near Indian Summer, Churchgate. Tel: 022 6022 6023.
• An outlet of Wok Express, the casual dining South-East Asian chain, has opened in Churchgate. The menu is the same across the chain,. Open daily, from 11am to 11pm. Wok Express, Ground Floor, Rajmahal Building, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate. Tel: 98333 80808.
• The two month-old Taj hotel in Santa Cruz has a multi-cuisine 24-hour coffee shop called Tiqri, where the menu lists veg poutine; mini vegetable burgers; calamari frito; and Malaysian lamb satay. The hotel also has a French and Italian fine dining restaurant named Rivea with dishes such as Genovese minestrone; bouillabaisse with garlic brioche croutons; and goat cheese ravioli. Tiqri, open 24 hours. Rivea, open daily, from 12.30pm to 2.45pm and from 7pm to 11.45pm. Taj Santacruz, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Domestic Terminal, off the Western Express Highway, Santa Cruz (East). Tel: 022 6211 5211.