As the '80s and '90s make a comeback across pop culture, we look at city eateries that are repackaging nostalgia in a cool avatar to woo the young and not-so-young
Pics/Shadab Khan, Sneha Kharabe, Sameer Markande
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SodaBottleOpenerWala, BKC, is filled with vintage décor elements like sweet jars and a jukebox
Nostalgia is having its moment in the sun. We witnessed a fine example of this last year, when Niantic released Pokémon Go. Suddenly, kids and grown-ups could be found trying to 'catch' pocket monsters on the streets using their phones. For those who grew up playing Pokémon, it was like reliving a fond childhood memory. For Gen Z, it was a world waiting to be explored.
That's not it. Online, there are articles galore about games we played, music we listened to, and movies we watched. Even Nokia recently launched an updated version of its classic 3310 model, 17 years after the original's debut. There has been no better time to be nostalgic.
Old-school desserts, like Fruit Custard with Rex Jelly (left) rest in Prashant Issar’s vintage Kelvinator at Madeira & Mime in Powai
Comfort, repackaged
Mumbai, too, has been seeing a revival of everything old school, especially with its new eateries. The most recent entrant is a "nostalgia-themed" bar, Hopscotch, which features the playground game right at the entrance, in addition to physical versions of tic-tac-toe and Tetris.
In short, it's every '90s kid's dream. At the forefront of this trend are The Bombay Canteen and SodaBottleOpenerWala (SBOW), both of which were launched in 2015. While the latter pays homage to the dying Irani café culture, the former serves re-imagined Indian staples in a setting that screams old Bombay.
Meanwhile, Madeira & Mime, which opened its doors late last year, has a menu that evokes strong memories of our childhood, from its Railway Tomato Soup and Chilli Cheese Toast to the old-school desserts that sit cosy in a vintage Kelvinator refrigerator.
"Many of us grew up eating desserts like Cassata, and Fruit Custard with Rex Jelly. However, you won't find them being served at new restaurants; chefs often shy away from putting them on their menu, as they're not elegant enough," says owner Prashant Issar.
Vishesh Khanna and Mihir Bijur enjoy playing board games at Door No 1
Vishesh Khanna and Mihir Bijur, founders of Bandra-based retro bar Door No 1, too, have brought their food memories into the space. "We serve a dish called Mihir's Faux Pas, which is essentially butter chakli served with onions and sambhar. Although I discovered it accidentally while foraging for food in my house as a child, it is a combination I continue to swear by," says Bijur, who grew up in a South Indian household.
Similarly, a whole list of oddball dishes, like the Maggi Et Al (Maggi noodles and pav bhaji), find their way in. "These are combinations every one of us has possibly tried at some point," he adds.
Besides this, Door No 1 organises Retro music nights through the week, and stocks board games and comics. People love the throwback factor so much that there have been 186 reunions here since the bar opened six months ago.
Gymkhana 91’s facade features a vintage clock
The devil's in the details
"A lot of restaurants get stuck on centering the theme only around food. We wanted nostalgia to seep through every little element," says TBC co-founder Yash Bhanage, who shares that they wanted the space to remind people of an old bungalow. A lot of thought has gone into every detail, from the menu, which looks like an old register, to the Rooh Afza bottles that are used to pour water into diners' glasses.
The Olive Group-owned SBOW, too, is known as much for its design as it is for recreating Irani restaurant staples. "We've used sepia photographs of old Bombay, pictures of young and old Parsis — some sourced from people's personal albums — as well as colonial furniture, crochet-laced curtains, and more. Think of it as an exaggerated Irani café on steroids," says Sabina Singh, director of the venture, and the one responsible for the detail that has gone into creating the look and feel of the restaurant.
dishes are served innovatively, including in tiffin boxes
While Singh scoured old furniture markets, Chor Bazaar, and prodded friends to dig out old photos from their attics, Gymkhana 91's Aditya Hegde went about the process a little differently. "The restaurant is themed like a classy gymkhana. For this, it was important to have the furniture and décor look like what you'd find at the city's old gymkhanas," he shares. While some elements were sourced from flea markets, a majority of it was made specifically for the restaurant, such as the cane and wooden chairs, and the massive clock that doubles up as a window.
The Bombay Canteen recently launched cocktails inspired by SoBo's Art Deco buildings
For proof that the retro trend is growing, all you have to do is look at the floor of any of these restaurants. Don't the tiles transport you to a classy old mansion? These vintage-looking tiles have become a popular pick for such nostalgia-leaning F&B spaces. Mumbai-based Bharat Floorings and Tiles is one of the key players in this fast-growing business. "We started out making these heritage tiles for restoration projects, but now, they're also used by modern eateries in cities across India," says owner Firdaus Variava, who adds that in recent times they have created custom tiles for the likes of Khar Social, British Brewing Company and The Fatty Bao in Lower Parel, Out Of The Blue, as well as TBC and SBOW. "Five years ago, we would get orders from two restaurants a year. Today, we receive at least five a month," he adds.
The connect matters
"There's is a misconception that nostalgia is for old people. The truth is, for the younger generation, something as recent as Harry Potter counts as nostalgia," says ad industry veteran KV Sridhar. It's all about finding that personal connect, he adds.
It is for this reason, Hegde says, that he likes spending time at his restaurant. "Earlier, diners could easily interact with restaurant owners. For example, when you go to Britannia, you know who the owner is. But that is not so common anymore. I want to build that kind of relationship with my customers."
Sridhar shares that in the advertising world, nostalgia marketing has always worked, so it's interesting to see eateries taking the same route. "Take, for instance, a new place that recreates the canteen set-up. Even if a youngster has never been to a real canteen, he may have heard stories from his elders, and wants the same experience. So, even if a modern restaurant can bring back memories and connect with you emotionally, it instantly makes you feel at home."
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