India Calls

There is a new Indian aesthetic emerging. It can be seen all around us. It is Indian in soul, yet does not draw overtly from typical styles associated with Indian design. +91, an Indian restaurant which only recently opened its doors in Juhu, Mumbai embraces this very ethos.

- Dhanishta Shah

It all starts with the name. +91, also the dialing code for India, is an unconventional name for a restaurant, but when analysed so apt for this one. The owners, Bipin Grewal and Vipul Shah, wanted a casual dining restaurant with design elements that were not overtly Indian. They wanted a space that was vibrant yet discerning and with an unconventional Indian aesthetic.

Interior designer Minnie Bhatt was called in to lend her magic touch to the entire project. Hers is a well-known name when it comes to restaurant design in Mumbai. Talking about the fine balance in design that she has managed to strike, Minnie explains, “I did not want the space to have any predictable design elements normally expected in an Indian restaurant. I wanted a fresh and contemporary approach to the design, that was Indian at heart yet international in appeal,”

When she visited the property for the first time, what struck her was its curvilinear facade with uniform windows. It also seemed to ‘jut out’ from the building and was visually quite striking. This is what inspired the art gallery approach to the design of the space, which incidentally starts with colourful pigeon sculptures on the outside that greet the guests.

She commissioned an artist to create India inspired art installations for the window niches which also conveniently became the primary design focus of the space. All the installations are quirky and artsy and each one of them has a write up explaining the thought behind it.