The moment you cross the threshold of Bandra Born, you’re sucked into the belly of the beast. With the outside world dissolved and evaporated, blue hues of various textures take precedence, and you see two timelines dancing simultaneously in front of you – one where the same space was formerly Salt Water Cafe, a 14-year old Bandra institution, and the new beast (BB) that SWC gave birth to, in October 2023.

This lower-deck (dining area largely) where the bolted tables are still carrying the traces of their history, is a palimpsest, now superimposed with a bolder, grungier vibe and rich graffiti art, an element synonymous with Bandra. A stairway (to heaven) bathed in electric blue light stands right across the entrance gate. It resembles the effulgent portal to alien ships we saw in the various cartoons growing up. As one ascends to the upper-deck, the words “Do not fall for me,” sprayed successively on each stair, makes one instantly fall for the cheeky and irreverent attitude. And this too is a Bandra thing.

While there’s no coat check like we see in the western sitcoms, or at high-end places of dining, the moment you enter this haunt in the hood a.k.a the bar-and-dining area of Bandra Born on the upper floor, you feel two invisible hands taking the weight off your shoulders. Your mood lightens, despite a darkly lit ambience. And you find yourself drawn to a frenzy that’s taking place at the bar counter. Like a beehive, this area is buzzing with action. In a swift motion, glasses containing cocktails exchange hands – bartenders’ to the servers’, who scurry to tables as if their life depends on it. The pace is dizzying, reminding you of your initial days in Mumbai (if you’re an outsider like me), when everyone was running (still is) while you stayed glued to your spot, naive, and confused beyond your wits as to what’s happening. It’s this organized chaos of Bombay that Bandra Born captures, bottles up, and releases at will. And now, you’re truly at home.

Standing (or sitting) at the bar, as you sip a deliciously concocted Mosambi Maramari, a gin-based cocktail with campari and notes of mosambi, your smile is already a centimeter wider. You notice the delicate flavours that Pankaj Balachandran, the man who designed the cocktail menu for BB has played with. The other thing that grabs your attention, is the names of the cocktails themselves. One particularly cheeky and irreverent one is ‘Patricia’s Pussycats’, a vodka-based cocktail that plays with a folklore of Bandra, that only the residents living here since generations would know. There’s another one named ‘Pali Hill Paloma’, an ode to the ‘superstar’ area of Bandra. The drinks, as much as the names themselves, douse you with the warm glow of familiarity and comfort, while surprising you with newer and bolder flavours. The old and the new are constantly at play here, something that’s done by design, to weave a more holistic story of Bandra, and its people. 

The food menu, along with the cocktail menu, is just two pieces of A-4 size sheets stapled together. And yet, you can spend minutes on end, poring over it, as the dishes are as new to your eyes, as they are to your palate. On careful deliberation, you order Hot Chicken Pops, just to be safe. What can go wrong with a dish that you know, right? It turns out to be extremely good, and you end up re-ordering it. Maybe a chicken skewer won’t hurt either. Turns out, it’s the best you’ve had in ages. The juicy chicken skewered on a tin plate, along with a heavenly dip on the side makes you ecstatic. Someone had the sense to do it right, and not make it dry. You ask the server, “What’s in this dip?” while you lick the tiny dip bowl clean. The server replies “It’s just mango and mustard.” A realisation dawns on you – Perhaps this place does know food. 

Armed with this immense realisation, you decide to experiment beyond your comfort zone. A dish named ‘Posh Hersch Puff’ catches your eye on the menu. A twist on the chicken puff from another Bandra icon J Hearsch & Co Bakery, it’s a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth delight that’s downed in wine and truffle sauce. Light on the palate, it has an umami-ness to it. The dish fills you up, but allows room for one more. You order chef Gresham’s signature dish, one that everyone is talking about in Bandra cafes over their iced lattes. Yes, ‘Beets’ Meat’, that’s the one. It’s confidence served on a plate. A symphony of flavours, extracted from the humble beetroot, done in different ways – one slow-roasted and the other cooked in apple juice, cider vinegar and beet juice – to offer something more than food. The dish is a philosophy that speaks to you with every mouthful of soft, chewey beetroot, crisp apple slivers, oxalis leaves, and creme fraiche, finished with chilli oil. It’s that when you know something, you don’t need to scream it from the rooftop. 


Chef Gresham Fernandes, the co-founder and head chef of Bandra Born wears his legacy like a T-shirt, more than a tailored suit. He knows a thing or two about food, having run successful places like Salt Water Cafe, Smoke House Deli, and SOCIAL. But what he knows best is – how to create energy inside a space. After all, that’s the hardest part. With Bandra Born, he’s got not just the food and drinks right, but also the vibe of the space spot on. And music plays a huge role in filling up that space. A ‘hip-hop and rock’ only joint, BB’s playlist is classic, with artists like Eminem blasting off the roof, and icons Neil Diamond crooning to sway the crowd. 

The crowd is another distinguishing thing about Bandra Born. It is not ‘regular’ in any sense. A quick scan of the tiny room, and you’ll, on any given day, find an eclectic mix of foreigners, blacks, South-East Asians, Anglo-Indians, Bandra folks who don’t go to just any ‘regular’ place, and then, people like you and me, who just happened to be there. If your read Bombay Times, or have grown up on a steady diet of Delhi Times (like me), and would open page 3 or 6 the first thing in the morning, to see who-partied-wearing-what-when-with-whom, you’ll feel as if the newspaper page suddenly grabbed you by your wrist, and sucked you inside a party that you were merely seeing snapshots of. There’s a cosy, yet elevated vibe to the place, like you’re at a house party of a very posh person, who’s gracious and warm enough to include you. 

And even if you don’t know anyone there, or have just landed in the city of dreams, feeling all alone, with no one to call your own, Bandra Born, as is typical of Bombay, embraces you in a tight hug, to tell you “it’s all going to be okay,” while offering you a drink or two on the house. 

P.S. : The posh person in this particular case is the always elegantly dressed Delba, who manages this beast and is often seen sitting at the bar, chatting with patrons/friends with a smile and a cocktail in her hand. And while her candor can disarm or surprise some people, it’s she who said to me “you must write about this place,” on our very first interaction. So, thank you!

The blue-bathed stairway with a wall bursting with bills and posters looking for ‘missing cats’ among other essential Bandra things.

Quriky wall aesthetic that a Bandra Born might know.

Posh Hersch Puff in all its glory. There’s no Beets’ Meat picture because I inhaled it as soon as it arrived.

It’s a place that all cool people dig. Especially Mr. Ravi, because he works here.

Chef Gresham Fernandes in his element, casually serving fabulous dining to his patrons, with a smile.

An essential reminder, won’t you agree?

A man obliging me to click his quirky hair accessory. A thing that isn’t unusual in Bombay or at Bandra Born.