After Colaba and Lower Parel, Mag St. opens its third outpost in Bandra

Chef Nikhil Abhyankar will be helming the kitchen at Mag St. Bandra, which opens for public on January 31. Photo Courtesy: Kunal Jain

After Colaba and Lower Parel, Mag St. opens its third outpost in Bandra on January 31. The culinary venture by Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf comes to the suburbs with an aim to cater to Mumbaikars seeking approachable, casual, and comforting dining experiences.

This addition to the Mag St. family follows the launch of the flagship cafe which opened in Colaba in 2021, and the second in One Lodha Place, Lower Parel, which came a year later in 2022. It now promises to bring the same irresistible blend of comfort, consciousness, and community to the other side of the Sea Link.

Interestingly, they also shed the moniker of a ‘Cafe' to emerge as the more sophisticated ‘Mag St.' with an aim to graduate from just a neighbourhood cafe to a full-fledged restaurant with an expansive bar setup and contemporary beverage and alcohol offerings.

The transition from Mag St. Cafe to Mag St. aims to reflect a commitment to providing diners with more than just comfort food - with a thoughtfully crafted menu, a well-appointed bar, and an atmosphere that seamlessly blends sophistication with warmth.

Gauri Devidayal, co-founder, Food Matters Group, says, "We've always known that we're more than a cafe - we offer more than just sandwiches and coffee. We are excited to bring Mag St.'s Handcut Truffle Fries, Lobster Rolls, Wasabi Prawns, Half-and-Half Pizzas, curries and more to Bandra. Mag St. has always been about creating a sense of comfort and community through food, and we look forward to extending this ethos to an audience that appreciates good food and cocktails in their neighbourhood."

Mag St. is a creation of Food Matters Group, which also owns The Table - No 78 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023, Mag St. Bread Co. - a bakery, Magazine St. Kitchen - an experiential MasterChef-style venue in Byculla and Iktara - a cloud kitchen for Indian delicacies that has already captured the hearts and palates of Mumbai's South Bombay residents.

Jay Yousuf, Founder, Food Matters Group, adds, "Our journey with Mag St. has been incredibly rewarding, and we wait for Bandra's vibrant community to embrace the experience. It was only a matter of time before we went where our guests have been begging us to open."

Additionally, the offerings from Mag St. Bread Co. will also be available for dine-in and takeaway from Mag St. Bandra.

As far as the ambiance is concerned, the restaurant interiors at Mag St. Bandra have been designed by architect Anand Patil of Anand Patil & Associates and promises a space that can effortlessly turn from a morning coffee haunt to a go-to lunch destination, cocktail hour ritual, surefire date pick or favourite dessert spot.

The light plays a big role across all the outposts -- from the iconic sunroof at the Colaba outpost to the flooding natural light in Lower Parel. Natural and artificial light pave the way, quite literally to the highlight of the Bandra restaurant - the bar. While the 10-ft windows at the entrance bring in natural morning light, the tapering light in the evening culminates at what was the natural place to set up the bar.

Marble is another impactful element used against the washed-plaster walls - A central marble table anchors the entrance, continuous marble seating flanks the entire left seating, and the stunning bar stands tall in white. The wooden furniture brings in the warmth and compliments the greens in the space. Jay and Gauri have personally selected art from all over the world to dress up the space, featuring artists from Argentina, Sri Lanka and India.

Mag St. Bandra, which is open from 8 am to 12:30 am, will showcase the signature Mag St. menu, including classics and inventive offerings for dine-in and takeaway. Chef Nikhil Abhyankar will be helming the kitchen. Whether it's the sourdough pizzas by Chef Aniket Agrekar, Asian curries by Chef Shivram, healthy smoothie bowls and breakfast offerings, or signature cocktails crafted by head mixologist Durgesh Singh.