Back from the dead!

South Mumbai has been sulking for years. New restaurants and watering holes tripped over each other to open shop in the Bandra-Andheri belt, wooing townies to the burbs weekend after weekend. But it's time for SoBo to say cheers to an entertainment revival. Mumbai's only French bistro, a debut branch of an international chain of French-style caf ufffds, and a Californian-inspired restaurant are saying bon apetit back-to-back

South Mumbai has been sulking for years. New restaurants and watering holes tripped over each other to open shop in the Bandra-Andheri belt, wooingu00a0 townies to the burbs weekend after weekend. But it's time for SoBo to say cheers to anu00a0 entertainment revival. Mumbai's only French bistro, a debut branch of an international chain of French-style caf ufffds, and a Californian-inspired restaurant are saying bon apetit back-to-back

The Table [Californian-inspired restaurant] At Colaba >Opens December

South Mumbai falls sort of silent after 8 pm, doesn't it?, is every visitor's common quasi-query. And it's the kind of rhetoric that has made every SoBo loyalist fume in the recent past, perhaps at the fact that there wasn't a decent defence. Until now.

The city is witnessing a quiet, exciting revival of wine and dine venues south of Lower Parel, with at least three new eateries set to open doors shortly.u00a0

Naveen Kotyankar, beverage consultant to The Table is kicked about the restaurant revival that SoBo is seeing. PIC/ Bipin Kokate

"There was a bit of a lull after the 26/11 attacks, combined with effects of the recession. For almost a year-and-a-half, activity in South Mumbai's hospitality industry had slackened while Bandra and Lower Parel were raging," observes Naveen Kotyankar, beverage consultant to The Table.

The Table is a Californian-inspired restaurant that will open shop in Colaba right next to Indigo Deli and Moshe's this December. The Table gets a new neighbour soon after. Right across the road from it will stand Le Pain Quotidien (pronounced luh pan koh-ti-dyanu00a0-- the official website says it's tricky and takes some practice but don't be shy to say it; it means 'the daily bread'), a franchise of an international chain of French bakery-style caf ufffds.

A 10 minute walk away at Eros cinema in Churchgate, the city's first French bistro, Chez Vous (pronounced shey vu; means 'at your place') is now open to guests.

Mid-town hits saturation
In the last two years, just two significant standalone openingsu00a0-- Villa 39 and Valhallau00a0-- have been seen in South Mumbai. Tote on the Turf and the very recent Two One Two have moved away to form a new gastronomic hub around Worli. Bandra and Juhu hold sway as nightlife kings with new restaurants and lounges, from the laid-back Bonobo to the decadent but chic Pali Village Caf ufffd, and of course extravagant lounge and nightclub, Trilogy from the house of Henry Tham.

But things are set to take a U-turn, believes Kotyankar. "The whole stretch between Bandra and Worli has been exploited. Now Colaba is on its way up and back to its old world charm."

Rents that kill
Most restaurateurs attribute the South Mumbai lull to exorbitant rents. Nevil Timabadia of Bonobo acknowledges the fact that some pockets in the suburbs can be more expensive than in town, but maintains that on average, Colaba properties continue to quote the highest rents.

"Opening a restaurant in South Mumbai would mean charging high prices, but the clientele here is also willing to pay it," he reasons. Rahul Kanuga, co-owner of Spanish themed Churchgate restaurant Valhalla says that the dining needs of South Mumbai patrons as another reason for the lull. "Clients in town tend to be family-oriented unlike single customers or couples who frequent joints in Bandra, and go out far more often than large families do."

SoBo open to novel cuisine
What stands in South Mumbai's favour though, is its ability to appreciate novel cuisine from around the world. For 30 year-old Satyen Melwani, who has previously worked with Le Royal Meridien, Radisson Hotels, Mars Restaurants and Encore hotels, his first venture had to be in town since he saw a more active potential market here. Chez Vous, launched by Melwani and his French partnersu00a0-- entrepreneur Frederic Fernandez (28) and contemporary chef Cedric Combe (33)u00a0--u00a0 serves homely French bistro fare. They hope to offer a warm and friendly atmosphere to serve affordable French breakfast, lunch and dinner.

While Chez Vous is cautious in its d ufffdcor, using black and white for an Absinthe bar, The Table is set to have a 26 feet-long communal table that allows guests to interact with fellow diners. The focus will be on Californian cuisine. "Californian cuisine tends to have classic French undertones, but it is simplified with a focusu00a0 on fresh ingredients," says owner Jay Yusuf.

Searching for unique spaces
Does the mini-revival mean more openings in town? For Keenan Tham, partner at Juhu lounge Trilogy, space is a paramount consideration, and he wouldn't like to compromise on the concept. "While recent openings are good for South Mumbai, what we need are unique properties. I would love to open a venture in town, and I will, eventually," says the restaurateur from the house of Henry Tham, once Colaba's favourite resto-lounge that some say shut shop in 2009 due to lease issues.

Timbadia says there's room for more, and each area comes with its own distinct offering. "South Mumbai will continue to play host to high-end restaurants, while Bandra will house relaxed, nightu00a0 joints. I see Bandra-Kurla as the next big food and entertainment hub, especially with the 21 acre hotspot for recreation and commerce, Phoenix Market City opening on LBS Marg in Kurla."

Chez Vous [French bistro] At Churchgate >Now open

It all started last November when Melwani met 28 year-old finance professional Fernandez, through friends. "I had travelled to India before and fell in love with the country and its culture," says Fernandez. The foodie recognised India's strong business potential, and was looking for a partner to start his first restaurant.

Satyen Melwani, chef Cedric Combe and Frederic Fernandez co-own Chez Vous, Mumbai's first French restaurant that stands where the iconic Sundance once stood. PIC/ Bipin Kokate

"When Fred and I met, we realised we wanted to bring the French bistro experience to Mumbai," recalls Melwani. Fernandez invited Combe to India. In a career spanning 20 years, Combe, who started off when he was 13, has worked for Michelin starred restaurants in Geneva, and set up restaurants in Australia and New Zealand.u00a0

"The lunch menu will cater to business crowds and change every day. Dinner will be a more complete and elaborate French experience," says Melwani. The fixed-priced lunch menu comes at Rs 650, while the gourmet dinner is priced at Rs 1,300 and includes appetisers, three courses, bite-sized desserts and coffee.

Their drink menu offers French liquors, but it's the Absinthe bar that's raising curiosity. The green drink with hallucinatory properties has a history of being the favourite tipple of French artists. At Chez Vous, it comes in the form of cocktails.

Le Pain Quotidien [International chain of French bakery-style cafes] At Colaba> Opens late December
u00a0
Le Pain Quotidien, is an international chain of bakery-cafes, the first of which was founded in Brussels. LPQ is known for its signature organic, hand-made breads and communal table that welcomes guests in cities across the world.

This is a Parisian franchise of Le Pain Quotidien. Its communal table concept allows strangers to break bread together. PIC/ AFP

Founder Alain Coumont learnt all about bread as a small child, standing on a chair every Sunday watching his grandmother bake bread, LPQ's website claims. As a young chef in Brussels, he was unable to get his hands on the right bread, and decided to make his own.

He opened a tiny bakery that offered rustic bread reminescent of his childhood. Coumont furnished it with cabinets scoured from antique stores and a large table that he picked up at a local flea market: the first of LPQ's communal tables where friends and strangers came together to break bread together.

The philosophy to keep it simple and organic influences the way they do business, from the food they serve (they tie up with local farmers) to even the interiors. They use reclaimed wood and recycled Gypsum in construction and energy-efficient lamps.

Gradually, Coumont added pastries, salads, beverages and tartines (traditional, open-faced sandwiches) to the menu, and jams, chocolate spreads, granola and coffee that most branches retail.

We are hoping Belgium's favourite sweet snack sweet, the waffle, is served hot off the press at the Colaba outlet.

The handbook

The guide to surviving on the SoBo food map

Tricia Batliwalla, Director, Valhalla

> Without strong public relations activity and marketing, it's tough. You have to be top of mind among customers.u00a0u00a0

> Create an aspirational value for guests. You should aim to become a destination, so that guests say, 'Let's meet at...

> Be flexible. The best restaurants don't mind expanding their core strength to other areas like outdoor catering, to expand their customer base.

> Location is of course, key. Choose it with care.

> Try and keep overheads likeu00a0 rent etc low.
All of these however rarely apply to Indian and Chinese restaurants since they tend to be well accepted no matter what. It is properties that take the road less travelled that should consider these pointers.