On August 15 this year, when the state government extended the operation timings of restaurants and bars in Mumbai till 10 pm, from the prohibitive 4 pm, the Campbell Group was in the throes of setting up the Toy Room at Grand Hyatt five-star in Santa Cruz. The UK nightclub has outposts already operational in Dubai, Istanbul, Rome, Mykonos, Athens and Delhi. The Indian Campbell Group owns a majority stake in the entity. Emulating the London flagship, the Mumbai outpost one, too, has a hip-hop inspired vibe with graffiti murals. The USP, however, is the DMX-controlled ceiling light that syncs with the music to offer a psychedelic experience. “While we know that clubbing picks up only as the night progresses, it didn’t make sense to wait any longer for all restrictions to lift. Delhi has seen a phenomenal response, and Mumbai nightlife looked like it could do with a shot in the arm.”

And the team, learnt surprisingly, that Mumbaikars were happy to get used to the sundowner. “A couple of hotelier friends were telling me how people are now okay to start partying at 5 pm,” says Saurabh Shetty, director of Krishna Palace Group of Hotels, where the reinvented Grant Road nightclub Baroke opened as B-Cuisines & Cocktails. Moving away from its earlier image of a hub for Bollywood music enthusiasts, this intimate space is a shoutout to the spirit of the ’90s, defined by rock music, well-priced cocktails and a satiating menu with Shetty specialties like ghee roast. At the stroke of 10.30 every night, the place converts into “B Switch”; the lounge becomes a more happening space. Bartenders break into a jig and open the dance floor to the crowd.