A Fresh Start on the Plate: Newly Launched Cafés & Restaurants to Explore This January

Food and Beverages

January 6, 2026

A Fresh Start on the Plate: New Launched Café & Restaurant to Explore This January

Images: Supplied

January is the perfect time to reset routines, discover new flavours, and explore spaces that feel inspiring. Across India, a wave of thoughtfully designed cafés, immersive bars, and culturally rooted restaurants that are recently launched, each bringing a fresh narrative to food and beverages. From cinematic cocktail labs and modern Indian dining rooms to French cafés by the lakeside, here’s a curated list of new launches worth exploring this January 2026.

KOJAK, Juhu – Mumbai

KOJAK isn’t just a bar it’s a narrative experience. Inspired by the mysterious legend of a man known only as Kojak, the space unfolds like a living storybook. Guests step into a world shaped by cryptic clues, layered interiors, and a cinematic play of light and shadow, imagined by Esquisse Design. The soul of the bar lies in Kojak’s rediscovered leather notebook, filled with coded sketches and experimental cocktail formulas that now shape the menu.

Behind the bar sits the enigmatic Cocktail Lab, where drinks read like diary entries: Page 17, Tangier Heat, Velvet Code, and The Fifth Secret. Each cocktail invites guests to sip, decode, and immerse themselves in the myth, making KOJAK one of the most intriguing new cocktail destinations the suburb has seen.

Where: 1st Floor, Hotel Kings International, 5, Juhu Tara Rd, above Alfredos, Juhu, Mumbai
Timings: 12:00 PM – 1:30 AM

Bodega 39– Mumbai

Bodega 39 marks a major moment for Goregaon with the launch of its first truly upscale cocktail bar. A striking 20-foot glass façade floods the space with daylight, while evenings transform it into a warm, intimate bar setting.

Led by mixologist Louness Ducus, the cocktail programme is serious about craft, no pre-made mixers, no added sugars, and no shortcuts. Expect fresh ingredients, advanced techniques like fat-washing and clarification, and beautifully balanced drinks. The food menu, curated by Chef Gracian D’Souza, focuses on modern European and Indian plates designed to complement the cocktails rather than compete with them.

Where: Goregaon West, Mumbai
Timings: 12:00 PM – 1:30 AM

Bastian Riviera, Goa

Bastian Hospitality Group expands into a full lifestyle destination with the launch of Bastian Riviera, a 1.5-acre property set along the Morjim backwaters. Introduced through the brand film “À Beira da Riviera,” the space blends global design influences with premium seafood-forward dining, cabanas, water-led courtyards, and an immersive nightlife program. Designed as an elevated escape, Bastian Riviera marks a new chapter for the brand beyond restaurants into experiential hospitality.
Where: Morjim Backwaters, Goa

Tokki Tora – Mumbai

Kofuku Mumbai has evolved into Tokki Tora, bringing a refreshed identity while retaining everything guests have loved over the years. The rebrand introduces a cheerful rabbit mascot that embodies warmth, joy, and human connection, adding a layer of storytelling to the dining experience.

While the name changes, the menu remains reassuringly familiar -crafted sushi, soulful ramen, delicate dim sums, and Korean comfort favourites like fried chicken, kimbap, and Shin noodle soup. Tokki Tora blends Japanese and Korean traditions with a contemporary cultural charm, making the rebrand feel like an evolution rather than a departure.

Where: Andheri, Lower Parel & Powai, Mumbai

Anardana, NSP –New Delhi

Anardana continues its expansion with its 11th outlet, now open at Netaji Subhash Place. Staying true to its philosophy of reimagining Indian flavours, the new space pairs nostalgia with a modern, urban edge. Warm terracotta walls, geometric lighting, glass-block lattice dividers, and a dramatic canopy of metal bells create an immersive yet welcoming atmosphere.

The menu features crowd favourites like Butter Chicken Bombs, Palak Patta Chaat, and Dilli Kulcha Tacos, alongside seasonal chef specials created specifically for the NSP audience. It’s modern Indian dining that feels energetic, youthful, and deeply familiar.

Where: Anardana, Netaji Subhash Place, New Delhi

Soraia

Set within the lush expanse of Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Soraia is a refined dining destination designed by Gauri Khan that blends a European garden aesthetic with contemporary Indian dining. Conceived by Afsana Verma, Amit Verma, and Dhaval Udeshi, the restaurant unfolds as a serene, light-filled sanctuary where indoor and alfresco spaces flow seamlessly. The kitchen, led by Chef Hitesh Shanbhag, introduces Neo-Botanical Cuisine, a modern Indian–European approach guided by seasonality and nature’s rhythms, while Mumbai’s first Omakase Cocktail Bar, curated by Beverage Director Fay Barretto, takes guests on a sensory journey across India’s diverse landscapes with each cocktail supporting women-led initiatives from the regions it represents.

Where: Royal Western India Turf Club, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai

PAUL– Bengaluru

The iconic French bakery and café brand PAUL has made its Bengaluru debut at Orion Gateway Mall, bringing with it 137 years of French culinary heritage. Designed like a Parisian street-side café, the lakeside setting offers an elegant alfresco-inspired experience ideal for breakfasts, brunches, meetings, or solo coffee breaks.

The menu celebrates French classics croque monsieur, quiche Lorraine, crêpes, canelés, viennoiseries, and artisanal breads alongside European comfort dishes like pizzas, pastas, risottos, and fresh salads. Prepared with premium ingredients and clean-label standards, PAUL introduces Bengaluru to timeless European café culture.

Where:PAUL, Upper Ground Floor, Lakeside, Orion Mall, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru
Timings: 9:00 AM – 11:30 PM

The Gulmohar Bar & Curry House – Pune

The Gulmohar Bar & Curry House has unveiled its new Koregaon Park address, bringing its much-loved blend of contemporary Indian food and nostalgia-driven cocktails to Lane 7. Spread across 3,000 sq. ft. The space is designed as a relaxed, everyday escape rooted in warmth, comfort, and regional Indian flavours. Designed by Studio 1658, the interiors reflect Pune’s laid-back spirit with earthy greens, terracotta tones, natural materials, and a seamless indoor–outdoor flow inspired by Geoffrey Bawa’s tropical modernism. Chef Shailendra Kekade’s menu moves fluidly across Indian regions, from playful chaat and small chakhna-style plates to hearty curries like Nihari, Gongura Mamsam, and Sorshe Maach, with millets thoughtfully woven into breads and biryanis.
Address: LG 4 & 5, Power Plaza, Lane No. 7, Koregaon Park, Pune

At Majlis, Noida

At Majlis is a slow, soulful dining experience that revives the grandeur of Mughal and Nawabi cuisine. Curated by Chef Osama Jalali, each dish is rooted in historical recipes once served in royal courts. From aromatic qormas and biryanis to delicately crafted kebabs, the food is presented as culinary folklore rather than just a meal.

The experience is deeply immersive ,traditional hand-washing rituals, Kashmiri ceramics, reclaimed Mughal doors, and art collaborations with Jamia’s young artists make At Majlis a cultural journey through time. Inspired by the Silk Route, the menu carries influences from Persia and Central Asia, creating a truly royal dining narrative.

Where:At Majlis, Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Baroak, Noida

Baroak debuts in Noida’s Sector 15A as a refined indoor–outdoor dining and bar destination focused on atmosphere, pacing, and quality. Drawing inspiration from Baroque design and the warmth of oak, the space balances elegance with comfort, offering layered indoor seating and a relaxed open-air garden. With a multi-cuisine menu, thoughtfully crafted cocktails using Indian botanicals, and curated music experiences, Baroak is designed for long conversations, unhurried meals, and evenings shaped by mood rather than noise.
Where: Sector 15A, Noida

Yoichi by Shiro

Yoichi by Shiro, India’s first Asian street market–style restaurant, bringing the vibrant energy of Southeast Asia’s night markets to Manyata Tech Park. Conceptualised by JSM Corporation Pvt. Ltd. (the team behind Shiro, Asilo, and Hard Rock Café), Yoichi is designed as a live culinary marketplace with multiple stalls and counters inspired by Japanese izakayas, Thai street kitchens, Indonesian grills, and Vietnamese salad bars. From dim sum steamers and robata grills to claypot specials and sushi counters, the restaurant blends bold, street-style flavours with an immersive, market-like setting—where tech-enabled ordering meets old-world culinary tradition.

Where: Block U, 1st Floor, Manyata Tech Park – 1, MS Ramaiah North City, Nagavara, Bengaluru
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Café du Jardin by L’Opéra, New Delhi

L’Opéra, in collaboration with the DDA, has launched Café du Jardin at Asita Park, offering a serene, open-air café experience along the restored Yamuna floodplain. Surrounded by wetlands, grasslands, and bird habitats, the café is designed for walkers, cyclists, families, and nature lovers.

The menu features light meals, artisanal French bakery and patisserie, refreshing beverages, and picnic-friendly options. With panoramic views and eco-sensitive infrastructure, it’s a rare blend of nature, culture, and cuisine.

Where: Café du Jardin, Asita Park, Yamuna Floodplains, Delhi

Shradha Lulla -Bengaluru

Shradha Lulla – Gourmet Desserts has opened its doors at Nexus Mall, Koramangala, bringing global café culture and indulgent desserts to Bengaluru. The launch drew dessert lovers from across the city, eager to sample ice cream cakes, artisanal desserts.

Designed to balance elegance with comfort, the space focuses on transforming desserts into experiences. Premium ingredients, contemporary presentation, and accessible pricing make this a go-to destination for those seeking affordable luxury in the dessert space.

Where: Shradha Lulla, Nexus Mall, Koramangala, Bengaluru