From tantalizing new restaurants to unique dishes in existing dining spots to special occasions like World Martini Day being celebrated at your favourite bar, there’s something new happening around every corner of the country.

We know that any food and wine lover would be dying to explore these awesome eating places and bars; which is why we’ve put together all the meaty details for a fun and deliciously satisfying experience. So what are you waiting for? Put on your gourmet and wine hat and join us as we introduce all the latest offerings from heady cocktail bars to chefs inspired by local ingredients, vegan menus crafted with imagination, matcha tea bars creating tasty drinks & more…

Celebrating this World Martini Day

We bring you an array of exclusive Martini recipes by Belvedere Vodka to savour at home and enjoy your very own happy hour with heady Martinis just the way you like them – shaken, stirred or dirty!

Classic Martini

An iconic combination of Belvedere Vodka and French Fortified Wine, with a fresh pink grapefruit twist.

• 60ml – Belvedere Vodka
• 7ml – French Fortified Wine
• Garnish – Pink Grapefruit Twist

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir over ice until very cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a pink grapefruit twist.

Sunset Rose Martini

A delightfully light martini with hints of floral rose and stone fruits highlighting the unique characteristics of Belvedere Lake Bartezek.

• 45 ml – Belvedere Lake Bartezek
• 7.5 ml Lillete Rose
• 1 Dash Crème de Peche
• Garnish – Lemon Coin

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass over cubed ice and stir. Fine strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish.

Espresso Martini 

A classic combination of Belvedere Vodka and espresso

• 45ml/1.5oz Belvedere Vodka
• 20ml/0.75oz Coffee Liqueur
• 1 Shot Fresh Espresso
• 5ml/1⁄6oz Sugar Syrup

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake over cubed ice. Fine strain into a chilled martini glass.

A touch of oishii Japan! Japanese fine dine eatery ‘Wakai’ launches in Bandra, Mumbai

Founded by Shardul Singh Bayas, Sameer Tirani and Chef Pervez Khan, Wakai Bandra has been the talk of the town ever since it was launched in Khar West, Mumbai.

Signature dishes like the Black Cod Miso and the Truffle Sea Bass Gyoza, as well as a wide range of Sashimi, Sushi and Nigiri will be served at Wakai Bandra. For resident vegetarians, the Japanese Vegetable Curry cooked in the traditional Eastern style could be the perfect way to pamper taste buds, while the Eggplant Tofu is a great choice of indulgence too!

And that’s not all! If you are in the mood for a heady sip, there’s a stellar collection of international Sake to pick from.

Mumbai’s 1st Matcha Bar – New Cloud Kitchen – Tokyo Matcha Bar

Keeping in mind the onset of Monsoons, the city of dreams, Mumbai will be witnessing the launch of its own ingredient – Matcha, based cloud kitchen, in the bustling neighbourhood of Bandra.

“Tokyo Matcha Bar”,  aims to be the must-order spot offering a comforting alternative for non-coffee drinkers quickly evolved into an undeniable love affair with matcha-infused beverages inspired by Japan. The delivery kitchen is launched on Swiggy.

At the heart of Tokyo Matcha Bar lies its commitment to providing the highest quality matcha products. The duo, Meher Kohli and Rahul Ramnani are importing ceremonial grade matcha directly from Tokyo, known for its unparalleled excellence, ensuring their customers have an authentic and unforgettable matcha experience, especially with the upcoming rains. 

The menu at Tokyo Matcha Bar features an enticing selection of matcha-infused teas and lattes. Customers can indulge in delightful options such as Matcha Vanilla Bean Latte, Matcha Honey Latte, Matcha Milk Tea, and Himalayan Pink Salt Matcha.

For those seeking a frosty treat, Frappe choices include Matcha Frappuccino, Sea Salt Matcha Frappuccino, and Salted Caramel Matcha Frappuccino. They also caters to those in search of coolers with options like Valencia Orange Matcha, Tropical Matcha, Wild Berry Matcha Iced Tea, and Fresh Lime Matcha.

The Kind Roastery & Brewroom Café launches monsoon menu

The Kind Roastery & Brewroom Café, a newly launched café in JP Nagar, Bengaluru, announced the launch of its highly anticipated monsoon menu. Among the stand-out specials are: The Roasted Pumpkin and Feta Tartines that feature yellow pumpkin and tangy Greek feta, topped with chunky garlic chili oil, creating a harmonious blend of sweetness and spice.

Equally tempting is the Cottage Cheese Poppers, featuring crunchy bites of peri-peri seasoned malai paneer accompanied by a refreshing homemade mint mayo.

Charcoal Affogato, an exquisite dessert that combines edible activated charcoal ice cream with The Kind’s signature espresso. This visually stunning creation is a treat for both the eyes and the palate.

To find respite from the monsoon humidity, the Matcha Melonade presents a layered chilled beverage that blends the refreshing essence of melons with the unique flavour of matcha, offering a delightful and cooling sensation.

The Banoffee Latte combines the sweetness of caramelized banana and toffee with the café’s signature blend of high-elevation coffees, topped with velvety milk foam. 

The Pomegranate Cold Drip offers a refreshing layered beverage with the goodness of pomegranate juice and the signature kind of cold drip coffee poured over ice.

Café Noir’s newly introduced refreshing wine cocktail menu is just what you need this monsoon

Wine, not whine about the monsoon blues as Café Noir, the renowned French café and all-day diner located at the iconic One Lodha World Centre, announced the launch of its new wine cocktail menu, just in time for the season. The new menu has over 15 different types of wine cocktails.

The wine cocktail menu serves a range of cocktails infused with signature Sauvignon, Resiling, Rose and Sparkling wines. It features a selection of Sangrias, including the Au Vin Rogue, infused with Merlot wine and enriched with hints of red berries, citrus, cinnamon, and orchids.

For those with a sweeter palate, the Au Vin Rose offers a delightful combination of lychees, peaches, lemongrass, citrus, and flowers. White wine enthusiasts will be delighted by the Dusk To Dawn cocktail, blending the flavours of elderflower, lime, basil, and martini prosecco with Riesling white wine. For a tropical twist, the Passion of Mango combines mango, kosher salt, lime, edible flower, and sparkling martini prosecco.

Another notable addition is the Angel’s Share, a flavour-packed blend of lavender, orange, and yellow edition Red Bull, complemented by a Rose wine. Classic options such as Mimosa, Bellini, and White Wine Spritzer are also available for those seeking timeless favourites.

When paired with Café Noir’s delectable French café-style dishes, including the quintessential burgers or wood-fired pizzas, the wine cocktails create a harmonious dining experience that will leave guests delighted and satisfied.

Out of the Blue Mumbai shines with exquisite Monsoon cocktails

Out of the Blue Mumbai, the iconic restaurant in Khar which is standing tall with pride for 21 years, announced the addition of two tantalizing cocktails to its menu in celebration of the onset of the monsoon season. Love at First Sight and Expresso Martini has been expertly curated by talented in-house mixologists.

Love at First Sight, a refreshing vodka-based blend, combines the effervescence of sparkling wine with the tropical flavours of passion fruit and pineapple – a delightful fusion of sweetness and tanginess that is sure to captivate the taste buds.

For all the coffee lovers out there, Out of the Blue Mumbai presents the much-awaited return of the classic Expresso Martini Cocktail. Crafted with a perfect balance of rich espresso, premium vodka, and Kahlua liqueur, this cocktail provides a tantalizing combination of flavours that will awaken the senses and keep you energized throughout the night.

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In this article, Gautam Sen, Associate Professor – Operations Management at Institute of Hotel Management- Aurangabad (IHM Aurangabad) shares insights on the new industry dynamics and major challenges that restaurants face in taking technology adoption decisions.

Today’s Traveller: What are the challenges of emerging technology adoption in the restaurant business?

Gautam Sen – IHM Aurangabad: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a wider focus on technology use in restaurant operations. From online ordering to self-service, and touchless payment to remote delivery preference, the restaurant industry has had to adopt innovative digital solutions to manage customer experience.

A research by Edelman and Accenture suggests that, trust, responsiveness, and human interactions are key to create customer experiences in the post-pandemic world. The restaurant business is part of the people-oriented service industry where human interactions influence customer service experiences.

The application of emerging technologies like Self-service Technology (SST), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robots offers restaurants an opportunity to engage customers through innovative service experiences and increase operational efficiency. The two major challenges restaurants face in taking technology adoption decisions are:

• Identification of relevant technology to support unique business needs
• Implementation of technology to curate intended customer experience

Today’s Traveller: What are relevant approaches towards technology adoption by restaurants?

Gautam Sen – IHM Aurangabad: Technology adoption in restaurants depends on the customer’s perceived value of technology usage in the dining process. Customers’ perceived dining values towards different types of restaurants lead to a varying degree of expectations toward technology usage. The study suggests customers’ dining value focus is primarily utilitarian in quick-service restaurants, while predominately hedonic in fine-dining restaurants. (Jeong et al., 2020)

For the restaurant industry, technology adoption approaches have mainly centered on:

• Technology acceptance behaviour (at the customer level), where customers’ intentions to use technology have played a dominant explanatory role.
• Task-technology fit behaviour (at the organization level), where decisions are primarily based on tech-specific qualities.

Approaches that are made up of technical and situational traits downplay the importance of individual qualities in adopting technology and place a higher emphasis on usefulness. Both utilitarian (rational) and hedonic (emotional) dimensions are crucial in understanding the customers’ experience of technological innovations in restaurants.

Environmental characteristics (public readiness for technology, social aspirations, and conducive regulatory frameworks) and organizational characteristics (technological adaptability, resource availability, perceived operational benefits, and managerial implications) also impact a restaurant’s decision to adopt the technology. To determine the nested complexities of real-life technology adoption based on customers’ and restaurant operators’ preferences for interactive self-service technologies, a multilevel examination is required.

Today’s Traveller: How can restaurants apply a multilevel model approach for technology adoption?

Gautam Sen – IHM Aurangabad: Customer and restaurant preferences for innovative technologies are influenced by the business environment, organizational factors, technology attributes, service task characteristics, customer profiles, and customer experiences. The model assists restaurants with a three-step process to take effective technology adoption decisions, gain valuable insights into the technology & human interplay in service design and delivery, and determine inputs for future technology developments.

Evaluation of technology needs: 

Restaurants should evaluate the influence of industry practices, technological developments, customer familiarity, resource availability, and regulatory frameworks on customers’ and restaurants’ technology preferences. The outcome will support technology benchmarking and the identification of relevant technology suitable for a restaurant.

Implementation of technology: 

This is the most critical stage for technology incorporation emphasising on customization of adopted technology and service delivery. Customization and personalization of technology will be crucial for designing a technology-enabled service experience for customers.

Restaurants should assess their organizational goals, perceived benefits, managerial implications, and stakeholders’ preferences. The participation of technology developers in the process will be significant. Service interaction is the next step in the process where customers, service providers, and technology will co-produce service delivery moderated by the nature of the service task. Customer and service provider profiles with technology preferences will influence the outcome.

Monitoring consumer acceptance: 

Restaurants must monitor customer experience based on critical service interactions that provide relevant insight on customer and business acceptance of technology for tech-enabled services. Customer experiences must be measured in a multi-dimensional structure (hedonic, utilitarian, and social experiences) to gauge the impact on technology preferences. This process will also provide valuable insights into the impact of various technology drivers on technology acceptance behaviour at multiple layers of the adoption model.

Today’s Traveller: What is the way forward?

Gautam Sen – IHM Aurangabad: Restaurants must carry out a logical and progressive examination of interactions between the external environment, organizational context, and critical service interactions between customers, technology, and the task on hand. This will help restaurants in achieving effective technology adoption.

Going forward, scrutiny of technology features, operational complexities, environmental factors, customer profiles, and task characteristics will provide restaurants with essential inputs for enhanced customer experience management through technology-driven services, and consistency in the application process.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a special ‘On-tap Liquidity Window’ of INR 15,000 cr for the Contact Intensive Sectors today to ease the liquidity and working capital pressure being faced by the travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, transport sectors, and other related businesses in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Announcing the decision of the MPC, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has said that the special window is open till March 31, 2022 with tenors of up to three years at the repo rate.

Under the scheme, banks can provide fresh lending support to hotels and restaurants, travel agents, tour operators and adventure/heritage tourism facility providers, aviation ancillary service providers, ground handling and supply chain members and other services that include private bus operators, car repair services, rent-a-car service providers, event/conference organizers, spa clinics, and beauty parlours and salons.

By way of an incentive, banks will be permitted to park their surplus liquidity up to the size of the loan book created under this scheme with the Reserve Bank under the reverse repo window at a rate which is 25 bps lower than the repo rate or, termed in a different way, 40 bps higher than the reverse repo rate.

Further to the RBI policy announcement for support to the Hospitality and Tourism sectors, KB Kachru, Vice President of the Hotel Association of India said, “The liquidity window is a major relief to the hospitality sector which has been reeling under the devastating impact of the ongoing pandemic. Hotels, recognised as one of the most stressed sectors, have been requesting for such a relief to be provided urgently.”

KB Kachru went on to say,  “It has given an additional lease of life to several hospitality establishments that are on the brink of closure. Ailing hotels will be able to save related jobs, lives and livelihoods. Hotel loans are lesser likely to become NPAs. The announcement of a separate liquidity window of Rs 15,000 crore for Contact-intensive Sectors will mitigate the adverse impact of the second wave of the pandemic  and will certainly underpin the sector’s road to recovery.”

Welcoming the relief announcement for the Hospitality and Tourism Sectors,  Ashish Gupta, Consulting CEO, FAITH (The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality)  said that they are happy that the RBI has heard their plea and taken a progressive decision to open a special window for the sector.

Said Ashish Gupta, “It’s unprecedented, to offer funds at the repo rate which is the lowest ever rate available in India.”

He added,  “We have raised other issues as well in the meeting with the RBI team, and we hope those issues are also escalated further to the Finance Ministry and the government by the RBI,” he said.

Welcoming the announcement,  FHRAI Vice President, Gurbaxish Singh Kohli said, “This is the first significant sign indicating that the government has taken note of the severe effect that the pandemic has had on the hospitality industry and the huge economic impact it will have on the sector as well as the nation.”

He added, “Infusing liquidity will provide the much-needed support to cash-strapped hospitality businesses without which the industry couldn’t have survived.”

However, the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) is of the view that the tenure should be for at least 5 years as a duration of 3 years is just not sufficient to recover from the financial turbulence that the industry is going through, Kohli said.

On the steps taken to give relief to the Hospitality and Tourism sectors, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President, Rajiv Mehra said, “We welcome the announcement by the RBI offering loans to the tourism and hospitality sector on easy terms and a lower rate of interest. Hope tour operators who have had almost zero income for past more than one year would get some succour out of it”.

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