Mumbai café-restaurant Bomdia Brasserie feels like a warm hug

(Image credit: Photography by Rohit Mendiratta)

A new café-restaurant hybrid has taken root in Mumbai’s Matunga neighbourhood, and despite spanning a generous 2,000 sq ft, Bomdia Brasserie feels like a bijou, tucked-away hideout. It’s the kind of place where mornings begin with the soft haze of pastel light, and evenings wind down in deeper, more intimate tones. Behind the interiors is local firm Studio RCI, which wanted the brasserie to ‘unfold like a story, detail by detail’. That narrative plays out across two distinct levels, each with its own tone, tempo and spatial rhythm.

Bomdia Brasserie: Mumbai’s cosiest new address

Downstairs is the café: light, calm, almost coastal in mood. A muted, minimal palette gives space for materiality and form to take the lead; curved quartz and wooden tables anchor the room, sculptural and softly organic. Lighting is central to the ambience, with totemic lamps by Harshita Jhamtani Designs casting a diffused, amber glow. These are paired with cane, cloth and clay fixtures, reinforcing the sense of warmth and tactility. ‘Flooring, checkered walls, and the ceiling all feature custom laser-cut tile patterns, creating a visual rhythm that ties everything together,’ explains Ruchika Chhabria, principal designer at Studio RCI.

Upstairs, things take a moodier turn. Conceived as a fine dining space, the palette deepens: terracotta, ink blue and smoked neutrals create a more atmospheric tone. Lighting remains a key element; mirroring the café below is a sprawling sculptural cane fixture by Hatsu. The laser-cut tile motif also reappears, but in bolder wave patterns and more saturated tones. Sliding doors have been added to create pockets of privacy for quieter dining moments.

The menu, much like the space, flexes depending on where you’re sitting. Downstairs, the modern-day café offers a broad, but approachable spread: coffees, teas, fresh juices, milkshakes and smoothies, paired with a range of baked goods and light bites, from sweet to savoury. Upstairs, the offering widens: continental staples meet Eastern and Southern Asian touches. Think pizzas, salads, sandwiches, soups, but also dim sum, sushi and sizzlers. Comfort food, with a global accent.

Bomdia Brasserie is located at Kalpataru Matru Ashish, 40019, Bhaudaji Rd, Matunga East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400019, India.

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Sofia de la Cruz is the Travel Editor at Wallpaper*. A self-declared flâneuse, she feels most inspired when taking the role of a cultural observer – chronicling the essence of cities and remote corners through their nuances, rituals, and people. Her work lives at the intersection of art, design, and culture, often shaped by conversations with the photographers who capture these worlds through their lens.