The Bar Stock Exchange (BSE) in Oshiwara is taking the laws of demand and supply to a crazy new level. BSE is Mihir Desai and Amit Singh's irreverent homage to the Bombay Stock Exchange and involves selling drinks based on the stock market. So, the more you guzzle your favourite drink, the steeper the prices go. And vice versa. Every element of the latter has been placed here—scrolling LED ticker, LCD screens and the stock market gong. Trading is conducted via apps or live at the venue.
"The idea first germinated on my visit to New York last year," says Desai, co-owner and westcoast resident, "I came across a brewery trading in beer like a stock exchange trades in stocks and I was fascinated. It was there that I planned to open one in Mumbai with more categories of spirits, beers and wines. We've been in the bar business for over a decade now and our desire to try something out-of-the-box led to this concept."
Our favourite part, of course, is the low prices. According to Singh, "All prices start at a minimum base price. For example, Old Monk's base price starts at Rs. 17 and a Kingfisher pint at Rs. 65."
Bar Stock Exchange, Shivani Industrial Estate, Opposite Times Square, Andheri (E). Call 26005858 for details.
Andheri is a warren of snarling streets, crammed with small restaurants, pubs and cafés. In comparison, Brewbot is massive. Think split-level spaces, al fresco seating and an upper floor. The design has uncluttered spaces, exposed brick walls, rugged metal work with robot-ridden art.
Brewbot promises artisanal craft beer (chocolate oatmeal stout, anyone?) for which the owners have roped in Julie Baggett, a US-based brewer par excellence. Unfortunately, licensing worries have held them back and the large, stainless steel brewing vats stand forlorn in the centre of the room. Instead, suits and hippies sit side-by-side at Brewbot's communal table, sipping their way through the evening with beer cocktails, and gorging on the glorious grub that includes a charcuterie and cheese station, live pasta counter and plenty of eggy brunch dishes.
Brewbot, Morya Landmark 1, Off New Link Road, Andheri (W). Call 40034448 / 4449 for details.
Bandra's Bombay Salad Co. is the perfect place to taste the brewing revolution in healthy cuisine, built around fresh, nutritious ingredients. The brainchild of Santacruz resident, Karishma Dalal, Bombay Salad Co. is warm, unpretentious and inviting. And its wholesome food is served with flair. "We offer fresh, made-from-scratch warm and cold salads, sandwiches, multi-grain wraps, soups, juices and smoothies. The menu changes daily and seasonally and we are committed in offering only the freshest and most flavourful produce," says Dalal.
The friendly atmosphere is made even more inviting by the fact that the food at Bombay Salad Co. contains no additives. Dalal, who worked as a chef at the Taj, Suzette and Barrio, says, "We source only the best produce and buy local whenever possible. Our food is made from scratch, every day. None of it contains chemicals, colours or additives. Fruits, grains and vegetables are purified using ozone technology. We use only drinking water in our kitchens and our team follows the strictest sanitation standards."
Bombay Salad Co., Rita Apartments, 16th Road, Bandra (W). Call 26000270 for details.
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