Looking for a place where you can work, be connected and at times just hangout? Then head to the new Colaba Social. Some call it a boardroom with an attached bar.
Freelancers, take note. When working from home gets too distracting and the loneliness (or chaos) eats into your work, it may be time to pack up your laptop and head to your nearest Social. This online-offline chain of restaurants doubles up as a clever work-space for freelancers and you might well find your muse lurking behind the bar.
The Social chain is run by Riyaaz Amlani and his Impresario Handmade Restaurants - the people who brought us Mocha.
The new Colaba Social is the third in the chain, with other restaurants based in Bengaluru and New Delhi. Designed by Sanya Desai, the restaurant is laid back, with a good dose of warehouse chic. The walls have been stripped back to brick and the ceiling lies exposed. Retaining the original architectural features led to the the mish-mash of old mosaic floors, windows with shutters and high ceilings to get the desired informal look.
Leather sofas, colourful folding metal chairs in blue and orange, both around tables and on walls, chequerboard tables paired with, hold your breath - a swing! The overall ambience is dark, but welcoming.
The kitchen with its white subway tiles, hanging bottles and hashtags is the heart of the space. Given the nature of the space, hashtags show up everywhere. They are etched in white on the red brick wall (#WIP near the workspace) and also show up on pickle jars and in the bathroom. Some hashtags are in Devnagri, which takes some deciphering to figure them out.
The food encompasses a wide-range of cuisines and is served in unusual containers including gramophone records, enamelled plates, wooden spiked boards and even chocolate in a mini bath-tub. The menu comes in the shape of
