Indigo Deli in Mumbai is an eatery dedicated to creating a relatable environment where to break bread at. Find here surfaces realised out of multiple types of wood, and some fine touches of stone and glass.
Change is a constant. Substitute ‘maturity’ for ‘change’ and one can apply the truism directly to Mumbai-based architect and designer Samira Rathod’s evolving design genealogy.
Transforming her overt design manifestations without actually transgressing from her innate tenets, (where simple materials and restraint generally convey the big idea that pilots every project) it is the subtlety in the tool and the application that draws one’s attention to the lady’s most recent work – the Indigo Delicatessen in south Mumbai.
The interior space is designed to suit the contextual fabric of the location and the core function. So you step into this cocoon of warmth enveloped in fine granular patterns of natural wood – and when Rathod reveals the hypothesis of a ‘breadbox’ that has inspired this Deli – you begin to experience the tangibility of the notion.
Wood in its disparate splendour is the all-encompassing material here, besides some textured paint and a touch of glass. Rose, teak and an imaginative display of ply in its multifarious layers – unyielding here, chamfered there – create a spectrum of planes and cambers that address the cosy seating and the display areas.
Indigo Deli sports a vast display of stylish crockery, a range of wines and some exclusive munchies beside the bakery produce. Marketing these wares are sturdy plywood shelves with bevelled edges to reveal fine layers of cut ply as their aesthetic element. Besides these is the floor-to-ceiling shelving unit along one entire wall that forms the highlight playing on the diners’ visual palate.
There is more to this visual drama when you look a little closer - the large arched windows that span the 18-ft. ceiling and almost casually frame the decrepit relics of the adjoining building. Set comfortably between these two vistas is the seating arrangement, smartly attired in leathered seats with the ply backs reflecting the chamfered edges of the mantel pieces anew.
The 2,000 sq. ft. area is perkily segregated into the lower floor and the mezzanine with a lot of open space, office and utility areas and an open kitchen. A fluted ceiling in white paint contrasts with the Mandana stone flooring and umber panelling. Lighting is warm, with customised copper and Rosewood pendulum lamps, while the air-conditioning has been efficiently camouflaged under the seating in the mezzanine.
A must-mention is the cleverly designed storage. Hidden within the seating arrangement are large-sized pull-out drawers that hold the ancillary supplies of the store.
Originally popular as the Bay Side Café, this deli has been carved out with considerable civil and structural changes to the existing layout. A trifle cluttered then, it now sports a clear dining area filled with appetising aromas from the open kitchen while its peremptory staircase has been perpendicularly shifted to a more sagacious climb.
While the recent boom of stylish eateries seems to impose varying degrees of social etiquette on the visitor, Indigo Deli is a refreshing change from this milieu.
