drnk apartment

drnk apartment sits on the ground floor of a newly redeveloped Andheri building, alongside
Bengaluru import AlienKind, Dessert Therapy Kitchen and Korean QSR Seoul Dak. Together, they form an after-hours circuit for the neighbourhood’s younger set.

We arrive late, after dinner, when most cafés are easing into decaf mode. Hip-hop and R&B fill a New York loft-like space, where metallic tables, sofa seating and a supersized peach-coloured light installation behind the bar make everyone look as though they have wandered into a James Turrell work. The place is smaller than we imagined but the
haze, music and cheerful young crowd more than make up for it.

drnk may present itself as a coffee shop that serves food, but we prefer to treat it as a dessert parlour. Protein pancakes, bowls and 18g protein lattes offer a veneer of satisfaction, but the menu’s true instincts are gloriously indulgent with pancake stacks, loaded fries, grilled cheese toasties and drinks modelled after cakes, doughnuts and puddings.

The warm S’mores Chocolate French Toast proves this case very well. It arrives soaked in hot chocolate and covered with torched marshmallows, graham-cracker rubble and a glassy brûléed crust. It is far too sweet, completely excessive and – regrettably for our dignity – quickly demolished. The thecha grilled cheese is an excellent counterpoint. Thecha is a fiery Maharashtrian condiment traditionally made by pounding green chillies, garlic and peanuts together. drnk makes its version from scratch, leaving crunchy bits of peanut through, then sandwiches it with molten cheese inside pillowy shokupan. We love it.

The Nepo Baby, a lavender matcha, wears an exceptional cap of whipped cream (homemade and the best we’ve ever had), though lavender-infused whole milk and matcha never quite become best friends. The viral tiramisu iced latte fares worse. The coffee itself is pleasant but the tiramisu tastes flat and once it collapses into the glass, muddies both coffee and dessert.

We’d resisted drnk’s tiny Bandra outlet for ages, suspicious of the queues, drops and viral-
whatever of it all. This is our first visit and we leave unexpectedly impressed. Beneath the
gimmicks are good ingredients, serious flavour and two founders who understand their audience. Aryan Gandhi and Raj Thakkar were just 19 and 21 when they launched in 2023.

Gen Z is building the places it wants to inhabit while the old guard is still commissioning strategy decks on how to attract it. The kids are alright. And we cannot wait to see what they do next.

Time Out tip: If you’re overwhelmed by the long list of viral drinks, start with the coffee-based ones and save room for one of the loaded, seasonal French toasts instead.