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Coming right out of the pandemic, the team behind The Bombay Canteen and Bombay Sweet Shop collated their kitchen-lockdown efforts into a deli that has, ever since its opening in 2023, become everyone’s go-to. Snagging a seat at Veronica’s Bandra has been (and continues to be) a mighty task, but it's one that Mumbaikars happily take head on. Now, Veronica’s has crossed the sea-link and materialised right next to its sibling, The Bombay Canteen, in Lower Parel.
The Kamala Mills outpost is all happy and vibrant – but a much larger space, with 55 seats. It stands where Pop Tate’s used to be, and when the folks at Hunger Inc. learnt that the space next door was available, they jumped at the opportunity and locked in.
The outlet still feels like a Veronica’s, just a bit remixed. A yellow-tiled coffee bar, a dynaudio acoustics speaker, the cocktail bar, the yellow-red-coral theme…plus a long community table, diner-style booths (with plug points!), and seats that can be clubbed together for larger parties. This is all designed by Shonan Purie Trehan, founder & principal architect at L.A.B, who did the interiors for the Bandra outlet as well. They’ve also got two merch corners: one by the door and another outside the restrooms. There’s also a fun open-kitchen setup with wraparound seating, encouraging chit-chat between the team and customers.
Menu-wise, it’s classics, plus some new additions. Most of the Bandra best-sellers have made it, of course. The sandwiches, artisanal bakes, salads and small shareable bakes, plus soft serves and desserts.
What else? Their viral coffee (made using Nosy Lucy and Buzzy Billy beans), tea, kombucha on tap, beer on tap, canned cocktails, a wine bar, AND a cocktail programme inspired by the global aperitivo culture curated by Pankaj Balachandran.
What I got: a muskmelon highball and bloody Maria – both available in canned forms, and both very bubbly and refreshing.
The pink peppercorn paloma doesn’t overpower the tequila and has a slight zing. Veronica’s brekkie, with marmalade in white rum, is citrusy and fresh. If you love your cocktails as slushies, then I highly recommend their tinto de verano, which is ‘cherry’ good!
The food menu, curated by executive chef Hussain Shahzad, is no-fuss and has dishes packed with flavours. While lapping up their hummus & chill with house-baked sourdough, I have assessed its ranking in my hummus-ventures around the city. It tops. Their spicy ahi tuna tostada warrants immediate consumption. The bang bang tofu salad with brick chicken was a major highlight for me. The yuba (tofu skin) was stellar, and the chicken grilled with a burger hold had a snappy, ASMR-ish crunch to it. Sandwiches at Veronica’s are a must-try, so I split a very vero Bombay toastie and the Godfather with co-owner Sameer Seth, who informs me that the mortadella in the latter is house-made and perfected after a year of experimentation. The Bombay toastie is an honest tribute to the street-style Bombay sandwich.. All the sandwiches are also available in gluten-free breads. Don’t forget to bag their bakes, including the truffle cacio e pepe doughnut, Kejriwal croissant, and chicken massaman croissant.
The space encourages walk-ins throughout the day. It shapeshifts into a cafe, a brunch spot, an after-work dive bar, or a cool hangout spot, all depending on what time you’re heading in.
Time Out tip: Vegetarians, fret not! Those of you who may have whined about how concise the Bandra menu reads have no reason to complain here!