There is an unspoken choreography to dining out in Mumbai. You dress with intention, you rehearse a breezy confidence for the host stand, and you pretend you are not silently Googling half the menu under the table. Even the smallest gestures — who orders, who pours, who pays — reveal tiny power shifts we rarely acknowledge. Eating out is not just about food anymore; it is about learning how to navigate a city that keeps getting faster, sharper, and louder. Kaspers, the new neighbourhood bistro tucked just off Hill Road in Bandra, feels like a gentle interruption to all of that. It is stylish without being self-important and playful without slipping into gimmickry.
Inside Kaspers
The Food Matters Group, the team behind The Table, Mag St., Iktara, and other Mumbai favourites, has poured a great deal of intention into this compact 1,000-square-foot space. Mosaic floors lead you in, deep maroon banquettes pull you closer, a zinc bar glints softly, anchoring the room without demanding attention. But the real personality comes from American artist Kacper Abolik, after whom the restaurant is named, who spent a month or two in Mumbai painting a sprawling cherub-filled mural across the ceiling. His playful touches appear everywhere — behind bottles, tucked into corners, almost winking at you. Crayons on every table seal the mood: this is a bistro that wants you to enjoy yourself, not posture.
Chef Will Aghajanian’s menu reflects his global journey — Mugaritz in Spain, Per Se in New York, Horses in Los Angeles — but he cooks with a refreshing ease here. Kaspers is not trying to impress you with complexity; it just wants to feed you well, with a mix of comfort, craftsmanship, and personality.
What stood out (and what did not)
The Kashmiri pear salad with celery hearts and Belper Knolle was a confident start. Soft pears, peppery cheese, crisp celery — simple elements brought together with a clear hand. It is light, refreshing, and surprisingly memorable.
The hand-cut steak tartare stuck to classic technique, which I appreciated. No unnecessary twists, no overwrought plating — just good meat, finely chopped, seasoned with restraint.
The salt-roasted tiger prawns with prawn head rouille and bouillabaisse jus were a nice intermission. The prawns were plump and properly cooked, but it was the broth that made the dish sing. The prawn head rouille added just the right amount of richness.
Chef Will Aghajanian
The smoked pork ribs with pineapple mostarda, however, did not quite land. The flavours were promising — smoky, sweet, tangy — but the pork itself was chewy. This is not entirely surprising; Mumbai is not known for its pork produce, and even talented kitchens struggle with consistency.
Angry spaghetti with arrabbiata and stracciatella
The tagliarini au gratin with smoked ham and truffle brought things back up. It is cosy, creamy, and nostalgic in all the right ways. The smoked ham threads through the dish without overpowering it, and the truffle behaves itself.
Desserts at Kaspers feel like a small celebration. The coffee cake tiramisu is light and familiar; the Oloroso crème brûlée has a warm, boozy depth beneath its crackling top; the hot fudge profiterole sundae is pure childhood joy dressed up for a night out; and the canelé tart with crème fraîche and strawberries is the most elegant of the lot — caramelised, balanced, quietly lovely.
Mud crab gratin with lamb brain and Bengali dijonnaise
Sea bream tartare with meunière vinaigrette
Hot fudge profiterole sundae
The cocktails had mixed moments. The Ramos Gin Fizz was airy and enjoyable but leaned a bit sweet. The Old Cuban was minty, bubbly, beautifully balanced.
Old Cuban
And underpinning all of this is a clear philosophy. As co-founder, Gauri Devidayal puts it, “something fresh to Mumbai, but in a way that still feels personal.” Kaspers, she said, strikes that balance — “refined but relaxed, thoughtful yet a little spontaneous.”
That spirit carries through the room. Kaspers feels welcoming — a space where women feel comfortable lingering late, where queer diners feel at ease, where friends can laugh loudly without earning looks. In a city where dining out can often feel like a test of taste, knowledge or confidence, Kaspers lowers the temperature. It makes space for joy, for looseness, for simply being.
A meal for two costs ₹3,500 plus taxes
Published – November 30, 2025 07:30 am IST
