The Biggest Hospitality News in India - Jan and Feb, 2025

Joanna Lobo rounds up all the biggest news in F&B in the first two months of 2025.

Are you ready to be an anti-obesity warrior? If yes, our Prime Minister is looking for you. PM Narendra Modi wants Indians to reduce their edible oil consumption and fight obesity. He nominated 10 people including Omar Abdullah, Mohanlal, and Anand Mahindra, requesting them to nominate 10 more to spread awareness. India has a growing obesity problem: according to a Lancet study, Indians have nearly 80 million obese people. As per the Global Obesity Observatory, India’s obesity figures have a financial cost too — obesity-related costs were $28.95 billion in 2019, accounting for 1% of GDP, and could triple to $81.53 billion (1.57% of GDP) by 2030.

On Mahashivratri, Swiggy Instamart stopped delivering meat/ fish/ eggs (and in some places, dog food too) in places like Goa and Mumbai. It begs the question: is this yet another example of veg terrorism?

India is battling the effects of climate change, from heat waves to unexpected storms. In addition, there is a surge in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome. The outbreak in Pune is being traced to a pathogen called campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of foodborne infections, and the biggest driver of GBS worldwide. Scientists are exploring how environmental changes triggered by global warming are causing the increased spread of food-borne microbes.

Desi News: Tetra Pak gets serious about recycling; chef Regi Mathew opens a restaurant in NY

The biggest news, at least on social media and in food circles, was The Gathering. Simply put, this food festival in Delhi paired 9 of India’s best chefs with 9 artists to create a weekend of exciting (if expensive) meals.

Chef Regi Mathew (of Kappa Chakka Kandhari) is opening his first international venture, Chatti, a contemporary restaurant and bar that showcases the cuisine of Kerala’s toddy shops, in New York City.

Cake artist, Megha Kwatra Madan of Studio Cake O’Luv, was honoured with the Cake Designer of The Year Award, at D’Licious Mag Awards ceremony, held in the United Kingdom.

Éntisi Chocolatier has teamed up with American Pistachios to create the limited edition Kunafa chocolate bar.

The Michelin starred Bo.lan from Thailand is coming to India as part of a three-day pop up (March 14-16) at Rim Naam, The Oberoi, Bengaluru. Bo.lan is run by chef Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava – who was featured on Chef’s Table, and her husband, Chef Dylan Jones. The restaurant is known for its sustainable practices.

Tetra Pak has introduced packaging materials integrated with certified recycled polymers in India, marking a first for a company in the food and beverage packaging industry in the country.

Videshi news: US Bans Red Dye 3; Ultrasound can Extends Flowers’ Usability

The roses you threw away a day after Valentine’s Day may yet have some value. Researchers are studying how ultrasound waves, which help process many foods with minimal time and resources, can extend a flower’s usability beyond a typical bouquet’s lifespan. A study published in the Journal of Food Process Engineering says that ultrasound may open up new prospects for turning leftover petals into colour boosters or dietary enhancements.

United States food regulators have banned Red Dye 3, a dye used in food, drinks and medicine after evidence found that it causes cancer in rats.

Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) has launched a project to catalogue and analyse wild plants with medicinal, aromatic, toxic, nutritional, and economic properties, and provide research-based guides to support sustainable resource use and conservation.

New Launches: A Fancy Food Truck in Goa, Bengaluru gets a Dave & Buster’s; and designers turn restaurateurs

The metros, and Goa, show a sustained growth in new openings.

Mumbai leads the charge with the maximum new openings. Bastian Hospitality has a new restaurant dedicated to progressive Szechuan cuisine, Bastian Chinois; NMACC gets NMACC Arts Cafe; and chef Seefah’s much-loved Khao Man Gai now has its own dedicated Bandra address. In addition, there is the contemporary European space, Mercii; cheesecake and coffee at Basque by Breve; American street food meets Mayan flavours at Ocho; Milagro celebrating Spanish food; Kokino, which offers MesoAmerican food; The Dimsum Room (TDR) with food inspired by Hong Kong; Scarlett House doing global fare; Late Checkout, a cocktail lounge open after hours; Kico, a cocktail bar that doubles up as a sneaker and streetwear store; pasta and coffee bar, Pomodoro; Uncommon Café; Apéro inside Malido Cafe, doing Parsi fare and cocktails; the café, Anokhi Garden; INKA serving Peruvian and Asian delicacies; and taproom, Berlin Brew.

In Delhi is Ristorante Dali; resto-bar Japanico; Europe-inspired café Pastiche; contemporary Asian Niko; the designer Café Fleur by Varun Bahl; canteen-style South Indian fare at Dakshin Canteen; and the community space and bar, Uncle’s. Gurugram has EnCanto with Mexican vibes; Europe-inspired café Pastiche; and contemporary Asian spot Niko.

There’s a new outpost of Olive in Ludhiana; Jaipur has the resto-bar doing Indian and Italian food, 1932 Trevi; Indore gets a new one8 Commune, and The Leela Hyderabad launches the Singaporean, Malay and Chinese restaurant, TIGA. Third Wave Coffee, the coffee-first QSR brand, has launched its 125th café, which makes its debut in Chennai. Pune has Farro where Mediterranean influences meet Indian flavours; Nanna’s Negroni, inspired by European culinary traditions; and the Italian Donna Cucina.

Be Luru is a new social dining space in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru has Comal cantina; Stories 2.0, a daily drinking bar; ParTTwo, a bar promising good cocktails; Tapeo offering global tapas at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton; YOYO! Fresh Tea Bar, the tea brand from the Netherlands, launches its first Indian outlet; Be Luru, a social dining space paying tribute to Karnataka’s rich heritage; taproom and restaurant, THE BAH; The South Place, focussed on cuisine from India’s southern states; and its fifth Bob’s Bar at Wood Street. Dave & Buster's entered the Indian market with its flagship outlet featuring a 300-seater restaurant and a cocktail bar, besides entertainment zones.

The luxury food truck, Palmera, at St Regis Goa Resort.

Goa has Ministry of Beer; The Foundry doing cuisine-agnostic food; the seafood-focussed Oito by chef Viraf Patel; Zeno by the Sea offering world cuisine; Tao & Anise, the pan-Asian restaurant at The Westin Goa; the café, bar and lifestyle store Escape, by Ritu Beri; the beach-side spot, Jolene by the Sea; Farzi makes its debut with Farzi Beach at Mayfair on the Sea; the Japanese Izakaya restaurant, JSan; 7@Assagao, an all-day casual dining restaurant and bakery; the luxury food truck, Palmera at The St. Regis Goa Resort.

High Spirits: Two New Agave Spirits; Delhi’s Lair crowned India’s Best Bar

India has 2 new agave spirits: Gracia Viva Agave!, which launched with 5 flavours. And, Stockholm Distillers & Vintners launched Casa Claro agave – launched in Blanco and Picante variants, with another set to launch in April. Casa Claro sources their agave spirit from Mexico.

2 Down Beer Co. released their first Dunkelweizen, aptly named Other Weiss. Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited (ABD), launched three new flavours of Zoya Gin: Zoya Watermelon Gin and Zoya Espresso Coffee Gin. Modi Illva launched Singhasan, an Indian premium blended whisky. Former cricketer, Yuvraj Singh, has co-founded a premium spirit brand, FINO Tequila, which made its debut in the United States market. It is set to launch in India soon. Goa has two new liqueurs: Limoncello ’24, made from Gondhoraj lemons sourced from the 24 Parganas in West Bengal; and Unusual Spirits’ Fragoncello ‘412, a strawberry liqueur crafted from Mahabaleshwar strawberries. Also in Goa is homegrown vermouth brand, Davana Vermouth Indica, available as a Rosso and a Bianco.

Jai Singh was crowned the 2025 SAI Best Sommelier of India, with Pankaj Singh and Amber Deshmukh securing second and third places. The top three winners will attend the ASI Education Boot Camp in Singapore this July. Jai Singh will represent India for the first time at the 2025 ASI Contest Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific in Malaysia and the 2026 ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World in Portugal.

Godawan secured two silver medals at the inaugural 2025 Whiskey Wash Awards for their Godawan 01 Rich and Rounded and Godawan 02 Fruit and Spice; and won 3, and 2 stars at the 2025 Superior Taste Awards.

Delhi’s Lair was crowned India’s Best Bar for 2024 at the fifth edition of 30BestBarsIndia. New entrants — Bangalore’s Bar Spirit Forward (#2) and Soka (#3) rounded up the top three. Goa’s Hideaway won big: Best Bar Team, Best Bartender, and Best Bar Goa (#5).

Goan bar, Hideaway, wins big at the 30 Best Bars awards ceremony in January.

Camikara introduced the Camikara Millionaire Bartending Challenge—a first-of-its-kind competition offering ₹10 lakh cash prize for the winner and ₹10 lakh insurance coverage for every participant.

Joanna Lobo is an independent journalist from Goa who enjoys writing about food, her Goan heritage, the freelance life, and other things that make her happy. She is also the Consulting Editor at Goya. Follow her on @thatdoggonelady.

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