À la carte

Imagine this. You go to a restaurant to eat but you like the chair and realise it is up for sale. Even the finely crafted cutlery that catches your eye can be yours.

You look at a wine glass and suddenly remember you’re having a party next evening and don’t have good wine glasses. It may sound too late but with the concept of retail restaurants  you have just enough time for going shopping.

Whether its for an emergency shopping or you feel like redecorating your place, these new-age retail restaurants save both time and energy while giving you a handful of ideas about décor and daily useful items.

While on one hand, buying a thing or two from a restaurant becomes a common concept for most metropolitans, the collection often remains limited. The Age team recently found out restaurants who put up everything on sight for sale.

Interior of Plum in Delhi

One such restaurant — Plum by Bent Chair, is product of collaboration between leading hospitality and furniture brands- First Fiddle and Bent Chair. Reigning hearts all around Mumbai, Plum is an example which  brings its charisma and charm to the Capital. Lauded for its one of a kind concept and its lush breathtaking interiors, it is known to be Instagrammable and with right cause for beholding over 200 variations of food and decor items present at the venue.

As the concept goes, retail restaurants are representation of all the select-featured collections placed all around the property. Experiential dining at its best, these place offers people to buy whatever they like. From the furniture to the lights to the plates, everything is on sale.

Smoked Eel Nigri

The much talked about outlet of Plum is running in full swing and showcases its detailed taste in not just decor and furniture products, but also in Pan-Asian cuisine with some of its signature dishes that have been the highlight of every table. Choose from an array of lip-smacking dishes such as Seafood wontons, Nutella Banana Sushi, Mongolian Sliced lamb, California Uramaki, Spicy Barbeque Chicken Bao and more while sipping on flavorsome cocktails like Smash on the Rocks, Hell Boy and Coming in hot. The outlet even offers vegan and gluten-free dishes in the menu to meet the growing demands.

Another retail restaurant in the Capital is Ciclo Café. Ashish Thadani, the CEO of Ciclo Café, and a restaurant retailer believed beyond food and his purpose was to bring the cycling community together.

This café sells cycles of 8 high-end brands ranging from Rs 12,500 to Rs 3 lakh, while even higher range international brand cycles will be sourced as per the request of the customers. His idea of Ciclo Café was not just to have a cycling-inspired cafe with furniture and lights that are inspired by bicycle parts, but also to bring  the trending culture of cycling which may inspire a lot to take up a lifestyle basing upon cycling.

Leading a similar themed place, Hyderabad-based startup Driven Café is one-of-the-kind retail-restaurant, where guests can rent a superbike, or a luxury four wheeler and sip a cup of coffee while discussing about their favourite superbike or car. They have taken deposits from customers who want to rent a superbike or a fancy car.

The minimum security money starts from Rs 10,000 per day. The bike or car can be rented for an hour or two or even for an entire day.

Plum, for example, displays different collections and it is all about the small details, which are iconic and eye-catching. The ceiling has the tropical collection, the cat lights, and the rocky star lanterns at the display. The bar looks mystical with the snitch lights and the changing wallpaper making it a place to fathom every second and every sight.

So, why wait for finding just the perfect thing while shopping becomes such an easy thing for food-lovers?