Are pop-ups the new secret sauce for five-star hotels to bring diners back?

Ever since the pandemic, standalone restaurants have made a mark with their unique pop-up events. These range from limited edition or weekend-only menus to one-night-only experiences. Over the last couple of years, India’s five-star hotels have made a conscious effort to rewrite their food and beverage programmes, and international pop-ups and bar takeovers have played a key role in keeping diners curious and excited. Collaborations with chefs from around the world have brought fresh energy and exposure to the food culture. It helps that food is one of the primary reasons people travel, and pop-ups fit into this trend. Hosting a collaboration or a pop-up is an opportunity to test new waters, drive revenue and build brand identity, but most importantly, to stay relevant and keep diners coming back.

“One of the big reasons for hotels to host pop-ups is to keep up with standalone restaurants. Following the pandemic, we’ve noticed a new pool of young, Instagram-savvy talent in F&B operations, who are thinking out of the box to bring in fresh perspective to pop-up events," says Diganta Chakraborty, founder & CEO of Elemental, which works with hospitality brands to curate bespoke culinary events. He points out tourism is primarily driving the shift, as guests who discover a chef/bar through a hotel pop-up often end up travelling to the chef’s home country to dine at their restaurant.

Much of Elemental’s investment goes into travelling to different countries, to eat at award-winning restaurants and bars, primarily to identify chefs/bartenders for collaborations. “The more we travel, people get more comfortable and open to do business. Right now, Asia and Europe are the two markets considering the growing number of Indian travellers heading to these destinations," says Chakraborty. When he lived in Colombo sometime around 2017, he met the ace mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana (popularly known as Mr Lyan), who now helms the award-winning bar Lyaness in London. The encounter sparked a friendship, and this July, he brought him down for a takeover at the Four Seasons Hotel in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. “I was fascinated by his approach to ‘no perishables’, which meant no ice or no fresh fruits. I thought it was unique and something Indian bars could learn from. The value is also more for the team that gets to experience what the visiting chef/mixologist brings to the table," he says.

It also factors in the demographics of the hotel’s clientele. For a dinner series last weekend at The Chambers-Taj Hotels (Mumbai and Kolkata), Chakraborty, who had dined at Legume in 2023, negotiated a partnership with the plant-based Seoul restaurant as the diners were vegetarians. Chef Sung Si-woo served chickpea gnocchi and hazelnut sorbet.

The post-pandemic boom in the Indian bar and restaurant space means five-star hotel chains have to constantly innovate and offer more than just a beautiful experience. Guest loyalty is of prime importance to luxury brands like The Oberoi, which has hosted some of the most-talked-about international pop-up dinners in the recent past. These include the Michelin-starred restaurants Orfali Bros from Dubai in 2024 and Odette from Singapore last month. While the Dubai restaurant ranks #37 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list for its Syrian-inspired cuisine, Odette is Cantal-born French chef Julien Royer’s homage to his grandmother’s cooking.

A spokesperson from The Oberoi group says pop-ups and collaborations are a way to take the guest experience beyond the stay. “The idea is to create experiences that are more than just a meal, something that offers a story, cultural connection and a sense of discovery," she says.

Bar takeovers are riding this wave too. A craft cocktail craze that took shape post pandemic has become a full-fledged movement as five-star hotels collaborate with top bartenders and mixologists from around the world.

In a city like Bengaluru, the thriving bar culture is a bonus. “Bengaluru’s audience deeply values the craft of mixology. So curated takeovers introduce our guests to diverse global styles, techniques and trends shaping the contemporary cocktail culture," says Madhav Sehgal, senior vice-president, The Leela Palace Bengaluru. ZLB23, the in-house vibey Kyoto-inspired bar here, which ranks #31 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list, has hosted several acclaimed international bartenders. Among them are Deke Dunne from Allegory DC in Washington; Indra Kantono from Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, which ranks #3 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and #9 on World’s 50 Best Bars 2025; and the mezcal bar Barro Negro from Athens. Bringing in a mezcal bar resonates with the growing trend of India’s fascination with small batch, artisanal spirits. “It was a chance to showcase what’s stirring on the other side of the world, right here at our bar."

Aditya Ramani, director of food and beverage, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, views it as an opportunity to expand the diversity of the food and drinks offerings by bringing in chefs from their sister properties in Sri Lanka, Bali and Oman. “Apart from the social media frenzy of these takeovers, the best bars and restaurants lists and awards hold a lot of aspiration for guests, almost like having a fan following," he says. In June, the cocktail bar Laut from Singapore came down to India for a takeover at the hotel’s refurbished European restaurant Mezzo Mezzo.

“Although the cuisine is different, for us the idea was to give the bar programme a push in terms of experimenting with the current cocktail trends. Since the restaurant reopened a few months ago, we also realised takeovers such as these are a great way to connect with the international bar community," he adds. Co-founder Leon Tan (of Laut) walked through the markets of Mumbai to select local ingredients such as raw mango and coconut for his creations. “It’s a big takeaway for our young team, who want to learn and get inspired by world-class mixologists," he adds.

There are also potential challenges. International pop-ups carry high commercial stakes with chefs flying in premium ingredients sourced specially for each event. Tickets for experiences featuring globally renowned chefs, typically from award-winning lists, can range from ₹30,000- ₹50,000 per guest in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.