Lounge
The global reservation game comes to India
Summary
Getting a dinner date is easy, but finding a table calls for luck as restaurants demand that diners reserve seats weeks ahead
Is there a new restaurant you are keen to try? They can probably seat you for dinner five weeks from now at 10pm—if you’re lucky and can reserve a spot in under two minutes online.
That’s why Bengaluru-based algorithms engineer Dakshin Victor John, 28, spent a few hours analysing session timing, page views and queues on the website of Naru, the noodle bar that opens for reservations every Monday at 8pm and is booked within minutes. John’s analysis, which he describes as “pretty simple", ensured he got a table twice in six months last year, quite a feat considering some have been trying their luck every Monday since 2022.
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Not everyone takes as scientific an approach to getting a table as John, but it is true that the days of walking into Mumbai and Bengaluru’s top restaurants on a whim are past. Today, the most coveted ones demand a reservation—much like restaurants in London, New York and Paris do. One of the most significant changes in India’s restaurant landscape has been the shift in the equation between restaurants and customers.
“With the rise of an aspirational middle class and a growing appetite for unique dining experiences, it was only a matter of time before this trend came to India," says Raaj Sanghavi, CEO of the Mumbai-based Culinary Culture, a restaurant and chef rating, events and content platform.
The rise of small-format, chef-led restaurants has a lot to do with the way dining culture in India is changing. Leading chefs like Hussain Shahzad, Prateek Sadhu, Kavan Kuttappa and Kanishka Sharma headline intimate restaurants showcasing creative dishes, and their popularity creates a waiting list. A few casual spots, like Pizza 4P’s and Guerilla Diner in Bengaluru, have also put in place a reservation system because of the demand driven by their social media popularity.
A 2024 report by Swiggy and Bain & Company, How India Eats, says the market for eating out and ordering in is projected to nearly double by 2030, reaching ₹9 trillion, up from ₹5.5 trillion today. GenZ and younger demographics account for 40% of India’s food services consumption, and dining out is expected to surge as their spending power grows. This will continue to drive demand for unique dining experiences.
Sixteen-seater Naar by Sadhu is testament to this. Located in Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh, Naar is a three-hour drive from Chandigarh. Upon arrival, the experience unfolds as a sensory journey, beginning with a garden walk by the chef to forage ingredients and culminating in a front-row seat at the open kitchen. A meal at Naar costs around ₹7,200 and requires much planning, including finding a hotel room. Bookings open 30 days in advance over phone or email.
“A decade ago, such a concept would have been unthinkable. No chef would have dared take the plunge and no diner would have had the patience. Today, food lovers from across the country [are] willing to make the trek for a one-of-a-kind experience," Sanghvi says, explaining the change in consumer culture that has helped a destination dining concept like Naar succeed.
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Walk-ins are a strict no-no at restaurants like Papa’s in Mumbai, helmed by Shahzad, Kuttappa’s Naru Noodle Bar and Sharma’s NĀVU in Bengaluru. Reservations for Papa’s open at 11am on the first day of each month for the following month, and are fully booked within minutes. The 12-seater chef’s counter serves a 13-course tasting menu, priced at ₹6,000. “Papa’s aims to create something akin to a Broadway show, where you are mesmerised by the set-up and the people taking you through dinner," says co-founder Sameer Seth. “The concept demands you know who you are serving. People are looking for an experience beyond dinner." Papa’s is known to have a “house party energy" with Shahzad chatting with diners. “Food is the new music, we all want to be entertained when we go out," Seth adds.
Even American-style diners are turning exclusive. Take Guerilla Diner in Bengaluru, a 12-seater burger shop and taqueria launched in October 2024 by Tushar Sood. Despite its “Ghetto burger shop" Instagram bio, reservations are required, with bookings opening every Tuesday at 8pm. January is fully booked, despite a ₹500 booking fee and 45-minute time slots, with no walk-ins, deliveries, or takeouts allowed.
Diners are going the extra mile, too. “At Papa’s, our team has been offered concert tickets and dinner invitations for a reservation," Seth says. In Bengaluru, equity adviser Raghav Sharma, 29, is a regular at 4P’s, where it was near impossible to get a table when it opened in December 2023. “I bought 36 donuts and went to the manager, Kowada Ryo. Being Japanese, Ryo understood the cultural significance of the gesture." Sharma can now score a table anytime and get take out.
While donuts and domain knowledge are a few ways to get that coveted table, one thing is clear, exclusivity has become the ultimate culinary currency.
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