The all-day eatery, which opens its doors tomorrow, is led by chef Niyati Rao and Sagar Neve who wowed gourmands with their fine-dine Ekaa in December 2021. Like the neon asterisk signs that lead you up the winding wooden staircase of Kitab Mahal (KM) which houses KMC', the duo shuns definitions, reiterating that it’s not a café. “The C is dynamic; it can stand for club or culture for you, a café for someone else,” points out Rao. But community is at the heart of the space, shares Neve. “Back in the day, we had community spaces like baugs, libraries or even Irani cafés, where people would not just eat, but meet, talk, and even start movements. Today, there’s a scarcity of such spaces,” he laments. With a library corner booked with titles sourced from Horniman Circle, a projector-printer setup for working professionals, a merchandise section of locally made journals, macramé keychains, quirky postcards and posters, and of course, a bar and kitchen that caters to all kinds of tastes, they hope to draw Mumbaikars to a community-first eatery.

Chocolate chip cookie with  vanilla-basil ice-cream; (right) Poached pear

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The food, like at the next-door Ekaa, is interpretive and packed with surprises, but comes at friendlier price points. Comfort, and sometimes nostalgia, spills into almost every dish created by Rao and chef patron Dhriti Mankame. Take for instance brioche and podi (Rs 300), a gourmet take on the classic bun maska with the cotton-soft buns dunked in chive butter and topped generously with a nutty podi masala. Rao’s craving for fresh seafood that she grew up eating at Madh Island, inspires the must-try shrimp beignets and floss (Rs 450) that combine the worlds of seafood and deep-fried pastry. The umami shrimp stuffing cooked with their secret spices melts into the sweet-ish dough that is topped with a finger-licking-good prawn floss. The veggie bowl of coffee-glazed and baked beetroots, carrots, Bhavnagri chillies and purple yams (Rs 400) also impresses with a chatpata dressing and a light labneh.

Sagar Neve, Niyati Rao and Dhriti Mankame

We make space for some dairy indulgence next, as we taste the quiche x cheesecake (Rs 500). Creamy, but light, the savoury take on cheesecake is addictive; dig in all the way to get a load of that quiche crust and the hot-and-sweet red bell pepper jam. The kurkure fried chicken (Rs 500) pales in comparison for us, but is elevated by a faintly sweet honey soy dressing and a spicy dip that’s almost entirely butter. We wash these down with a soothing Earl Grey and clarified guava-infused cocktail, not so tanny (Rs 935), that comes with a side of wiggly guava gel.

The 70-seater space also boasts of a mezzanine floor. Pics/Ashish Raje

The streak of savoury experiments with sweet dishes also flavours banana bread with a tahini caramel drizzle and a salty miso ice-cream (Rs 360). Likewise, a herby, aromatic vanilla-basil ice-cream lifts a skillet-hot, gooey chocolate chip cookie (Rs 360). But if you’re that person who indulges in sappy Christmas movies all year round, like yours truly, pause eating to slurp the genius combination of wine-poached pear (Rs 975) and eggnog, a cocktail that is served in a bowl. Priced steeply, but deeply satiating, it’s the perfect pick-me-up without having to unpack one’s Christmas home décor. Maybe we’ll come back for it and call dibs on the window seat.

The library stocks poetry volumes, travel and food reads, and titles like Enid Blyton novels and the Harry Potter series, among other books

KMC'
At Kitab Mahal, 1st floor, shop no 2, Azad Maidan, Fort.
From Tomorrow, 9 am to 12 am 
Call 9987653397