Enjoy mindful eating, with flavourful fare, at this café in Bandra

We are at the busiest part of the year with parties, weddings, office get-togethers, and Secret Santa games filling up our social calendar. No doubt it’s going to be a sea of indulgent tables, banquets, and buffets out there. And if you’re planning a food resolution soon, don’t just stop with a wish—here's a place where you can actually get started.

Step into Bloom Conscious Eatery and Café—a brand-new spot in the burgeoning scene of clean-eating spaces in Mumbai. 

YS Life checked out this plant-based, keto-friendly, and vegan eatery and found it to be the perfect antidote to the rich indulgences of the season—with its salads, power-packed earth bowls, smoothie bowls, sourdough toasts, pizzas, and desserts. 

A cosy culinary caper

A white gate at the corner of Waterfield Road welcomes you to Bloom. Like its name, this is a nod to nature and flowers; so Instagrammers will be right at home here. And the breezy alfresco outside area, with natural light, is just perfect for winter. 

A table away is a girl gang enjoying their outdoor meal, judging by their happy chatter.

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The interiors are just as charming—with white walls, a section with bright floral paper art, boho-style rope swings, and a neat coffee counter. Adding festive charm to the place is a large X’mas tree with pastel flowers and buntings.

Salads and pizzas

I settle into the unrushed and calming ambience and check out the menu. 

Bloom is essentially a light ‘breakfast and lunch’ place with fare that can easily slip into the dinner menu as well. And there are options for everyone—vegans, vegetarians, and non-vegetarians—prepared by Executive Chef Rahul Desai. 

Of all the gluten-free salads, we suggest you start with the Arugula Fruits Honey Salad, topped with white sesame and microgreens. The salad gets a sweet-sharp taste thanks to the mustard-honey dressing. 

Watermelon is always a star accompaniment to feta, but here, the chef has given an interesting twist by pairing feta with chikoo. In another creation, smoked salmon gets citrusy overtones thanks to an orange reduction.

Health-conscious folks generally turn away from pizzas, but you don’t have to do that here, for they come with a multigrain or a quinoa-amaranth base, with vegan cheese. 

If you are in a group, the Signature Rainbow Pizza, laden with roast veggies, makes for a nice pass-around. 

On a suggestion, I settle for the Beetroot Hummus & Sliced Avocado, which comes with pomegranate molasses and chilli flakes, which lend a hint of piquancy. And it’s topped with a mix of edible flowers such as nasturtium, dianthus, snap dragon, chamomile, and marigold.

Healthy, wholesome, and flavourful

Clearly the mandate at Bloom is: Go healthy, but also flavoursome. 

Owner Niketa Sharma, who runs restaurants with a firm hand (she runs five!), says this place came about after her personal struggles with thyroid from the age of 19. She is also insulin-resistant and gluten-intolerant. 

She says, “I know how difficult it can be for those suffering from diet restrictions, as I too can’t have maida and other things. Whenever I went out to dine, I looked for healthy and tasty food but realised that there were so few options.” 

With a strong desire to give people something beyond just soup and salad, Niketa began to experiment with recipes at her restaurant Blah! Then she zeroed in on a location and Bloom café opened its gates on October 30 to fill the void in the dining-out space.

What’s Niketa’s favourite at Bloom?

“Definitely the House Special Parsi Akuri,” is her quick reply.

It’s easy to see why. The delicate, runny dish is the highlight of Bloom’s egg menu. Prepped with fried onion, fired up with cumin, garlic and a little raw mango for that slight sourness and texture, and served on whole wheat sourdough with roasted sweet potatoes and mushrooms, this dish makes for a wholesome meal. 

Other options that would please egg lovers are another Parsi delight—the coriander-laden Parsi Poro, and Turkish eggs in garlic-yoghurt sauce.

The Bloom Signature Rose Shaped Pasta is a visual treat, with carefully plated wheat lasagna floral spirals sitting pretty on a base of creamy cheese bechamel and smoky tomato sauce. One bite, and it feels like comfort food done right! 

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If you lean towards Oriental fare (like most of the urban populace does), go for the Soba Buckwheat Noodle Bowl with tangy Thai dressing. Pair the fare with a range of beverages— from shakes and cold brews to house-pressed juices and blooming teas.

Bliss out on these bowls

If healthy fare had to be given a peace emoji, it would belong to a smoothie bowl. For this fruit, seed and vegan milk delight can put your tastebuds and mind in complete harmony.

These smoothie bowls swept Instagram a few years ago when influencers hashtagged them all over their social media feeds. Their lure continues. 

At Bloom, they are made so artfully. Avocados, kiwi, berries, coconut, bananas, and chocolate team up with vanilla, cocoa, kale, dates, crunchy granola, and oat milk to create delicious, gluten-free bowls. 

Love chocolate? Opt for the Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Smoothie. Or go for a berry overload with the Frozen Berries Smoothie. An apt all-day pick-me-up is the Green Glow Smoothie with pineapple, kiwi, avocado, hemp and chia seeds, and muesli. 

Desserts are a big yes

Another zero-guilt area at Bloom is the dessert menu. 

The young restaurateur’s personal picks are the hot chocolate and the super-moist Rose Tres Leches, both made with oats milk and a flourless vegan chocolate cake. 

Niketa admits she has a sweet tooth; so she’s been experimenting a little here. Expect to see a quinoa and zucchini-based cake soon and a lotus biscoff vegan ice cream as well.

Cafés are meant to be retreats, and this is one such haven where you will spend time with a satisfied smile. And there’s more to come. 

Niketa, who’s got an M. Com degree in financial accounting and an MBA in international hospitality and tourism, is finalising her expansion plans. Get set for another Bloom café in Mumbai and one in Delhi and Goa as well.

“If I can get people—mainly Gen Z and those with sedentary jobs—to make a switch to healthy fare and enjoy their meal, that means everything,” she smiles.