Where ART thou? In Indian restaurants!

An imposing installation inspired by Burma's giant Kyaiktiyo pagoda – a golden Buddhist temple perched atop a precariously balanced boulder – hangs at the centre, immediately catching the eye. On a cabinet are neatly displayed Burmese artefacts -- papier mache, lacquerware, and wooden figurines. Upstairs, a wall hand-painted in subtle pastel hues instantly evokes peace. The mural, featuring several pagodas, depicts the ancient city of Bagan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site often called the land of pagodas.

 

This isn’t an art gallery or museum. It’s the newest outlet of Burma Burma, a premium casual restaurant chain by Mumbai-based Hunger Pangs Pvt Ltd, recently opened in Aerocity, New Delhi. Founder Ankit Gupta speaks as passionately about Burmese art and culture as he does about food — if not more so. That passion is evident in each of his outlets, with every location drawing inspiration from a different aspect of the Burmese heritage. “For example, our restaurant in Saket, New Delhi, celebrates the tribes of Burma,” says Gupta during a walkthrough of the Aerocity space, as he explains how Burma gets its name from its largest ethnic group — the Bamar tribe. Similarly, at the Ahmedabad outlet, a 50-foot wall showcases Burmese textile art.

 

 

Not only Burma Burma, a growing number of restaurants in India are increasingly incorporating art into their spaces, creating a sensorial experience that moves from palette to palate.

 

Take, for example, Ristorante by Dali, a new Italian restaurant in New Delhi’s Greater Kailash (GK) 2 that pays homage to Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. Or Begeterre, on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road — inspired by Roman culture, it’s billed as India’s first museum-themed restaurant. Then there’s Arts Room, at Eldeco Centre in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, which takes its name seriously: here, art is as much on the menu as the decadent food.

 

It's not every day you get to see artworks by global icons under one roof, let alone at a restaurant. But that's what happens at the NMACC Arts Café at BKC Mumbai, which has on display masterpieces from the likes of British artist Damien Hirst, known for his death-centred artworks, Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, Bangladeshi visual artist Rana Begum, among others. The space is designed by Gauri Khan and stands true to its moniker.

 

Down south is Hortus, a cocktail bar in Panampilly Nagar, Kochi. Inspired by the 17th-century book Hortus Malabaricus by the then-Dutch governor of the Malabar region, the space oozes botanical heritage of the Malabar with its deep green and pale mustard walls and ceilings, hand-painted flowers, and ceiling installations depicting the inspiration of the place.

 

In a beautiful description about the interplay between art and food, the three-Michelin-star restaurant Osteria Francescana, run by celebrated Italian chef Massimo Bottura, says on its website: "Contemporary art is an inspiration, a guide and a muse." And that the artworks at the restaurant aren't mere decorations but "windows onto the landscape of ideas that widen horizons and open up possibilities."

 

And while talking of the interplay between art and food, who can forget the OG Khyber, the over six-decade old restaurant at Mumbai's Kala Ghoda, which houses not one but three paintings by none other than MF Husain. What's even more interesting is when the establishment got burnt to the ground in 1985, during its renovation, Husain reportedly painted his artworks in its very premises.

Suffice to say, paintings, murals, and striking pieces are increasingly a part of the culinary experience. What it requires is a keen eye and intrigue for your next dining experience to completely stand out.

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