Bloomsbury's, Bengaluru

The Bloomsbury’s story began in Abu Dhabi with their first cupcake shop at Al Wahda Mall in 2010. Since then, Bloomsbury’s has developed five more outlets in the UAE before moving to India as an all-day dining concept with a pattisserie. The client envisaged a quintessential Victorian themed London-inspired café; a space that can transport you back in time to the quaint British cafe’s in London.

As a theme carried forward by the Bloomsbury’s café in Cochin in Kerala, Dubai based DZ Design has retained a large yellow cart-wheel, reminiscent of the rickshaws of colonial India. The walls are adorned with bricks and faux white Victorian window panels, creating a feeling that this café has always around the minute you enter. The property was an old warehouse which was then converted into two levels of restaurant space. The facade is treated with timber panels that are painted matte black and teapot light pendants that drop from the open ceiling adds to the whimsical feel of the space. These teapots hang from the ceiling above to reflect light on the dark tiled floors. A model of a telephone booth and a violin themed stage on the first floor forms the most Instagrammable areas here. The pattisserie is a more playful space with a cake display and wallpaper with pastel colours.

The Chesterfield style banquet seats dictate the flow of seating. Brick clad walls have the brand story stenciled over them. The patisserie stands out with the pastel wall papers, decorated with their latest sweet offerings.
Bloomsburys leads you to a whimsical, almost an “Alice in Wonderland” style with its interiors and food. The social media wall has a collection of polaroid pictures of the people who have visited the space, you are invited to
make quirky comments on these to be displayed as well. An array of victorian styled balustrades lead to the upper floor, patrons read anecdotes of the colonial era on framed manuscripts of while ascending the stairs.
the upper level windows are styled with the big London “red bus” and a stenciled skyline of London adorn the brick walls here. Bloomsburys’ ambition is to give the interiors a feel of timelessness, that it has aged through the pre-independent India, the white windows over the brick walls tells a story of an existing venue showing the signs of aging through this time. the menu boasts a collections of exquisite sweets and pastries as well as a full dining menu of British and colonial India favorites. On the first floor, at the edge of the window, the profile of a violin is seen and this transcends to a venue for budding artists to perform and entertain guests.