The Intimate Plate

The Era of Micro-Dining: India’s Pint-Sized Kitchens Serving Mega Flavour

At Papa’s in Mumbai, one of India's finest chefs, Hussain Shahzad, isn't hidden in the kitchen; he's waiting for you at the table. You're in his zone, part of his process. You hear every exchange with his team, watch each dish come alive step by step, and see the plating unfold right under your nose. And yet, what finally lands on your plate is always a surprise.

The explanations, the tension and the banter-each moment pulls you deeper into Shahzad's mind. You marvel not just at what's on the plate, but at how it was imagined in the first place.

Surrounded by just a handful of fellow diners, you realise you're not just eating dinner. You're witnessing a performance, and you're part of the cast.

Papa's is part of a quiet revolution reshaping luxury dining in India. A new wave of chef-driven micro-diners, typically seating just 10 to 20 guests, is redefining what it means to dine out. These aren't just restaurants; they're intimate stages where food, craft and storytelling collide.

A Shift Toward Experience-Led Dining

Modern Indian diners, particularly those well-travelled and food-conscious, observes Hussain Shahzad, executive chef at Hunger Inc., which operates Mumbai’s Papa’s, are seeking more than just good food. They want a connection to the chef, the kitchen, the ingredients, and the story. This shift is fuelling the rise of intimate, experience-driven micro-dining rooms across the country.

“It’s the sense of exclusivity that appeals to diners,” he says “They enjoy being in the chef’s hands, not having to make decisions. It’s fun — but also a huge responsibility. When someone devotes three hours of their life to you, it has to count.”

At Papa’s, the evening unfolds like a well-scripted play — drinks at the bar, a 12-course tasting menu in full view of the kitchen, and a dining room that doubles as a stage. For Shahzad, it’s as personal as it gets: “It’s like throwing a party in your own kitchen.”

Controlled Environments, Unfiltered Creativity

These small-scale operations offer something larger restaurants can’t — control. For chefs who are also entrepreneurs, that control is everything: quality, storytelling, guest experience, and ingredients.

“To keep everything under control, you need an environment that is micro, not macro,” explains Himanshu Saini, whose Trèsind Studio in Dubai holds three Michelin stars. “Dining rooms are getting smaller, but the food is more precise, the service more focused, and the ingredients of the highest quality.”

The format, he notes, empowers chefs to take risks and refine every detail. It also allows diners to place deep trust in the chef — to the point where they're willing to travel, plan in advance, and pay a premium simply for the opportunity to be cooked for.

Destination Diners

India’s most ambitious micro diners aren’t just restaurants — they’re destinations. Farmlore in Bengaluru, for example, has no menu and accepts only pre-paid reservations. Chef Johnson Ebenezer, who returned from Malaysia to start the 18-seater, says the format makes the experience more meaningful for both the guest and the chef.

“Every single element is curated — from the dish to the playlist,” he says. “We cook for just 180 guests a week. We communicate with each one up to three to four times between booking and the actual meal to ensure it’s seamless.”

Diners are taken on a mid-meal walk through the farm where ingredients are grown, then return for the final courses. Vegan, gluten-free, and under-12 requests are declined — not to exclude, but to stay true to the experience.

“We tell people to come with an open mind,” says Ebenezer. “And many do — often flying in just for dinner.”

In the hills up north, Chef Prateek Sadhu’s Naar has become another cult dining destination. Nestled in the mountains, it seats just 16, with a 15-course Indian tasting menu that’s revealed only at the end.

“This is a chef’s passion project,” Sadhu says. “There was no reference point, no footfall logic. There was no reason for anyone to come here. But people came — from everywhere,” he explains.

What encourages Sadhu is that no one’s in a hurry. Diners take their time to eat, appreciate the story behind the food and restaurant and explore the surroundings at leisure.

For Chef Avinash Martin in Goa, the story is rooted in the land. His restaurant, The Table in the Hills, is perched atop a mountain and set in a 250-acre forest. Guests arrive by noon, sip welcome drinks, explore the forest, and then sit down to an 8-course lunch inspired by Goa’s traditions and communities.

“The forest is my dining room. Nature is the star,” Martins says. “The goal is to immerse people in the chef’s world — to show them where their food comes from and why it matters.”

Dining as Performance

One thing unites all these restaurants — the understanding that a micro-dining experience is as much performance as it is hospitality. Timing, grace, and presence matter.

“At such small spaces, guests are watching your every move,” says Shahzad. “Cooking and service have to be graceful. The dinner is a show — and that takes real training.”

Narrative is the New Luxury

In the age of content, the chefs behind these intimate spaces are finding an audience that’s not interested in just pretty plates — they want narrative.

“People are drawn to story-driven concepts,” says Panchali Mahendra of Atelier Hospitality. “This is one occasion when diners put their phones away and truly engage. The chefs choose their top 10-15 dishes that they can put all their creativity into. It’s not just about applause. It’s about chefs opening up about their career, their culture, their creativity.”

This is echoed by ace restaurateur Aditi Dugar, whose Masque Lab in Mumbai is part R&D kitchen, part private dining room, part collaboration space and a 14-seater chef’s table. She asserts small, limited seating restaurants are the best way to tell deeper food stories with seasonal ingredients in an intimate setting. Fewer guests means chefs can make bolder plates, craft more elaborate and personalised experiences, and often, directly chat with guests and answer their questions.

“Limited seating allows deeper storytelling. The chef can speak to each guest, explain techniques, or show how we brine, ferment, and develop flavours. The Lab lets us explore ingredients more thoroughly and share that process with the diner,” Dugar explains.

Redefining the Indian Table

If the early 2000s belonged to multi-cuisine menus and high-volume dining, 2020s India is seeing the rise of focused, hyper-curated, chef-owned ventures.

“This is the renaissance period in F&B,” says Sadhu and adds “People are willing to travel just to eat. Chefs are creating concepts that aren’t commercial at first glance — but they’re meaningful. And diners value that.”

Dugar highlights this experience pleasantly blurs the lines between the kitchen and the dining tables. “Chefs are able to ensure that guests are experiencing each plate of food the way it’s meant to be experienced, and that nothing is lost in translation,” she asserts.

Intimacy over Scale

These restaurants aren't necessarily profit machines. “They're not about scale,” as Sadhu points out. “They’re about precision, emotion, and intent.”

And while these experiences come at a price — both for the chef and the diner — the value lies in their purpose. At a micro diner, you’re not just paying for a meal. You’re buying into a philosophy, a way of thinking about food, and a story that’s unfolding right in front of you.

This is not a trend for trend’s sake. This seamless choreography between chef, diner, and environment is what elevates these intimate dinners into memorable experiences. You’re not just at dinner — you’re part of the chef’s world.

Micro-dining may be small in size, but its impact on India’s food future is going to be massive.

Why Every Gourmand Must Try

So, what makes these new playgrounds of gastronomy worth the journey?

• Hyper-personalisation: Every dish is tailored. Every diner feels seen.
• No menus, no choices: You surrender control and let the chef guide you.
• Immersive storytelling: From farm walks to bar conversations, the experience goes beyond food.
• Chef access: You see the maker, hear their voice, and feel their intent — in every bite.
• Limited availability: With just 10–20 seats, every reservation becomes a prized experience.

What to expect at such a diner

• A front-row seat to culinary creativity
• Unfiltered access to the chef and their vision
• A slow, intentional dining pace where flavours aren’t rushed
• An immersive journey from farm to fork, plate to palate

Table Talk

“We tell people to come with an open mind, and many do often, flying in just for dinner. Every single element is curated, from the dish to the playlist,” Johnson Ebenezer, Chef-Founder, Farmlore, Bengaluru

“This was a chef’s passion project. There was no reference point, no footfall logic. There was no reason tor anyone to come to Naar. But people came from everywhere,” chef Prateek Sadhu, Naar, Kasauli

“The forest is my dining room and nature is the star. The goal is to immerse people in the chef’s world to show them where their food comes from and why it matters.” chef Avinash Martin, The Table in the Hills, Goa

“To keep everything under control, you need an environment that is micro, not macro. Dining rooms are getting smaller, but the food is more precise, the service more focused, and the ingredients of the highest quality,” chef Himanshu Saini, Tresind, Dubai

“The chefs choose their top 10-20 dishes that they can put all their creativity into. It’s not just about applause. It’s about chefs opening up about their career, their culture and their creativity,” Panchali Mahendra, Atelier Hospitality

“Limited seating allows deeper storytelling. The chef can speak to each guest, explain techniques, orshow how we brine. ferment and develop flavours. The Lab lets us exolore ngrediens more thoroughly and share that process with the diner,” Aditi Dugar, Masque, Mumbai

Edited version of this article was published in The Robb Report India September issue