TL Tastings: Veronica’s — A Fun Sandwich Shop And Café In Mumbai’s Bandra

The team behind The Bombay Canteen and O Pedro now bring decadent sandwiches, wine and artisanal coffee at Veronica’s, Mumbai’s newest cheerful café! 

When you visit a café, have you ever felt happiness wash over you because of the sheer splash of colours, lively vibe, bright façades, and cheerful interiors? This feeling comes to life as I walk into Veronica’s, Mumbai’s newest sandwich shop and café tucked in a bylane of Bandra. Coming from Hunger Inc. Hospitality — who gave the city The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, and Bombay Sweet Shop — this new place has a great coffee program, kombucha on tap and sinful sandwiches.

TL Tastings
A review of Veronica’s

Location

There is a bit of nostalgia attached to Veronica’s location, which has opened doors at the same spot where the iconic St. Jude’s Bakery once stood. The co-founders of Hunger Inc. Hospitality, Sameer Seth and Yash Bhanage, wanted to set up an outlet in Bandra, which was home to their late partner and mentor, Chef Floyd Cardoz, who passed away during the pandemic. “Floyd grew up down the road and we wanted to do something that celebrated him. His mother and brother were telling us how they used to send their bread for baking and their chicken for roasting here,” Seth tells me.

Ambience

Named after the street where it is located, there is no way one can miss this café, courtesy the colourful graffiti in red, yellow, orange and blue on the façade. The words ‘Hey, Saint Judee, please help me. I am really a lost cause’ jump out in pop colours. Originally painted by Portuguese artist Akacorleone, the graffiti, I learn, has been restored by St+art India.

Step inside and the fun elements continue – there’s a bulletin board for all the latest Bandra news and postings; a retail space; a vibrant, yellow-tiled coffee and sandwich bar; a community table in the centre; and walls that have pictures of tempting sandwiches. One look at the imagery and I instantly know I want to try the legendary pastrami sandwich!

“The use of tiles and the finish is reminiscent of Bandra homes. There’s a lot of use of colour to make it a bright and airy place where you relax and enjoy your meal,” Seth says. “People don’t want to come to a sandwich shop and be served in fine China, so the idea was to have a casual, fun place.” The plates come with the saying: ‘The more the messier’, while the wine glasses adorn a victory sign emoji.

We Recommend

Food

Hussain Shahzad, the group’s executive chef has made sure the menu is diverse. While sandwiches (the breads of which are baked in-house) are the hero here, breakfast lovers like me will find some really interesting options on the menu. I enjoy the Morning Momo’s where the dumpling is stuffed with chicken sausage, egg and aged cheese with spicy Sichuan hot oil to pair. Those who have partied the previous night, go for the Hangover Tacos with bacon rashers, scrambled eggs and habanero salsa. They also have eggs to order and open toasts.

Do try the Everything Bandra Bagel, which is their take on the New York-style bagel, but seasoned with East Indian bottle masala. Another unique dish is the Dutch crunch (or tiger bread), a really soft bread where the crust is coated with rice flour so that it looks highly textured. I get a taste of this creation in the Oh Shrimp! Po’ Boy sandwich which is made of fried shrimp, jalapenos, lettuce and avocado with Korean-style gochujang spicy ‘flaming sauce’. The Mumbai Chilli Cheese Melt sandwich has a kick to it, thanks to the jalapenos and Naga hot honey.

There are some burgers as well: The Big Floyd, which is dedicated to Chef Floyd Cardoz, has hot fried chicken; Veronica’s Smash Burger is a big juicy version with a cheddar, bacon, a marrow patty and more. But the legendary pastrami sandwich steals the show! It is loaded with pastrami, mustard and pickles.

When it comes to desserts, Veronica’s has gluten-free cookies. However, I highly recommend the almond mawa cake.

Drinks

I have never come across a wine menu that is easy to comprehend. At Veronica’s, wines — which include foreign and local ones — come with a fun index, making it simpler to choose the one you want. “The wines are broken down into categories that bring a smile to your face and make the experience more fun,” explains Seth. For example, The Whole Bottle Please is described as ‘easy on the pocket, easier to polish off.’

The coffees are sourced from single origin coffee estates in Chikmagalur, so rest assured, each sip satiates those caffeine cravings. They even have two kinds of coffee beans for sale at the retail counter. I quite like the kombucha on tap, which comes in two flavours by Bombay Duck Brewery: Zen and Flower Power.

Craft beer on tap will be on offer shortly as soon as a license has been procured. I already know what to order when I go next — a pastrami sandwich with a chilled beer for those long, lazy summer days!

Quick Notes