Questions people ask

Yes, entirely. No meat, no fish, and no alcohol on the premises. The kitchen has never handled anything otherwise, so there is no question of shared surfaces, shared oil or shared equipment.

Several, and they are marked on the menu. Dairy is used widely in both Indian and Continental cooking, so the vegan range is narrower than the vegetarian one — but tell our team when you order and we will point you to what works as it is and what can be adapted. CONFIRM: extent of vegan availability

Some baked items contain egg. Every item is marked individually on the menu, and our team can confirm before you order rather than after. CONFIRM: verify item by item — this answer is legally significant

Several dishes can be prepared Jain on request, without onion, garlic or root vegetables. Please ask when ordering rather than assuming, and allow a little extra time. CONFIRM: which dishes

No. There is no bar and no alcohol on the premises, and we do not permit guests to bring their own, including for private gatherings.

Children are welcome. There is plenty on the menu for them, and the art tends to hold their attention longer than most people expect. CONFIRM: high chairs available?

Yes, on most of the menu. Call +91 90306 16161 or message us on WhatsApp and we will have it ready.

Yes, through the usual delivery platforms. CONFIRM: which platforms For bakery boxes, hampers and celebration cakes, message us directly on WhatsApp rather than ordering through an app.

Both kinds. South Indian filter coffee — including Meter Kaapi, pulled the long way — alongside a full espresso menu, cold brew and frappes. If you have opinions about coffee, say so when you order.

Yes, and people do it daily. There is no piped music, nobody will turn your table, and the coffee keeps coming. It is one of the quieter rooms in Banjara Hills.

CONFIRM: wifi and power sockets — confirm both before publishing. Getting this wrong produces a disappointed reviewer rather than a regular.

Weekend lunch is the busy window. Weekday afternoons are quiet, and are when most people come to read, work or have a long conversation.

Yes, and a great many people do — the room is unusually photogenic. We only ask that you are considerate of other guests, and that professional shoots or filming are arranged with us in advance.

Ordinary dining is spread across the room and we can usually seat a group of six to eight without arrangement. Beyond that, or if you want a table held, it becomes a private gathering — see below.

Yes, and people do it constantly. Mention that it is a meeting when you request the table and we will seat you somewhere quieter, away from the busier part of the room.

Yes, and for six or more we would encourage it. A set menu agreed beforehand means everyone eats at the same time rather than in three waves, which changes the whole feel of a lunch.

Tell us what you are after — a quiet corner, the window, the long table — and we will do our best. We cannot guarantee a particular table, but we can almost always get the kind of seat you want.

A table is a table. A private gathering means we hold the space for you, agree a menu in advance, arrange the cake and the décor, and put someone on your event for its duration. It is the difference between turning up and being hosted.

For gatherings up to our maximum, exclusive use can be arranged subject to date and notice. It is more likely to be possible on a weekday than a weekend. CONFIRM: terms and any minimum for exclusive use

Tell us as soon as you know. Small changes either way are rarely a problem; we ask for final numbers 48 hours before so the kitchen can plan. CONFIRM: how you handle numbers dropping after the final count

No, other than a cake if you would prefer to bring your own. CONFIRM: own cake policy and any cuttage charge Everything else comes from our kitchen, which is also how we can stand behind it.

CONFIRM: deposit? full payment on the day? advance percentage? Whatever the arrangement, we will put it in writing when we confirm, so there is nothing to work out on the day itself.

CONFIRM: cancellation and postponement terms — publish them plainly. A clear policy reassures people far more than the absence of one.

The gallery visit works from about ten upwards; the hands-on workshops work from about eight. Below that, the room and the artwork make close supervision hard, and we would rather say so than have a difficult morning.

We ask that schools bring their own staff at their normal ratio. The café is an open room with original artwork on the walls and furniture that is itself artwork, so accompanying staff matter more here than in a purpose-built venue. CONFIRM: any minimum ratio you want to state

Morning slots before the café gets busy are usually the best fit for a school group, and are often possible. Tell us your preferred timing when you enquire. CONFIRM: earliest slot you can offer

CONFIRM: are staff included in the per-student price, and how many

Yes. Design, architecture, fine art and hospitality students come fairly regularly, and the format is the same — a gallery visit, a conversation, and a meal. For older groups the conversation can go considerably deeper.

Yes. Several Hyderabad teams have a standing arrangement — a fixed day each month, an agreed set menu, one invoice. It removes the organising from someone’s plate entirely.

CONFIRM: do you do office catering, and within what radius Bakery boxes and hampers we can certainly arrange — see gifting.

48 hours before. Small changes on the day are usually manageable; a large swing is not, because the kitchen will already have prepared.

Yes, and it is a sensible pairing. Hampers can be waiting at each place setting or packed for people to take away. See gifting.

Yes. It is quiet, unhurried and considerably less intimidating than a meeting room, which is why a number of people use it for exactly that.

Come once as a normal group so you can see whether the room suits you. If it does, we agree a recurring date, a held table and a simple set menu, and from then on you just turn up.

That is normal and we plan for it. We agree a range rather than a fixed number, and you confirm the actual count a couple of days before.

CONFIRM: can you store a small box for a regular group It is worth asking — for a reading circle it removes a real inconvenience.

No. Long sessions are what the room is for, and it is one of the main reasons groups settle here rather than moving venue every month.

Anyone. Authors, publishers, artists, educators, community organisers and independent makers all propose to us. You do not need a track record or an institution behind you — you need a programme that suits a room of about twenty-four.

Six to eight weeks is comfortable. It gives time to agree the shape of the evening and, more importantly, to promote it properly. Anything under three weeks is difficult for both of us.

We announce it on our own channels and to our mailing list. You promote it to yours. Both matter, and honestly yours usually matters more — the people most likely to come are the ones who already follow you.

Yes, and for a book launch you should. Bring your own stock and someone to handle it. CONFIRM: do you take any share of sales at events

It happens to everyone, and in a room this size it matters far less than it would in a hall. Twenty people in a room built for twenty-four feels full. That is a large part of why small venues suit first events.

You are welcome to record your own session. We ask that you tell us in advance and that you are considerate of other guests in the café and anyone in the audience who would rather not appear.

Through the form on the pop-ups page. Include a link to your work — a website or an Instagram handle. Most of the decision comes from looking at what you make for thirty seconds.

Quarterly. Festive windows fill first and are usually spoken for well in advance, so ask early if you are aiming at Diwali or December. CONFIRM: current window

Often yes, and it tends to work well — a short demonstration or hands-on session brings people to the table who would otherwise walk past. Propose both together and we will look at them as one.

Yes. Pop-up vendors handle their own sales and payments. The café till is for food and drink only. CONFIRM: confirm

Ask any of our team, or send us a photograph on WhatsApp. We check with the gallery and come back with the artist, the medium and the price, usually the same day. There is no obligation attached to asking.

Neither. People buy a single painted plate as readily as a painting, and a first purchase is as welcome as a tenth. If you have never bought art before, this is an unusually undaunting place to start.

Usually yes, though a piece in active use in the room may need a short handover while it is replaced. We will tell you at the time rather than after.

Inside Kalakriti Art Complex, 8-2-465/1, Road No. 4, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500034 — opposite Ofen Bakery, a short distance from GVK One. The café signage is inside the complex rather than on the main road, which catches out first-time visitors.

No. There is a separate café with a similar name at the Hyatt Place hotel nearby, and the two get confused regularly. We are The Gallery Cafe at Kalakriti Art Complex on Road No. 4. If you are taking a cab, ask for Kalakriti Art Complex — it is far more reliable than the café name.

The café is open 11:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. CONFIRM: hours Kalakriti Art Gallery, in the same building, is open 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday to Saturday. CONFIRM: gallery hours

Yes — valet parking, and parking within the complex itself.

Yes. CONFIRM: step-free entrance, accessible washroom, and any levels inside. Vague accessibility claims are worse than none: a guest who arrives and cannot get in has been badly let down.

Yes, and you should — it is in the same building, entry is free CONFIRM: entry free?, and it is the reason the café exists. Allow an extra half hour.

Yes, both, as well as cash. For private gatherings and corporate bookings we invoice and accept bank transfer.