Why are 8–20 seat restaurants creating massive hype? Watch

Be it the 8-seater Naru Noodle Bar in Bengaluru or the 20-seater Papa's in Mumbai’s Bandra, miniature restaurants are leading the aspirational dining scene in Indian cities. Scoring a table has become a cultural currency, and celebrities are frequent patrons. That’s not all—they’ve even made it onto dating app bios.

In a session titled “Tiny Tables, Big Ideas: Miniature Restaurants as Innovation Labs” on Day 1 of the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2025, restaurateurs Yash Bhanage, Akhil Iyer, and Kavan Kuttappa shared the stories behind their micro-restaurants, discussed their financial viability, and opened up about the unique challenges of running such intimate dining spaces.