Junglee Billie, New South Delhi Eatery (Photo: Junglee Billee)

A new city-based eatery conceptualized by fashion designer Nida Mahmood takes the concept of shopping to a new level by offering patrons a destination to shop while they dine. From vintage cutlery and crockery, wallpapers, lights etc., a range of items are made available for customers at ‘Junglee Billee’ a new Boutique-Studio-in-Bar that opened in New Delhi, recently. (@Siliconeer, #Siliconeer, #JungleeBillee, #NidaMahmood, #IndianEats)

Designed by Nida Mahmood, the decor and wallpaper patterns keep the strong yet fluid nature of Art Nouveau in mind and the space features period furniture and light fixtures besides stylish crockery, in a meet of Bombay Velvet with modern quirk.

The concept, which the owners Amit Agarwal and Ankit Katyal claim as the first of its kind, offers stylized designer eatery and lifestyle destination dedicated to the women of modern times with products ranging from home furnishing to fashion.

“I always wanted to make a place where people would come not just to dine but take part an experience with them. So we came up with this idea of Studio-boutique where people can take the warmth of the place and remember the place later.

“People can buy anything they want to and everything has been specially designed for this purpose,” says Mahmood.

Everything in the Boutique Studio Bar is available for purchase including creative and stylish jewelery, customized cushion covers, portraits and many such things.

Rare photographs of divas of golden era of Hindi films like Hema Malini, Rekha, Sharmila Tagore and Helen adorn the walls of the restaurant which sports a color palette that ranges from soft blues to lemons to pale oranges, shades of greens to soft pinks, peaches and nude.

“There are various wallpapers actresses of Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Rekha, Helen. There are around 80-90 pictures which have been hunted down from people across the country who are collectors of these,” says Mahmood.

A butter churner from the British era whose origin dates back to the 1920 and was used by British women besides typewriters of various types are for available along with table fans, telephones and perfume bottles to name a few.

“I thought of making an interesting space with interesting elements and decor. I have always been attracted to vintage items and of course, colors. Nobody had worked on it. So I thought of making something like this where the quirk meets vintage,” says the designer.

“This is a tribute to the women of the 40s and 50s and also the contemporary world. They have made history by coming out of the shells. So this is a shout out to those women who have left their mark in the male dominated society though they did not get their share of publicity. This gives the name to the place as Junglee Billee,” she says.

Vintage decor elements including cameras, typewriters, binoculars, vintage fans, lamps, table fans and women vanity items like combs, hand embroidered velvet pouches, hand mirrors, crockery etc., are used to dress the space.

Other vintage items include a table fan, telephones, and perfume bottles.

“The elements like the floor tiles, lights, typewriters, cups, crockery, wallpapers have been specially designed for Junglee Billee. The wallpapers have been inspired by Art Nouveau,” says Mahmood.

The menu, curated by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai offers a range of cuisine from the chaats of Mumbai and Gujarat to Italian food. A lounge and a café area offers dining service besides a bar features a wide array of martinis, speciality drinks and cocktails.

“I love the concept. I think it’s really cool and quirky and that this will be a safe haven for women in Delhi. The Gujarati vegetarian food by the Maharajas in a fine dining set up is new and has never been done before anywhere in the world. I am really excited about the same and I look forward to taking this to Dubai and London,” says Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, food consultant of the space.

Mouthwatering dishes like vada pav, ragda patties, pav bhaji and a range of cocktails are available in the restaurant’s menu.

A range of cocktails with funky names like Indian Girl, Golden Blonde, Mumbai Cosmo are also served to the customers in accordance to the theme of the place.