Quirkiness comes to Fun Republic in the shape of Fun Republic Social

Written by

Suprio Bose

21 Jul 20165 min read19,629 views

#Fun Republic Social#restaurants in andheri west#Riyaaz Amlani#Social#Social Offline

Social Located in the heart of the movie hub of Mumbai. Fun Republic Social is every bit filmy and more. The moment you enter the sprawling 3^rd floor restaurant at Fun Republic, the loud floral wall papers, the mirrored ceiling, the cabaret style stage and the very interestingly placed chandeliers catch your attention.

As you make way deeper into the restaurant, you discover a section on the right hand side which was been created as a co-working space living up to the concept of the Social Chain, only this time, tastefully done cubicles have been added to this setup.

Unique décor has always been a forte of Social all over and this is absolutely no exception. Keeping up to the filmy vibe of the area, the décor is loud and unapologetic, and gives the feel of a elegant cabaret house from the 50s.

On the drinks front, the team from Impresario have concocted some very interesting new additions here apart from their usual classics which include a very interestingly named Jaggery and Rum based drink called Mick Jaggery and a Gin and Kaffir Lime based concoction called Thai Maalish. Another very interesting and delicious drink is Chatkara which is a potent mix of vodka with pani puri water and imli chutney. This drink had us puckered and let us wanting for more. Tadi Colada is Social´s own version of Piña Colada where instead of rum the base spirit is Palm Wine or Taadi. All these drinks are served with a side serving of small snacks like papads and fries.

There have been a few additions on the food front as well which include an Almond Tikki Chaat that would remind one of the aloo tikki chaats of Delhi, and the Ghee Roast Mutton, which true to its name is a lovely succulent, juicy and melt in the mouth roast mutton made in typical Mangalorean style.

The stage is also a welcome addition to the Social chain; live performances will be a regular feature at this outlet which is quite a positive addition in my honest opinion.

All in all, Fun Republic Social has, in its true trademark style, managed to add to the quirkiness that is now trademark of all the Socials in India, and created a fun ambiance for the party going suburbians to rock their weekend nights out. The Fun Republic area of Andheri West with this new addition stands to become wilder zone by the day and is certainly going to give Bandra and Lower Parel a solid run for their money.

The following is an excerpt from the Press Release of Fun Republic Social: –

Fun Republic Social is the 12^th Social nationwide and it’s a straight up serving of a strange brew. It’s bizarre, beautiful and it’s the bane of Bollywood in its own backyard. The insides of this Social have churned the neighbourhood inside out to regurgitate ostentatious TV soap sets, props and oddities galore that pompously masquerade as a café cum co-working space. Step in to Fun Republic Social and you’ll see that the designers took it to heart: patterned floral fabric wallpaper, curtained stages, stain glass booth dividers, antique-market inspired furniture and much, much more. If that sounds obtuse, trust us, the penny will drop the minute you set foot in Fun Republic Social.

‘With each new café, we try to push the boundaries of the brand and pay tribute to the community which we serve’, says Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. and the brains behind Social’s success. ‘Social is more than just a café – it’s a space of inspiration, a gathering spot for the community. Every Social is unique and is inspired by its surroundings. Fun Republic Social pays homage to the epic silver screen dreams and everyday struggles that Andheri is home to. We’re excited to be moving in to Fun Republic, and I’m thrilled to bring the Social experience to Andheri.’

The talented Faizan Khatri and Samir Raut from studio eight twentythree, who had also designed Todi Mill Social and the Palladium Social outpost say, ‘This project has been the most challenging one yet. The brief given to us was that the Fun Republic Social should look like no other Social but should still stay true to the Social design philosophy of minimal intervention and maximum upcycling. The space was imagined tongue in cheek take on tinseltown; an OTT Hindi soap opera set inspired by its proximity to television and movie studios, completed with ‘in your face’ wallpapers and subsequent patterns which repeat in the elements around. The look of the work section has been inspired by the inimitable restaurants in and around Bhendi Bazaar, with faux baroque and plastic flower pots, uncannily making a direct connection with the loud thematics of the sets we’re so used to seeing. You can truly say this space has turned out like no other, and you’ll either hate it or love it’.