After outlets in Minto Park, Southern Avenue and Alipore, Mintelaa, the cafe, has opened its fourth branch in Salt Lake. Originally a college project by brothers Abhishek and Rohit Karnawat and their friend Amit Bajoria, the brand is known as a chillspot in the city. “As friends, we used to spend a lot of time in cafes and clubs. It was from there that we developed this idea, so it basically all started as a hobby, just to have a place for us to sit and chill. And gradually it converted into a business,” said Abhishek.
The new Salt Lake outlet is meant to replicate a European cafe in terms of decor, with particularly elaborate architecture and abstract art that decorates the walls. Primarily a café, the ambience of Mintelaa is particularly catered toward a younger age bracket, with the newest branch being the first to have opened since the Covid-19 pandemic. “Young people are always eager for more, and we figured it was time we expanded to this part of the city as well,” added Abhishek.
The food is multicuisine, and the sip menu consists of non-alcoholic beverages aplenty, ranging from one’s regular tea and coffee to shakes, fruit punch, and Red Bull Mojitos. Unlike Mintelaa’s other branches, the Salt Lake café offers purely vegetarian food. The cafe also serves hookah and plays covers of popular English songs to heighten the light, bright and sparklingly cosy ambience.