Affogato Café, Mumbai | A Subterranean Coffee and Gelato Gallery by kaviar:collaborative

Affogato, a 650-square-foot coffee and gelato shop in Mumbai designed by kaviar:collaborative, reimagines the everyday café as a subterranean art gallery, where coffee and gelato are curated and displayed as sculptural exhibits rather than simple consumables. Completed in 2023, the project is led by architects Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani, with photography by Syam Sreesyalam.

Conceived as a minimal, immersive interior, Affogato blurs the boundary between hospitality design and exhibition space, transforming a compact footprint into a spatial experience defined by material restraint, monochromatic textures, and soft sculptural forms.

Concept: Coffee and Gelato as Art Objects

The design draws inspiration from small private art galleries in New York’s Lower East Side, intimate, hole-in-the-wall spaces with understated interiors and large glass façades that place art at the center of attention. Translating this memory into a café typology, the architects envisioned a space where the product becomes the protagonist, elevated through spatial composition rather than decorative excess.

At Affogato, gelato and coffee take center stage atop stone pedestals, echoing the display logic of sculptures in an art gallery. The spatial narrative treats each component of the affogato: espresso, gelato, texture, temperature, as a curated exhibit, reinforcing the idea that food can be experienced as both craft and art.

Spatial Strategy: A Singular Monochromatic Volume

The café is designed as a single, continuous volume, with walls, floors, and ceilings unified through a consistent material language. A soft beige micro-concrete finish envelops the entire interior, creating a calm, immersive environment that allows the colors and forms of the coffee and gelato to visually stand out.

The space is deliberately minimal, with gentle curves and fluid transitions inspired by the natural swirls of gelato. This subtle geometry softens the otherwise raw material palette, creating a tactile and sensorial interior that feels both sculptural and inviting.

Material Palette: Concrete, Stone, and Wood

Affogato employs only three primary materials: concrete, stone, and wood, emphasizing restraint and material honesty. The micro-concrete finish is applied manually using a trowel, leaving behind delicate imperfections and textural marks that mimic the organic movement of gelato. This handcrafted application adds depth and character to the monochromatic surfaces.

Stone cladding is used for the counters and display pedestals, grounding the space while reinforcing the gallery-like quality of the interior. Minimal wooden furniture introduces warmth and contrast, balancing the cool tones of concrete and stone and enhancing the tactile experience for visitors.

Interior Experience: Minimalism with Sensory Depth

Both the interior and exterior are intentionally kept bare, allowing light, texture, and materiality to define the atmosphere. Large windows frame views into the café, drawing passersby into the space much like an art gallery window display. Inside, the subdued palette and controlled detailing encourage visitors to slow down, observe, and engage with the craft behind each cup of coffee and scoop of gelato.

Despite its compact size, Affogato feels expansive through its spatial clarity and material continuity, proving that small-format hospitality spaces can deliver rich architectural experiences without excess.

A New Typology for Café Interiors

Affogato stands as an example of contemporary café interior design in India, where minimalism, craftsmanship, and conceptual clarity intersect. By merging the worlds of gastronomy and art, kaviar:collaborative has created a space that elevates everyday rituals into curated moments, redefining how we experience coffee shops in dense urban contexts like Mumbai.

Project Details

• Project Name: Affogato
• Architects: kaviar:collaborative
• Lead Architects: Kasturi Wagh, Vineet Hingorani
• Location: Mumbai, India
• Area: 650 ft²
• Year: 2023
• All photographs are works of Syam Sreesyalam