Established in the 1950s, South Mumbai’s iconic Gaylord restaurant gets a sparkling makeover

There is nothing more satisfying than a good makeover, a transformation so dramatic it exceeds all expectations. That’s the feeling you get when you enter the all the new Gaylord at Churchgate in Mumbai. Originally built in the 1950s, the iconic restaurant was in need of a complete rehaul, according to Dhruv Lamba, third generation owner of the restaurant. Gaylord was launched by Lamba’s grandfather Pishori Lal Lamba along with Iqbal Ghai, two Delhi-based food entrepreneurs who had also established the Kwality restaurant chain in Delhi in 1947. “The last time we renovated was in the 80s. So it has been nearly 40 years. We wanted to harness the history and legacy of the place while bringing it at par with new offerings. Most importantly we want to get the younger generation who used to come with their parents to now visit with their friends,” explains Lamba.

A Legendary Past

Gaylord holds a special place in the hearts of Mumbaikars. This is where couples met on first dates, families gathered for match making and businessmen brokered deals. There was ballroom dancing and on Saturdays, and on Sundays, Ken Cumine and his daughter, Sweet Lorraine would play jazz together. Bollywood legends like Raj Kapoor, Dharmendra, Dilip Kumar, BR Chopra, Lata Mangeshkar, Rajesh Khanna, and Asha Bhosle were regulars. In fact, music director duo Shankar-Jaikishan had a table reserved for them when they visited every evening for a cup of tea.

Dressing Up History

Design firm Headlight Design Studio was brought on board to breathe new life into the 1950s interiors. Being a heritage structure posed many challenges but the biggest of them all was executing the revamp without shutting the restaurant. “Our loyal customers never allow us to close the restaurant even for a day. We had to renovate in phases by closing a section of the restaurant for a few days before moving on to the other,” says Lamba. The team began by strengthening the structure and opening the floor plan with glass to maximize natural light. It took 11 months but the team headed by design principals Siddhartha Srivastava and Rohit Sharma managed to completely transform the space while maintaining much of the original architecture.

Inside Gaylord 2.0