Businesswoman Gauri Devidayal doesn’t just launch restaurants; she builds examples of contemporary dining spaces harmonising inclusive and disruptive menus. She is a dynamic entrepreneur and champion of change who has been setting new standards for excellence, sustainability, and storytelling. Her story of transition from being a tax consultant to co-building Food Matters Group is one of intent, evolution, and conviction.
Gauri Devidayal, a University College London law graduate and ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales) fellow, has been instrumental in establishing the much-loved The Table, Colaba in Mumbai. Once the wheels were set in motion, she later co-founded Magazine St. Kitchen, Iktara, and Mag St. Toppings. It has been just over a month since Kaspers, her newest bistro, opened its doors in Bandra.
RR India interacts with the lady who has many accolades to her name, including Forbes India’s 120 Leaders of Change, BlackBook’s Top 50 Women in Indian Luxury, among others.
Gauri Devidayal(GD): Luxury is as much about how you are made to feel as what you consume. Today, dining is equally about the experience as it is about the flavours. The luxury dining experience is all about creating a feeling of uniqueness - something that has never been experienced before but makes your jaw drop.
GD: Every restaurant has to be built around a concept. For instance, our newest offering, Kaspers, is very much inspired by a Parisian-style neighbourhood bistro restaurant. While design plays an integral role in creating the ambience, art and flavours also have a strong influence. We had invited an artist, Kacper Abolik, to paint murals within the space, and even named the restaurant after him!
When it comes to our first Mag St outpost in Colaba, we didn’t want it to be just another cafe or restaurant focused only on the F&B program. We were located in the historic neighbourhood of Colaba, which also happens to be the art district of Mumbai, with most of the major art galleries located there. We wanted to build a community around more than just food and drinks, and also celebrate the neighbourhood, so for the last four years we have been conducting architectural heritage tours of the area as well as art walks, focusing on 3-4 galleries at a time. We want to build a relationship with our diners that goes beyond just eating and drinking.
GD: Our biggest strength when it comes to this aspect is that we have our own farm, called The Table Farm, across the bay in Alibag. At The Table Farm, we grow produce for the restaurants which are harvested fresh daily and literally shipped across by boat to reach the restaurant in time for lunch service, ensuring freshness. We are in complete control of every aspect of the farm, from knowing what goes into the soil to the seeds that are procured. We have tried to open this as much as possible to our guests who are welcome to visit the farm anytime. I believe that this first-hand experience of seeing where much of our product comes from, is the best form of storytelling any restaurant can ask for.
GD: Travel has always inspired us - whether it's a dish we eat or an ingredient we come across, we are always returning home with bags bursting with ingredients. For instance, while travelling through Parma in Italy, we brought back some of the highest quality ham, and while in London, we picked up several rounds of Mimolette cheese just to use in one salad dish. Besides ingredients, we always come back describing some of the best things we ate to our chefs, hoping they can make it for us and our diners.
There are too many to name, but some of my favourite cities for food would be Barcelona, Hong Kong, Tokyo, San Francisco, and Copenhagen (especially for the bakeries).
GD: We’re just coming up on our 15th anniversary of The Table in January 2026, and a large part of the credit for still being relevant goes to the team, some of whom have been with us from opening day. We have consciously worked towards ensuring consistency and quality, as well as focused on always having the right creative talent to helm the kitchen and front of house. Jay and I are very closely involved with every aspect of ensuring that the experience remains the same, if not better than when we first started.
GD: Throwing the concept of ‘chalta hai’ out of the window, and following our gut instinct. I always tell my female peers in the hospitality industry to wear their gender with a badge of pride - it often helps to be a woman in the industry, unlike what has often been shown in the West.