Inside Veronica’s Lower Parel, The New Outpost Of India’s Most Influential Sandwich Shop

Until barely three years ago, spending upwards of Rs. 600 on a sandwich would’ve seemed faintly ridiculous. Sure, places like Indigo Delicatessen had long championed the gourmet sandwich, but sandwiches there were just one part of a much larger menu. They were the side act, not the main meal. That changed in 2023, when the team behind The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro and Bombay Sweet Shop took over the iconic St. Jude’s Bakery in Bandra and transformed it into Veronica’s, a restaurant built around one radical idea: making sandwiches the hero product.

The response was immediate. Queues snaked out onto the lane from day one, and within a year, Veronica’s had had turned of India’s most talked-about restaurants; an extraordinary achievement for what was, at its heart, a sandwich shop. In the process, it helped elevate sandwiches from café afterthoughts to the main attraction, inspiring a wave of gourmet sandwich shops across cities.

That the space would later also become home to Papa’s—Chef Hussain Shahzad’s trailblazing 12-seater chef’s table upstairs—only added to its mythology. It wasn’t unusual to find the who’s who arriving for a coveted Papa’s reservation and leaving with a Veronica’s sandwich in hand. Now, the cult favourite has crossed the Sea Link with its first South Mumbai outpost in Lower Parel.

The Space

Located right next to The Bombay Canteen in Kamala Mills, Veronica’s, Lower Parel, occupies a very different world from its Bandra predecessor. Gone is the old-bakery nostalgia of St. Jude’s. In its place is a larger, moodier, 55-seater space that takes cues from Lower Parel’s industrial past, with steel, glass, exposed ceilings, timber accents and terrazzo surfaces, creating an atmosphere that’s distinctly urban yet surprisingly warm.

At its heart sits a striking blue-tiled communal table, with wine-red booths, kitchen counter seats and smaller café tables around it, each catering to a different kind of customer. Familiar Veronica’s signatures remain, with the bright yellow-tiled coffee counter and playful graphic details providing reassuring links to the original. The space shifts effortlessly through the day, functioning as a bustling café in the morning before morphing into a relaxed cocktail-forward hangout by evening.

The formula seems to be working. Within just two weeks of opening, the restaurant has been running full house at almost every hour. On one afternoon visit, tables were occupied by office-goers from around Kamala Mills, South Mumbai ladies lingering over lunch, Gen Z groups catching up over sandwiches and coffee, and the occasional celebrity enjoying a low-key meal away from the usual fuss. Few new openings attract such a broad cross-section of Mumbai quite so quickly.

Food And Drinks

Fans of the Bandra original will find plenty of familiar favourites here, but the Lower Parel outpost isn’t simply a copy-paste exercise. The menu by Chef Shahzad has grown noticeably, introducing a wider range of small plates, bakes, desserts and drinks while retaining the bold, unapologetically indulgent spirit that made Veronica’s famous in the first place.

We began with the Hummus & Chill, a vibrant plate of hummus, olives, zhug, stracciatella and grilled sourdough that made for a strong opening act. The Spicy Ahi Tuna Tostada followed close behind, delivering plenty of crunch and freshness, with avocado and a punchy red pepper dressing bringing everything together. Even the Not Your Mom’s Chicken Salad turned out to be surprisingly memorable thanks to roast chicken, heirloom tomatoes, hummus and a bright lemon marmalade vinaigrette.

But sandwiches, however, remain the star of the show. The Godfather arrived looking every bit the star it was meant to be, stacked with house-made mortadella, stracciatella, basil crema and arugula inside focaccia that somehow remained light despite its richness. Yet the biggest surprise of the afternoon came from the vegetarian side of the menu. As someone who almost instinctively gravitates towards the meatier options, I wasn’t expecting the Pumpkin & Kale Fritto Misto to be the winner. The combination of crisp fritters, creamy hummus, marinated tomatoes and tangy raw mango ketchup inside a soft sea-salt focaccia created a sandwich that was layered, satisfying and deeply craveable.

A special mention must go to Canteen’s Kejriwal Croissant, which cleverly reimagines the legendary Willingdon Club classic, and the Not Avo Toast soft serve, featuring an avocado lime soft serve topped with olive oil, sea salt and shards of sourdough melba toast, which sounded odd on paper but proved surprisingly addictive.

The biggest addition at Lower Parel, however, is the cocktail programme, created by Pankaj Balachandran of Goa’s celebrated Boilermaker in collaboration with the Veronica’s team. Inspired by aperitivo culture and designed for easy drinking rather than needless complexity, the drinks strike a pleasing balance between playful and polished. The savoury Tomatini was a standout, balancing tequila, mezcal and cherry tomato with remarkable finesse, while Veronica’s Brekkie brought together rum, absinthe and orange marmalade in a drink that was far more refreshing than its ingredients suggested. A slushy Tinto de Verano, served to us in shot glasses, disappeared almost embarrassingly quickly.

RR Verdict

If the Bandra original built its reputation on sandwiches alone, the Lower Parel outpost feels like it has broader ambitions. Come for the stackers, certainly. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself lingering over cocktails, small plates, dessert and easy conversation long after the sandwiches are gone.