One of the frames on a wall of cafe Zoe is a picture of the space when friends Jérémie Horowitz and Tarini Mohindar saw it the first time. The light hits the roof and illuminates the empty plot, with high arches and beams holding it strong. This was 2011.

Horowitz had been living in Mumbai since 2006, and after a stint in the diamond business was looking to open a neighbourhood restaurant and bar. Mohindar, an advertising professional, who he met through a common friend, didn't have a background in hospitality, and was also looking for a change. "We got a good feeling about it and gave a token amount. I went home and panicked! I called Jérémie at 6.30 am the next day, asking him whether we had made the right decision," she recalls.