New restaurant brings Bollywood vibes to London’s food and nightlife scene

There’s a new “Bollywood-style” restaurant and music lounge in London, Ont., that the owner says will fill a cultural gap in the city.

Tamasha Bar and Indian Kitchen, near the intersection of Oxford Street and Highbury Avenue, functions as an upscale, family-friendly restaurant during dinner, serving a modern take on Indian cuisine. But the vibe transforms into a loud Bollywood party after 9 p.m. on weekends.

Bollywood, India’s booming Hindi-language film industry, is known worldwide for its energetic musical genre. The song-and-dance numbers featured in many of the films blend classical Indian music with upbeat modern styles like pop, dance, and hip-hop.

Once the music starts at Tamasha, customers can push their chairs aside and dance late into the night. 

“It’s the energy of Bollywood,” said owner Sanjay Joshi, describing the informal atmosphere of customers dancing around the tables, enjoying the music.

Tamasha has three locations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which is where Joshi and his wife, Savita, fell in love with the concept. They decided to get in on the action, but rather than open a franchise in the GTA, Joshi said he wanted to look for opportunities in smaller cities.

The couple, who previously ran a pizza chain in Saskatoon, Sask., was drawn to London in part because of its designation as a UNESCO City of Music, Joshi said. London was named Canada’s first and only UNESCO music city in 2021, joining 74 other cities worldwide, including Salvador, Spain, and Daegu, Korea

“I saw that it’s a very vibrant community that loves music,” he said. “But there’s a missing element that’s catching on globally like a rage, and that’s Bollywood music. We didn’t see that presence here, and we thought it was a good opportunity for us to bring a different cultural angle to the city.” 

When it comes to nighttime entertainment, Joshi is excited to provide opportunities for local DJs, including students from Western University and Fanshawe College, as well as guest performers from other cities, he said. 

Sunday nights will feature live Bollywood singers. While he has not yet identified local talent in that area, over time the space will be used for jam sessions and training to develop local performers, he explained. 

Bollywood is growing locally

Bollywood music touches people of all ages, in different moods and sentiments, and on various occasions, according to Anchal Dahiya, founder of BRDRLESS Dance and a Bollywood dance instructor.

As an Indian-Canadian, Dahiya has grown up loving Bollywood cinema and culture her whole life, she said.

Having a new location in the city where people can listen to and dance to that style of music while dining is exciting, she said, adding that while there have not been many opportunities to enjoy it here, it is growing.

“At BRDRLESS, we’re also seeing a slow progression and interest in Bollywood music and indulging in that culture,” she said.

Throughout the four years BRDRLESS has been teaching Bollywood dancing, people have signed up for classes not knowing much about the culture, but eager to learn more about it, she said, adding that she enjoys seeing people who haven’t grown up in that culture coming out and appreciating it.

“Now, having a place that brings Bollywood music, with DJs and singers, is really cool to see,” she said, adding that it offers another channel for Londoners to experience it.

Tamasha hosted its grand opening on Dec. 13 and is now diving straight into the holiday season, with festive drink menus and a late-night event planned for New Year’s Eve.