From Mumbai’s SoBo (South Bombay) neighbourhoods to Bengaluru’s beer hubs, operators such as The Dimsum Room, Baroke — A Listening Bar, and 33&Brew say the growth is being driven by a mix of nostalgia, a rising audiophile culture among younger consumers, higher discretionary spending, and real estate developers seeking differentiated lifestyle offerings. While still small in number, the format is relatively capital-efficient.
Vinyl records are music recordings pressed onto round plastic discs and played on turntables using a needle. The sound is stored in microscopic grooves on the record, which produce music as the needle moves through them. Unlike digital formats, vinyl delivers an entirely analogue sound.
Bengaluru-based 33&Brew, established in 2025, positions itself not merely as a vinyl bar but as a fully analogue, craft-led destination. The outlet combines a vinyl-forward listening experience with an in-house microbrewery, making it the first such format in the country, according to the company.
“Beyond the needle-to-groove experience, we handcraft our own brews and design spaces where people can interact deeply with music,” said Karthik Chandrasekaran, general partner at Optimistic Capital, the parent company of 33&Brew. A dedicated listening station allows guests to plug into a turntable and play records privately — an offering that has found takers among couples and first-time vinyl listeners alike.
The demographic spans teenagers encountering vinyl for the first time to seasoned collectors. Weekdays skew corporate-heavy, while weekends draw families and mixed-age groups. The brand’s vinyl library, comprising over 1,000 records, has been built over years of travel, with collections sourced from India, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
33&Brew is institutionally funded by Optimistic Capital with Rs 30 crore. Further, plans to infuse Rs 170 crore over next 3 years.
The company plans to open at least six more outlets in Bengaluru before expanding to Tier-II Karnataka cities and markets such as Hyderabad and Pune over the next two years.
The Dimsum Room, a Mumbai-based vinyl bar run by All-In Hospitality India, takes a more purist approach. Founder and chief executive Mayank Bhatt describes it as a “listening room first, restaurant second”. The 3,000-square-foot space, housed in a 100-year-old building, is acoustically engineered by Munro Acoustics and anchored by a sound system with lineage tracing back to Abbey Road Studios.
“This is for connoisseurs,” Bhatt said. “People who appreciate vinyl also appreciate great cocktails and carefully thought-out food.”
The core demographic falls between 30 and 50 years of age, though younger listeners are increasingly discovering the format through nostalgia passed down from parents. The bar hosts around 200 guests daily.
Founded in 2025, The Dimsum Room alone has seen an investment of ₹4–5 crore as part of nearly $3 million raised by All-In Hospitality to build six projects across its brands, including HyLo, a hyperlocal concept. “We are already generating annual revenues of ₹10–12 crore, with stronger store-level earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation and profitability than other food and beverage outlets,” Bhatt said.
Going forward, The Dimsum Room is being pitched to curate private, listening-led dining experiences for luxury real estate developments and high-end residential projects. Expansion into Delhi and Bengaluru is under evaluation after the brand completes its first year.
Mumbai-based Baroke, initially founded in 2012, was relaunched in 2025 as a vinyl bar and listening room. The venue is housed within SoBo’s Krishna Palace Hotel.
“The idea emerged during an interaction with a mixologist in New York, who introduced me to the Japanese kissa concept and its growing global appeal,” said Saurav Shetty, founder of Baroke, who further formalised it in India.
Unlike club formats, Baroke operates on a carefully curated weekly music calendar, ranging from jazz and rhythm and blues early in the week to rock and R D Burman vinyl nights midweek, and more disco, retro led-formats over the weekend. The crowd typically falls in the 25-40 age bracket, with weekends running at full capacity and weekdays averaging around 70 per cent occupancy.
Vinyl records, priced at ₹4,000–5,000 apiece, are imported from the US, the UK and Germany, and the venue currently houses over 350 original pressings. Baroke does not plan on aggressive expansion beyond one outlet.
Further, it continues to invest in building its music library and hosting curated listening events with artistes and international disc jockeys.
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