Anita Dongre's maze of (many!) stores in Linking Road now have a new loom-mate: Extra Mile Café, which organized workshops at different venues (Opa, The Art Loft), has finally acquired its own studio in the space that was previously Schokolaade inside the AND store. It is slated to launch on July 2.

There are several elements that make Extra Mile Cafe different from other Bandra restaurants, the first being that it won't actually produce any food. Instead, each workshop held here will be accompanied by thematic finger food from neighbouring restaurants. You can nosh on chips, nuts and cold beverages during a poker class, for instance, or fuel up on cupcakes and sandwiches from Candies during a writing workshop. Movie screenings are expected to be accompanied by popcorn and samosas, self defense classes by energy drinks and fruit juice. Pair-shaped!

Free Screen Saver

Extra Mile owner Pooja Bajaj is looking to turn the cafe into a cultural hub that promotes everything from games and fitness to movies. She plans to kick off July with a poker class conducted by die-hard enthusiasts Kunal and Girish Shahani, where participants will play with cards and counters, but not actual cash (drats!). Also in the pipeline is a "working from home" tutorial by the editor of an entrepreneurial magazine; a self defense class by Reebok instructor, Gitanjali Acchra; and a creative writing workshop by Sathya Saran, ex-editor of Femina. 

The best part: all workshops held on Mondays are free, as are weekly screenings of movies such as Breakfast At Tiffany's (July 16) and Scarface. There’s even talk of stand-up comedy evenings and jam sessions in August.

The Giant Teach

If you think you have a cool skill that you’d like to teach but don’t have the space, Extra Mile is happy to rent you premises. You can either conduct your own event or they can collaborate with you on a particular workshop. Professor your love!

Getting there: Ground floor, Bajaj Niwas, inside the AND store, Linking Road, Bandra (W), 9820308784, to register you can either call or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , view the schedule here, classes are held between 11 am to 2 pm and 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm, workshops and events on every Monday are free and conducted at 7 pm, Rs 2,500 for the creative writing workshop for two and half hours, Rs 1,200 for the self defense class for two hours, get a discount of Rs 200 if you book any class before July 1.