Shatranj, one of the first Italian restaurants in Bandra, has been in hiding for a while now. If you didn’t notice, either you weren’t one of the early patrons who loved their inauthentic but tasty Pollo Alla Napoli or you’ve been too preoccupied with The Big Nasty upstairs. View the slideshow here.

Starting next week, Shatranj will reopen with a fine dine restaurant by the same name and a new bar and café called Polpo. While the former (1,400 square feet) will return with old favourites and new additions like fondue-filled mushrooms, pan seared salmon in mustard sauce and roasted lamb, we’re more intrigued about the new café.

Polpo (Italian for octopus), is a 1,200 square feet chess board with black and white tiles, white arches and an al fresco section. Food pawn? Bandra’s morning people or outsiders still around from last night can drop by for breakfast that extends to an all-day  time slot, and a snacky menu featuring wood fire oven pizza, salads, sandwiches, smoothies, shakes and tea. Post sunset, Polpo will morph into a tapas bar serving Patatas Bravas (pan fried potatoes), Langosta los Huevos (Lobster meat and boiled eggs with garlic-tomato salsa), Gambas de Cilantro (Cilantro-pesto marinated prawns with poached egg) and lots of sangria. Other cocktails include Watermelon Coriander Martini and Bogota Sunset.

If you need a private party space (how unnecessarily fancy of you), check out Polpo Up, an 1,800 square ft space for just you and your friends.

Getting there: Shatranj Napoli, ground floor,12 Union Park, off Carter Road, Bandra (W), call 9820002108, 11 am to 1.30 am, opens on Monday, October 1.

View the slideshow here.