Known as the world’s most Instagrammable cafe, London’s EL&N (short for Eat, Love and Nourish) has opened its doors in Jio World Plaza, Mumbai. Established in 2017 by Alexandra Miller, EL&N rapidly gained popularity thanks to its signature pink decor and eye-catching floral arrangements. EL&N’s launch in Mumbai marks the cafe’s 38th outlet globally, with the remaining being in Paris, Milan, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur, besides London.
The Mumbai café is a feast for the eyes featuring a bespoke soft pink mesh chandelier, EL&N florals & foliage, neon quotes that have become synonymous with the brand, elegant terrazzo and marble flooring and the iconic cake and coffee bar – perfect for the ‘gram.
View this post on Instagram
Though the cafe is known for its Insta-worthy interiors, Miller admits she wants diners to see it beyond that. “I don’t want people to just rave about our aesthetics or interiors. I want them to come in and see that there’s consistency throughout the brand when it comes to interiors and the entire menu offering. So I want them to leave here just loving the experience as a whole,” she shared when I met her at the cafe.
EL&N offers a unique fusion of fashion-forward design, speciality coffee, and all-day dining. So what’s on the menu? Crowd favourites like smashed avocado toast, indulgent croissants, and decadent cakes, along with exclusive localised dishes tailored to the Indian palate. Must-tries include Nutella French Toast, Alex’s Coffee, Mixed Berry and Yoghurt Pancake, and EL&N Burger. There are multiple options for salad lovers, sandwich enthusiasts and pasta patrons.
Continuing my conversation with Miller over a cappuccino and a beautiful strawberry tart, the founder reveals more about EL&N’s design inspiration, the role Instagram played in catapulting the cafe’s status, future plans and more.
ELLE: Congratulations on launching EL&N in Mumbai! Why did you choose Mumbai and Jio World Plaza as your first Indian location?
Alexandra Miller (AM): Mumbai has always been somewhere I knew I’d want to open my cafe down the road. I love the vibrancy of the city; there’s something so colourful. I love your traditions and culture, so it’s always been a place I’ve been fascinated by. Jio World Plaza is a luxury mall and with EL&N, we always try to position ourselves in high-end locations. So, this was the perfect partnership and pairing for us.
ELLE: EL&N Cafe is recognised as the world’s most Instagrammable cafe. What inspired you to create such a visually distinctive and photogenic space? Did you envision this from the beginning?
AM: Initially, our idea for the brand grew into something very Instagrammable. Yes, we had the flower wall, but I don’t think we realised how big of a success we would be on Instagram because our cafes were so Instagrammable. It wasn’t something where I woke up one day and thought, “Okay, let’s create an Instagrammable cafe.” It just kind of happened. And we realised after the flower wall that this was the way forward.
What happened was that there was such a gap in the market with cafes that were aesthetically pleasing with beautiful interiors. In the UK at that time, there were cafes where you’d grab your coffee and go. We wanted to create a very relatable space – where people could come in, sit down, enjoy the surroundings, food and coffee, and have it as a creative space. We fused fashion-inspired designs. Our interiors are always very much on trend. All our materials and textiles are high-end. I feel it just works.
ELLE: What role do you think aesthetics play in EL&N’s overall experience?
AM: I think it’s huge. I feel we’re one of a kind. Now we have a lot of copycats, but initially, the interiors were what brought people to the cafe. And because of the interiors, it really made us massive in the world of Instagram. Back then, Instagram was so huge that we’d have a lot of bloggers coming who weren’t even interested in our menu offering but more interested in the space and getting a good picture. So the engagement from their followers, the customer base that we created because of all the traction that we had through other bloggers and Instagrammers taking pictures, really helped us to grow and scale as quickly as we did.
ELLE: How do you balance the aesthetics with the culinary offerings?
AM: Originally, we were positioning ourselves as more of a speciality coffee house. So our focus was predominantly on the coffee, the space and the interiors. As we’ve grown locally and globally, we pay more attention to our menu and our offerings. Our designs and menu now go hand in hand.
ELLE: What influenced the decision of the colour palette and the florals?
AM: Initially, we always knew our colour palette was going to be greens and pinks. Our initial colour palette also had green incorporated into it, which with time we kind of let go of. But I think pink obviously is what we’re known for. And it was a bit of a Barbie brand throughout the years. Now, as the brand matures, we’re kind of moving away from the pink, the harsh, strong, vibrant and neon pinks. Now, our aesthetics and colour palette are a lot more mature, while still keeping the pink within it.
ELLE: What are some of the signature EL&N dishes that you really love?
AM: There’s the incredible French toast, Dulce de Leche cake and Alex’s Coffee. While our culinary offerings are quite similar to the ones on the UK menu, the Mumbai cafe includes eggless cakes. We also have a date milkshake called EL&N Sharjan Milkshake that’s made specifically for Indian diners.
ELLE: What’s next for the brand?
AM: We want to open in as many places as we can. We’re definitely looking to expand more within India.
