Chandigarh gets social

Amarjot Kaur

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Social, a co-working space within the ambience of a café-cum-bar, cuts the rug for most millennials who like to fuse the ‘work and play’ culture. Opening today, Sector 7 will host the first ever Social outlet in Chandigarh after marking its territory in metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. 

“Social is a venture, started four years ago, by Impresario and Chandigarh marks the opening of its 18th outlet in India,” says Shobita Kadam, director, marketing and strategy, Impresario. In Chandigarh, it has collaborated with three restaurateurs, Shaleen Kapur, Manish Goyal, and Ranjan Basu. “When people who are a generation older than me ask me about Social, I tell them that it’s like Indian Coffee House of the millennials,” says Shaleen.

What’s different about Social?

Social is everything but your run-of-the-mill square restaurant. Quirky drinks and deconstructed dishes are the cafe’s USP. It’s also the land of the free (lancer) and home of creative souls looking for an exhilarating alternative to a typical work day.  “The idea was to come up with a path-breaking urban hangout that’s designed to take you offline while still keeping you connected,” explains Shobita.

Designing it right 

Delhi-based Abhigyan Neogi from Chromed Design Studio, who had also designed Nehru Place Social and Cyber Hub Social in Delhi, fused the design elements at Sector 7 in a quirky, yet incredibly functional way. Spread across two levels and a 10,000 sq ft area, social has a secret tram entrance at the rear of the building.

There are tight pockets of different spaces divided in several sections; there’s an amphitheatre-like courtyard with stadium seating and an outdoor bar too. “It’s completely opposite to the planned city that Chandigarh is; it’s haphazard and very interactive,” adds Shobita.

Work and play

In the last few years, Social has redefined cafe and co-working spaces by marrying the two together. Social stitches a maze of different environments, all of which seamlessly come together to create the iconic ‘work meets play’ concept that Social has become synonymous with. 

Here you can even become a member. The membership costs Rs 5,000 a month. 

On the menu

Social offers “fun-dining” comfort food. The menu at Sector 7 Social combines ingredients, cultures and presentation styles from around the world. What makes the food even more interesting is how it’s served – depending on what you order— it could arrive on gramophone records, enamel plates and even wooden spiked boards. Everything has a repurposed, DIY feel.

The drinks menu is, at times, something straight out of a science fiction laboratory. The menu incorporates Social signatures which are classic cocktails with a splendid twist. Deconstructed Moscow Mule, Coke & Cane are among the many other quirky cocktails with intriguing names. 

Go, indulge and socialise.