Shillong · Rooftop Restaurant & Bar · 2026

Ālaya Café & Bar

From concept to opening in Shillong.

Ālaya's bar and lounge at night, woven pendants above rattan chairs

One engagement

Many new venues are assembled from separate commissions: one firm for the room, another for the brand, a consultant for the menu, someone else for the launch. Each hands the next a set of decisions it had no part in.

Ālaya was developed as one sequence instead: the site, then the concept, the brand and the design, then the food and beverage, the team, the launch and the digital presence. Each decision could be made with the next one in view.

Site, concept and brand

The work started with the site: a rooftop in Shillong, where a glass-walled dining room runs alongside a balcony under a timber pergola. The concept was shaped for that site, and the brand identity and graphics were developed alongside the restaurant design.

The name is part of the architecture: it is lettered on the stone wall of the dining room, and again outside, above hanging rattan swing chairs.

Ālaya's glazed balcony dining room with plants along the railing
The Ālaya name on a lit stone wall above the evening dining room
A terracotta jaali screen set into split-face sandstone cladding at Ālaya, beside a palm
A table lamp with the Ālaya monogram on its shade, lit on a table at night

Food, drink and the team

BDS developed the food and beverage, set up the operation and trained the team, then handed the operation over. Working on the menu, the operation and the training in the same engagement as the design means the kitchen, the bar and the team are planned for the same offer.

A table at Ālaya laid with plates, a beer and a cocktail

Turning project knowledge into practical systems

Rish also used AI to help structure project material, including training documents, recipe cards and launch content. The methods and human checks are shared through AI for Hospitality.

Explore the AI methods (opens in a new tab)

Opening and digital

BDS supported the launch, directed the marketing, social media and photography, developed the website, and provided brand guidance after opening.

A performer on Ālaya's stage in front of the lit Ālaya sign

In their words

“Rish’s ability to bring a concept to life from scratch is impeccable. With Ālaya, he and the team at Breakthrough Design Studio brought every detail together so thoughtfully that the brand felt like it had existed for years.

He’s meticulous, curious, and deeply invested in what he creates, consistently going above and beyond expectations. Rish has helped us create a landmark for Shillong, something we’re truly proud to call our own.”

Mayank Agarwal, Ālaya Café & Bar, Shillong

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