In the heart of Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad’s newest hospitality concept, TheySee, is positioning itself as an immersive cultural experience. The space combines modern Indian cuisine, storytelling-driven interiors, art installations, and experiential hospitality into a concept the founders describe as existing between desi and the world.
Founded by young entrepreneurs Darshan, Niharika Gollapalli, and Chef Suryansh, TheySee reflects a deeply intentional vision where every detail from the menu and architecture to the coasters and chandeliers has been carefully curated to create a cohesive identity.
While Chef Suryansh leads the culinary direction, bringing experience from acclaimed restaurants such as The Bombay Canteen and having worked as a private chef for celebrities including Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, Niharika has played a major role in shaping the restaurant’s visual language, branding, and guest experience.
The founders explain that TheySee was built around the idea of emotional familiarity, creating a space that feels nostalgic yet contemporary. Guests enter through a lush vegetation-filled environment featuring coconut, banana, bamboo, and gooseberry trees integrated directly into the dining experience. According to the team, the greenery is not simply decorative; ingredients grown within the property are actively used in dishes and garnishes, reinforcing a stronger connection between guests and the food they consume.
Design and storytelling remain central to the experience. Across the restaurant are vintage-inspired installations, old coin collections, fridge magnet walls, retro décor pieces, and custom collaborations with local brands. One of the standout artistic elements is a reimagined sculpture inspired by legendary painter Raja Ravi Varma, transforming one of his iconic female figures from a traditional 2D painting into a contemporary 3D sculpture holding an electric guitar instead of a sitar.
The restaurant’s signature palette which includes Chilli Red, Coffee Brown, and Porcelain Beige subtly appears across furniture, menus, packaging, and décor, while chandeliers symbolically represent the number of plants growing across the property. According to the founders, every object inside the restaurant was designed to contribute to the larger narrative.
That same philosophy extends to the menu. The cuisine at TheySee takes familiar Indian flavours and reinterprets them through a global, modern fine-dining lens. Dishes such as the Kali Miri Seekh elevate traditional kebabs using Sansho pepper and artisanal cheese sourced from Mumbai, while the Chitti Royyala Iguru combines local prawns with prawn-head oil and tangy spice glazes.
Other standout dishes include the Oh so Corny, which presents corn in three different textures — warm custard, mousse, and masala cornflakes — and the Kokum Kiss Tuna, a ceviche-style dish featuring kokum-cured tuna, raw mango slaw, and Pani Puri-inspired broth. Their cocktail programme follows a similarly experimental approach, with signature drinks like the Brew Code Espresso Martini and Grape Iced Tea blending playful concepts with refined presentation.
Hidden within the larger concept is another ambitious project — Hyderabad’s new referral-only cocktail bar, ‘See’. Unlike traditional speakeasies, the founders describe ‘See’ as an experience-driven, relationship-focused space built around exclusivity and personalised hospitality.
The 22-seater cocktail space operates entirely on a referral model, where entry is granted only through invite keys shared by existing guests. After visiting, diners receive five referral keys that they can pass on to friends or family, allowing the team to build an invitation chain internally.
The founders emphasise that the goal is not volume-driven nightlife but curated experiences and long-term guest relationships. The space accommodates only around 22 guests every evening and functions in two separate slots — one designed for intimate sunset experiences and another for high-energy late-night gatherings.
The cocktail menu at ‘See’ heavily draws from Indian flavours, nostalgia, and unconventional ingredients. Drinks feature elements such as buttermilk, black garlic, and cheese, reimagined into modern cocktails. Signature creations include “Majjiga Magic,” a gin-and-buttermilk cocktail, and “Whisky Saar,” their playful take on a whisky sour. Another bestseller combines elements of a Picante and Paloma into a refreshing highball-style drink.
Consistency, according to the founders, remains one of the bar’s biggest priorities. All cocktails are pre-batched in an in-house lab to ensure that every drink maintains the same flavour profile and quality each time it is served.
The storytelling approach continues through the interiors of ‘See’ as well. Retro televisions, lenticular artworks, graph-book-inspired menus, nostalgic Indian references, and vintage décor elements are spread throughout the venue, creating a space that feels intentionally cinematic and memory-driven.
On the food side, the bar continues the larger TheySee philosophy of reinventing regional Indian flavours in modern formats. Guests can expect dishes such as kokum-cured tuna, prawn-head-oil stir-fried idiyappam, carrot-based tapas, and small plates served with Goan poi bread. Microgreens grown on-site are also incorporated into plating and garnishes.
Beyond food and beverages, the founders are now working on expanding TheySee into a broader cultural and retail platform. A section called “The Bazaar” is currently being developed as a curated retail space showcasing independent artisan brands from across India, including matchbox-inspired jewellery, handcrafted accessories, and solid perfumes.
For the founders, the larger vision extends beyond hospitality alone. Darshan, who previously founded ventures including Eat Confetti, Comic Social, and Leisure Café, believes modern Indian dining should evolve into something more experiential and culturally immersive.
At TheySee and ‘See’, every napkin, installation, flavour, cocktail, and design detail is intended to serve a purpose — creating an atmosphere where food, design, culture, nostalgia, and conversation coexist under one roof.
This article is written by Divya Sharma, a student of Kristu Jayanti Deemed to be University, interning with Deccan Chronicle.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
