Curious Life began in 2015 with a simple idea: to bring good coffee to India in a way that was honest, transparent and true to its origins. Founded by Neeraj, a military veteran, and Manu, a doctorate in biotechnology, it started as one of India’s early cafés to roast coffee on the same floor where it was served.
In 2018, they opened Curious Life RED, their 4,500 sq. ft. café, where a Loring S15 roaster stood alongside the coffee bar and kitchen. The roastery has since moved to its own dedicated space, but RED remains what it has always been: a place where coffee takes centre stage.
Their approach to coffee is deliberately simple. They source, roast and serve a small, carefully chosen selection of coffees from two or three origins across Africa and India. Rather than complicating coffee with elaborate preparations, they want people to experience each coffee for what it is — its origin, character and flavour. The focus is on the coffee itself, not the method or the theatrics around it.
The same philosophy extends to their food. They mill their own wheat, bake their breads and sourdough from scratch, make their own pasta, pastries and sauces, and prepare their food in-house. Much of what they serve is whole wheat, made with ingredients they believe in and without shortcuts. As the day unfolds, their wood-fired oven comes alive with pizzas made from freshly milled whole-wheat flour and homemade sauces.
For them, coffee and food are about respecting ingredients, doing things properly and serving what they genuinely love. No unnecessary frills, no shortcuts — just honest coffee and food, made from scratch.
Curious Life RED is a celebration of simplicity, craftsmanship and good coffee. Being shortlisted among the Top 100 Coffee Shops in Asia Pacific is a wonderful recognition of a journey that began with two people, a shared belief and a desire to serve coffee on its own terms.
