A small cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, a mezzanine floor for vinyl records, and a little alcove to get gorgeous tattoos, Ink n Brew in Versova is a cozy hub for tattoo, coffee, and music lovers alike. The family-owned tattoo studio and cafe is run by Ruchika and Tarun, with the help of their kids, who have worked to make the space more than just a business.
The idea for Ink n Brew started with their son, who enrolled in a tattoo art class with Alien Tattoo. Ruchika, a lifelong artist yet to try her hand at body art, took an interest in the class and enrolled herself as well. Once she had learned the art, she quickly fell in love with it, wanting to open a studio of her own after working from home on tattoos. The couple, however, recognized the abundance of artists and studios in Mumbai, and wanted to make sure they stood out. ‘Setting up a studio in Mumbai is a bit tough, so we thought, ok, let’s do some sort of fusion.’ From there came the idea of combining a tattoo studio with a coffee house, stemming from Tarun’s love for coffee. Wanting to ensure a truly great cafe experience for their patrons, Ruchika and Tarun dedicated their time to learning more about coffee. ‘We went to school for coffee as well. There’s an academy, Barista Cafe Academy in Thane, so we did a crash course. So we are certified baristas as well.’
The journey of building Ink n Brew, however, was not one without challenges. Initially planned to be a studio and cafe in Borivali, Ruchika and Tarun had found the perfect store space. However, amid preparation and construction, the couple was informed that the building could not allow for a mezzanine floor inside the store space. Knowing that the mezzanine floor would house their vinyl collection, curated entirely by their son, they decided that building the vinyl record listening area was non-negotiable. Fortunately, they were able to recover their money from the other parties involved and could once again begin their search for the right store space. In a stroke of luck, they found a space in Versova and could resume their plans. ‘We were meant to open in March or April. It finally opened in June, almost two months later.’ But the warm and welcoming cafe, complete with a mezzanine floor as planned, made the delay worth it.
More than just a cafe or tattoo studio, Ink n Brew has become a community hub of sorts, with regulars coming in week after week to attend workshops, listening sessions, and other events, or even just to sit and enjoy a nice cup of coffee. Even with customers looking to get tattoos, Ink n Brew has found itself building a community of people who love their style. ‘One of our most interesting tattoo stories is this one guy who randomly comes in and gets a tattoo. Then, he comes along with his mom and gets a matching tattoo. Then his mom comes again and gets a full back tattoo.’ The studio-plus-cafe also hosts a variety of regular events which customers can look forward to, such as their latte art workshops, hand poke tattoo workshops, open mic Fridays, and vinyl listening sessions. In a recent addition, they have also hosted a live music gig, as well as a short film screening. Ruchika and Tarun have always focused on building trust and community with those who enter Ink n Brew, wanting to provide a warm ambience and experience along with tattoo bookings and a stellar menu.
Truly a family-owned and operated venture, their children are also involved in the journey of Ink n Brew. Aside from being a catalyst of sorts for his mother’s discovery of tattoo art, their son is also the curator of their beautiful vinyl collection. ‘When we opened up this cafe, he said, you just give that mezzanine floor area to me, I'll design it how I want. And so he made us go through Chor Bazaar, Music Circle, all over the place, and got the vinyls. And then he started this, the whole listening session concept.’ Their daughter, on the other hand, is a young tattoo artist as well, specializing in hand poke tattoos. The workshops hosted by Ink n Brew are conducted by her, as well as an upcoming pop-up at Anti Social which will feature her as one of two artists from Ink n Brew.
With their heart set on making Ink n Brew more about the experience and community than scale, Ruchika and Tarun see the future as an opportunity to build connections rather than more store spaces. ‘The whole idea is to build the community and make it sustainable. That's the whole goal. There's no such grand plan that we will, like, open multiple outlets, expand, or scale. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't.’ With this go-with-the-flow outlook on the future, Ink n Brew continues to attract more and more people interested in tattoos, coffee, music, and even simply mingling, and welcomes them all with open arms.
Words Ayushie Shahane
10.06.2025
