The placemats are vegan leather, the coffee is Fairtrade, the gyoza and salads are plump with seasonal greens and most of the produce is from the farm adjacent. Jaipur's newest eatery, Café White Sage, is all about being local, sustainable and conscious of your impact. “We are mindful of where we source everything and we use the café to promote being aware of your lifestyle,” explains restaurant partner Shivika Kothari. That extends to the saleable art on the walls from city galleries.
Shivika and Chef Neha Deepak Shah—a MasterChef India finalist—first partnered for global cuisine restaurant Meraaki Kitchen, which shares the 30,000sqft plot with the café and farm in Civil Lines. “Jaipur tends to want cooked food, with lots of flavour and big portions,” Shivika says, “Meraaki Kitchen does really well because it's warm food and that's what Jaipur is used to. Café White Sage is a concept that pushes their comfort zone a little; people generally don't understand why we have avocado toast because it's just a slice of sourdough.” Both restaurants are vegetarian and the café includes vegan options.
Sustainable bartending is also at the heart of the beverage menu. The café's head of beverages and artisanal products is Akash Devaraju, who also heads ChefSocial, which curates private fine-dining experiences and delivers artisanal breads and cheeses across India. “We make our syrups and all the bases from scratch every morning,” says Akash, “We use clear ice which melts slower than store-bought ice and keeps your drink consistent longer. We share ingredients with the kitchen—I make sure none of the oranges used in the food are completely thrown out for example. We use the zest, the peel for garnishing, and we use orange garnish for butter.” Also, reason for teetotallers to rejoice: “We call mocktails zero-proof cocktails—an American term”, Akash adds, “We're focused on making mocktails that are as complex in flavour and taste as their alcoholic counterparts.” Think booze-free daiquiris, martinis and hot toddies with No.3 Clive Road English breakfast tea.
The 70-seater café is named for the shrub sacred to Native Americans for cleansing ceremonies; it's also a fun persona that the restaurant team uses to communicate with their guests. “We use the hashtag #sagesuggests when we try to introduce a new ingredient,” Shivika says. For Akash, the sage is a character who pops up on the menu to give, well, sage advice—like in this line from the description for Scandinavian mulled wine: “The Sage went to quite a few Swedish house parties and recommends attending one.” Wisely, also listed is the Sage's Red Eye potion for hangovers.
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