A book-themed supper club · Bengaluru
We read a book.
Then we cook it.
Sisters Shachi and Kriti Srivastava choose a book, cook a menu from its pages and open their Bengaluru home to readers for a long, unhurried meal and an even longer conversation.
The Library
Every supper is a book on our shelf.
Pick a spine. Each one opens onto the menu, the table and the people who were there.
Title under wrapsComing soon
What is Book-A-Table?
Book-A-Table is a book-themed supper club in Bengaluru, India. For each edition, sisters Shachi and Kriti Srivastava choose one book, cook a menu inspired by it, dress their home to match, and host a small table of readers. The conversation about the book is moderated and moves along with the meal, course by course. So far the shelf holds Bridgerton, Butter, A Suitable Boy, Lessons in Chemistry, Independence and a Yellowface literary lunch with Bao To Me.
How an evening unfolds
Four chapters, one long table.
- Ch. I
We pick a book
Every edition starts with one book, from Regency romance to Tokyo noir to post-Partition Bengal. We announce it on Instagram and to the waitlist, so there's time to read along.
- Ch. II
We cook the story
The menu comes off the page: coronation chicken sandwiches for Bridgerton, teriyaki skewers and onigiri for Butter, a Bengali lunch on banana leaves for Independence.
- Ch. III
You come over
Our living room becomes the book's world, with wisteria, marigolds, paper fans or a kantha on the wall. You'll share the table with fellow readers, most of whom arrive as strangers.
- Ch. IV
We talk, course by course
The discussion is moderated and moves with the meal. As each course arrives, the conversation turns to another of the book's themes, characters and ideas.
Lady Whistledown's Society Papers
Dearest Gentle Reader,
Book-A-Table is not merely a supper, but a scandal of the most delicious kind. Here, books are devoured as eagerly as the fare, and conversation proves far richer than the menu first suggests.
Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, left at every place at our first supper
“There is a definite joy in converting the solitary act of reading into a social experience that allows one to bond with strangers almost immediately. And what is more social than food?”
Questions, answered
Before you RSVP
What is Book-A-Table?
Book-A-Table is a book-themed supper club in Bengaluru run by sisters Shachi and Kriti Srivastava. For each edition they choose a book, cook a menu inspired by it, dress their home to match the story, and host a small table of readers for a meal and a moderated conversation about the book.
Where do the supper clubs happen?
Most editions are hosted at the sisters' home in Bengaluru, and the exact address is shared with confirmed guests. Now and then the table goes on the road, like the Yellowface literary lunch at Bao To Me in Koramangala.
Do I need to have read the book?
It helps, and many guests do, but you're welcome either way. The discussion is moderated and moves through the book course by course, so you'll pick up the story as the plates go round.
How do I book a seat?
Join the waitlist on the Save a seat page, or message @book_a_table on Instagram. Each new book is announced there first, along with the date and how to confirm your seat.
How much does a seat cost?
It depends on the edition and the menu. The price is shared when each new book is announced, and people on the waitlist hear first.
What kind of food is served?
Whatever the book asks for. So far that's been a Regency afternoon tea for Bridgerton, Japanese home cooking for Butter, a North Indian wedding-season spread for A Suitable Boy, Americana comfort food for Lessons in Chemistry, and a Bengali lunch on banana leaves for Independence.
The next chapter
The next book is still under wraps.
Get on the list and you'll hear the title, the date and a hint of the menu before anyone else.