A ritzy new apartment block in Collingwood will soon be a hotspot for more than just designer sofas: by May, two street-level restaurants will give fans of Indian cooking two very different ways to experience the country’s rich food scene.

You My Boy is billing itself as an Indian pub with Indian pizza. Restaurateur Jessi Singh (Daughter in Law, Bar Bombay Yacht Club) and chef Amarjeet Singh will channel the booming craft beer and nightlife scenes of big Indian cities such as Bangalore, combined with Australia’s own love of the pub.

Indian-style pizza, popularised in the United States by Indian migrants, will be the star. Chicago deep-dish bases will be topped with palak paneer or butter chicken sauce, while thin Neapolitan dough might sport several influences, such as onion and jalapeno, with optional pepperoni.

The rest of the menu is pub classics with Indian flourishes, such as tandoori chicken and chips.

Twenty taps will pour beer, and the fitout of the 150-seater will be an all-green affair inspired by the colourful buildings of Puducherry, a former French colony in India.

Singh is also involved in fine-diner Aanya, two doors up from You My Boy. The debut from chefs Nishant Arora and Janos Roman, Aanya will be anchored by a chef’s table for 16 diners, putting their high-wire cooking in the spotlight.

“The name Aanya finds its roots in the Sanskrit word meaning ‘limitless’. This concept serves as the guiding principle for us,” says Arora.

The pair ran several Aanya pop-ups last year, after meeting in 2021 while preparing to open Society and realising they shared similar aspirations.

Dishes from their pop-ups, such as a cuttlefish cured in the style of guanciale (pork cheek) and a mango lassi dessert, will appear alongside new creations.

In a bold move, the only drinks on offer will be cocktails and non-alcoholic creations, although BYO will be available for diehard wine fans.

“There are several renowned restaurants around the world that have successfully implemented a cocktail-only menu, and we are excited to introduce this unique dining style to Melbourne,” says Arora.

The two newcomers add further heat to Melbourne’s subcontinental dining options. In the past six months, Fitzroy’s Toddy Shop and a second branch of hatted Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen opened, flying the flag for southern Indian cooking; ambitious fine-diner Enter Via Laundry announced it’s adding a bar; and the sweet and savoury Indian offerings in western suburb Truganina have become even richer.

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is even holding a World’s Longest Brunch with dishes by three of Melbourne’s most exciting Indian chefs.

368 Smith Street, Collingwood, instagram.com/aanya_melbourne/, instagram.com/yo_umyboy/