Mumbai's food and nightlife community is mourning the loss of Laju Bhatia, the co-founder and enduring soul of Toto's Garage, who passed away on Monday, January 19, 2026. For generations of patrons, Bhatia was far more than a bar owner. He was a familiar, reassuring presence; someone who not only remembered faces, drinks, and stories but also helped shape one of the city's most iconic drinking spaces into what it is today. Toto's Garage occupies a singular place in Mumbai's bar culture. Tucked away at Pali Hill in Bandra West, it has long been known as a no-frills, high-energy dive bar where the music is loud, the lights are low, and the mood is unmistakably egalitarian. Office-goers, musicians, journalists, advertising creatives, students, and long-time locals have all found common ground here, shoulder to shoulder, pint in hand.
The bar was founded in the early 1990s by Bhatia along with his close friend and business partner Ashok Totlani. The name "Toto's" comes from Totlani himself, while the "garage" concept was rooted in the space's original identity and carried through in its decor. Over the years, that identity became instantly recognisable: a suspended Volkswagen Beetle above the bar, automobile parts lining the walls, and staff dressed in mechanic-style overalls. What could have felt gimmicky instead became timeless.
But Toto's appeal was never just about how it looked. Its significance lay in what it offered at a time when Mumbai's nightlife was far less crowded with options: an unpretentious place to drink, talk, argue, laugh and return to again and again. Long before "dive bar" became a fashionable label, Toto's embodied the idea organically. It didn't chase trends, reinvent itself every few years, or attempt to court a particular crowd. The crowd came anyway.
Photo Credit: Facebook/ Toto's Garage
Laju Bhatia played a central role in preserving that spirit. Regulars often speak of how he made the bar feel personal, even when it was packed wall to wall. He was known for greeting guests warmly, keeping an eye on the room, and ensuring that the atmosphere remained welcoming rather than intimidating. In an industry increasingly driven by scale and spectacle, Bhatia represented a more human approach to hospitality that was rooted in familiarity and community.
Over the decades, Toto's Garage became a rite of passage for many Mumbaikars. It was the place of post-work decompressions, impromptu birthday celebrations, and late-night conversations that spilled out onto the pavement. It survived shifting alcohol laws, changing tastes, the rise of cocktail lounges, and the pressures of redevelopment in Bandra. Through it all, its core remained unchanged.
The loss of Laju Bhatia has prompted an outpouring of memories from patrons past and present. While Ashok Totlani passed away in 2022, and the bar has since continued under the stewardship of the next generation, Bhatia's presence remained deeply intertwined with Toto's identity. His passing marks the end of an era, not just for the bar, but for a particular chapter of Mumbai's nightlife history.
Toto's Garage continues to operate, its music still blaring and its Beetle still suspended overhead. In a city where restaurants and bars open and shut with relentless speed, Toto's stands as a rare constant. Laju Bhatia's legacy lives on in every crowded night, clinking glass, and familiar chorus sung along to a classic rock track.