T.L.R. is an independent music venue, restaurant, bar, café & lounge located in Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi. Gautam Aurora developed the concept and property, his first entrepreneurial effort, from scratch with the support of family and friends.
T.L.R. first opened its doors as The Living Room Café & Kitchen on November 7th, 2008, with the intention of being an off-the-beaten-path café serving fine dining in a casual, comfortable environment. Inspired by the cafes and bars of London’s Camden and New York City’s Greenwich Village, Mr. Aurora set about creating a rare oasis in the then barren sociocultural landscape of the nation’s capitol. The idea was to be a public living room of sorts, where guests could relax on large, welcoming sofas, reading a book, surfing the net via WiFi or noodling on a guitar, leisurely whiling away the hours. “Make Room To Live” was the motto. However, very soon, T.L.R. had to make room for much more.
At the time in New Delhi, there were few venues for local musicians to perform at, and even fewer that appreciated anything outside the status quo. Within months of opening, The Living Room – without a stage or even a P.A. system – was flooded with booking requests by bands, DJ’s, comedians, art & photo exhibits, theater groups and even burlesque cabarets. Word of mouth spread quickly that The Living Room was supportive of musicians and artists breaking from the norm, developing original material and pushing the boundaries of their respective artforms.
Over the years, through three phases of renovations, this little-café-that-could evolved into T.L.R., one of Delhi’s favorite hubs for music, art, creativity, cuisine, and people. T.L.R. has hosted some of India’s most innovative musical talent as well as visiting luminaries from all over the world, establishing itself as the premiere independent venue for independent music in India. T.L.R. has received far-flung praise from respected international media like New York Times, The Guardian UK and CNN-Go. Popular amongst locals and travellers alike, Lonely Planet India ranked T.L.R. #1 in in its New Delhi Entertainment section.
T.L.R.’s schedule of events is programmed entirely by SpiralSeed, Mr. Aurora’s second entrepreneurial effort. SpiralSeed discovers fresh talent at T.L.R. and helps them develop careers in the music industry – connecting them with corporate clients requiring their services. In the coming years, SpiralSeed aims to expand its capabilities in event management and develop a professional artist management roster of exceptional musical talent.
We believe India is at a critical juncture of cultural development that could influence its position as a leading nation. We need to make room for new ideas, new perceptions, new beliefs. We believe that a safe, common platform for sharing and appreciating the finer things in life, for celebrating the special moments in life, is indispensible to the mental health of a nation. For the leaders of today and tomorrow, the builders of better worlds – come and consume the fruits of civilization. You’ll wake up tomorrow refreshed and ready to take on the world.
T.L.R., it matters less what the letters stand for, and more what you stand for.
New Delhi, India