New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- The first thing people notice at Native Stories is the setting. The cafe opened in 2024, and sits inside the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), a 17-acre urban forest in the heart of Ahmedabad. The interiors are simple and unfussy. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the greenery outside, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors. The design keeps the focus on the landscape rather than competing with it. As for the menu, it has seasonal specials such as tuver and Kathiyawadi favourites, including sukhdi, a traditional Gujarati sweet made with whole wheat flour, jaggery and ghee.

For founder Bhargav Vyas, the cafe's identity started with its location. The CEE campus, founded by environmentalist Kartikeya Sarabh...