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Mumbai's restaurant scene is known for its rich and diverse culinary offerings. However, these three restaurants have stood the test of time and have earned legendary status. Read on to find out more
The history of Mumbai goes back thousands of years. With early traders bringing foreign ingredients and recipes to this port of call, food has always been the focal point in the city. Restaurants and bars sprung up to feed the British rulers as well as the locals.
Immigrant labour necessitated different culinary traditions to creep into the tapestry of this multicultural hotpot. Irani cafes, Italian bars, European dance halls, and local bakeries shared space and customers. This vibrant food culture lives on to date. Some cafes and eateries are almost a century old and still going strong. Come along with me to my three favourites.
More than just a pretty face, Cafe Leopold is one of the country’s oldest restaurants. Established in 1871 by Irani merchants, this was once a wholesale oil store which then became a pharmacy and finally a cafe. Today Cafe Leopold, or Leo’s as it is lovingly referred to, stands testimony to the indefatigable spirit of the city.
Located slap bang in the middle of Colaba Causeway, Leo’s may sport a flashy painted billboard and refurbished interiors but the very essence of a traditional Irani cafe still lives on. The ground floor area of the restaurant is packed with tables and cane chairs. The checkered tablecloths are covered with glass tops and crammed with menus. The high ceilings and whirring fans offer a faint respite from the Mumbai heat. The wait staff is quick and brisk, and the mood is perfunctory. Visit Cafe Leopold for some Indo-Chinese pub grub, a couple of draughts of beer, and some quintessential Mumbai people-watching.
Leo’s used to be the scene of many a post-college meet-up. Beers were ordered and several plates of chilli chicken and grilled sandwiches were consumed over much laughter and bonhomie. If the budget allowed, we happily added a few caramel custards to the mix. One never minded whether your table was pressed up against another's or not and that the only air that wafted in through the open doors was the warm fug from the crowded pavement of Colaba Causeway outside. Weekends at Leo’s meant heading up the narrow staircase to the air-conditioned section. The music decibels here were decidedly louder, the strobe lights lending a disco vibe to the entire evening. The menu was the same but the intent seemed more celebratory than the dining area below.
Leopold shot to fame for two nefarious reasons: one for being the backdrop for the famous novel Shantaram by Gregory Roberts. Tourists came flocking to the cafe in droves after the book was published, hoping to catch a glimpse of Roberts, or just rubbing shoulders with the same people he did.
Leo’s was also the first site of terrorist attacks in 2008. On 26th November, at 9.30 pm, two gunmen walked into Leo’s, opened fire, and killed 8 people (including two staff members). A few days later, the owners and team at Leopold's picked up the pieces and reopened the cafe for business. You can still visit Leopold’s and see the bullet holes in the walls. Today, the cafe continues to be packed with tourists and locals enjoying a coffee or a cold beer while the chaos of the city continues on the other side of the elegant mahogany doors.
Address: Opposite Olympia Coffee House, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba Causeway, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001
In 1956, two foodie entrepreneurs from Delhi, Pishori Lal Lamba and Iqbal Ghai opened Gaylord restaurant near Churchgate. The same two gentlemen had launched the Kwality chain of eateries in Delhi and were now ready to conquer Mumbai. Today, Gaylord sports an outdoor section that features a distinctly Parisian feel. White wrought iron chairs, tables and verdant foliage form the backdrop for your afternoon cuppa tea or a perfect coffee morning. Add some freshly baked treats from the bakery section and you are there, far from the madding crowd of commuters outside the restaurant.
Step into the elegant dining area inside and it's an entirely different ambience altogether. Elegant dining tables with crisp white linen and shiny silverware await you. Sparkling chandeliers and a red carpeted floor add to the glamour, and the entire aura is steeped in nostalgia. Growing up, Gaylord was our default celebration place. Birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, exam results, new job – there was no reason too small to justify a visit to our favourite restaurant.
To date, we can’t step into Gaylord without being welcomed by the waiters and management who still remember us. Gaylord is a few years shy of its 70th anniversary and the restaurant continues to win hearts and wow customers. They don’t make restaurants like Gaylord anymore, and we are all the worse for it.
Gaylord serves a mix of Indian and Continental cuisine. But unlike its newer counterparts, you won’t find jazzed-up versions of the classics here. No dal fondue or butter chicken lasagna is on the menu, thankfully. Instead, start your meal with a prawn cocktail. Served in a chilled metallic coupe, the plump prawns are drenched with a tangy mayonnaise. A squeeze of lime and your taste buds are prepped for the delicious meal to follow.
While the kebabs and blue cheese naan deserve a special mention, you cannot visit Gaylord and not have their iconic Chicken a la Kyiv. The dish comes to you on a silver platter. One plump chicken cutlet, stuffed with butter and cheese, and coated with a crispy, crunchy, deep-fried, bread crumb coating sits atop a bed of rice. As you cut through the fillet, the melted butter oozes out, and you pause a moment to allow the rice to absorb all of the herbed deliciousness. Add on some boiled carrots, peas and a dollop of mashed potatoes, and this is a meal fit for a king.
Address: 79, Mayfair Building, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, 400020 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India 400020
Now in its eighties, Cafe Madras began as all good South Indian restaurants do. The owners moved to Bombay in search of employment. Back then, the population of Matunga was almost 40% Tamil so much so that the area was known as ‘Little Madras.’ Cafe Madras opened in the 1940s to cater to this population of immigrants. The place flourished, serving simple home-cooked meals and other South Indian delicacies. In the 1950s, Gopal Kamath bought Cafe Madras from the friend who started it. His family still own the place with his grandsons, Devavrat and Jay Prakash, now running the eatery.
Head to Cafe Madras early in the day. On a weekday, you may be lucky to nab a table without too much hassle. But come the weekend, you can be sure of at least a 30-minute wait. But be assured, good things are in store for you. And as you stand patiently in line for your seat, the smell of freshly brewed filter coffee permeates the air, and your tummy rumbles in anticipation.
Service is a speedy affair but the waiters will still take the time to guide the uninitiated with their orders. Regulars, on the other hand, know exactly what they want and waste no time ordering. The best sellers at Cafe Madras include the tuppa dosa with in-house white butter, rasam vada, idli ghee podi, and bisi bele baath. End your feast with a dish of Pineapple sheera, and of course, with the famous filter kaapi. You can now also take home some Cafe Madras goodness, courtesy of their packaged items. Stock up on sambar podi, malaga podi, banana chips, and Mysore paak from the store outside and head home, suitably fortified.
Address: 38-B, Circle House, King’s Circle, Near Maheshwari Udyan, Matunga East, 400019
One can’t possibly leave out K Rustom from this list of iconic Mumbai eateries. This one-time department store now serves the best ice cream sandwiches in the city. Enter the functional store, and you face several cavernous deep freezers and one large handwritten menu. Classic flavours of ice cream, including coffee, almond, chocolate chip, and mint, and the more seasonal favourites, such as papaya, cherry, peach, and lychee, are available here. Step into K Rustoms en route to your evening walk on Marine Drive or commute back home from Churchgate. Pick up an ice cream sandwich – you can choose between one slab or two – and watch your day become a whole lot sweeter.
Address: 87 Stadium House, Veer Nariman Road, Opposite Ambassador Hotel, Churchgate, Mumbai
Mumbai has quite the list of iconic eateries and these are but just four. Dig deeper and you will discover bakeries, such as Yezdani and B.Merwans, that have stood the test of time and continue to churn our daily bread. Old-school stalwarts like Britannia and Co. and Shree Thackers Bhojnalaya still keep our stomachs full with delicious food and age-old recipes. And then you have Mumbai’s first bar, the Harbour Bar, tucked away within the palatial Taj Mahal Hotel or the forever buzzy Cafe Mondegar, with its jukebox and beer towers. The city of Mumbai sure loves its food and holds on tight to its favourites, come what may.
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