In a way this continues from where I left in my last post! Here, I want to share a list of places in Bombay that I love! I don't think I can really rank them in order of preference or any such thing but I will just list them out as they come to me.
I begin with the 'Prithvi theatre and cafe'! One of my absolute favourites in this city and most definitely one of a kind. In Bombay we do not have many open air cafes and therefore Prithvi stands out. Both the theatre and the cafe have a great feel and aura to them. Watching a play in Prithvi is an absolute delight. For one, watching a play in itself is a wonderful experience especially if you enjoy theatre, and moreover watching it in Prithvi takes it to another level altogether. The ambience of the theatre and the very fact that you can watch a performance at such close quarters makes the whole experience truly amazing. The cafe has a lovely rustic feel to it. They serve the best Irish coffee and the tea comes a close second! I have beautiful memories of cherished moments with friends at the cafe and still continue to keep building on them.
Given my love for tea, the next category revolves around this! The old 'Irani joints' where they serve the best bun maska and chai. Its a lethally awesome combination. Even though I dont like milky tea there is just something about the tea thats nice! And the bun maska chai combo works bigtime! And the fact that these Irani joints have maintained the same taste and standard over the years is wonderful! Not many left in the city but the ones that are there are indeed the saving grace. Sadly I dont know of many around where I stay, but there are some classic ones in South Bombay which are lovely especially the one near New Excelsior and if I am not mistaken its called the 'Excelsior cafe'. Thank God they still have them and for whatever it takes these places are still running, given their ridiculously low charges. It amazes me how at these places you pay a measley Rs 15/20 for a 'good' cuppa tea whereas on the other hand you end up paying some atrociously exorbitant rate for a 'pathetic' cuppa tea at a five star!
There was another cafe that comes to mind which was right next door to Rythm house and was called 'Wayside Inn'! A warm and cosy place with open doors overlooking a part of the beautiful Kala Ghoda. They always had white and red checkered table cloths that adorned all the tables and that look never changed. Their tea was something else! I still have to come across a place that serves a concoction like they did. A perfect blend! If you are a tea lover there is no way you could stop at one cup. It was addictive and gave you some kind of high. I even remember calling the waiter and asking in one of our mad moods where they get their tea from! He just smiled and said that the owner gets it from Bora bazaar but he did not know which one it was! And My friend Shweta and me visited that place often when we worked that side of town and at the end of two cups of tea and our conversation we would be high and feel light headed. Before leaving we always got the feeling that we wanted to stand up on the table and dance! As Bombay has transformed we have lost a lot of these lovely old world charm places which have given way to silly posh restaurants which do not exude that kind of charm even remotely!
While Im still on tea, the other beautiful place, again in south Bombay is 'Tea Centre' at Resham bhavan, Churchgate. It has been there for the longest time. My dad visited it in his college days! The place looks like its from a different era altogether. What I really like about the place is that its predominantly a tea place with a huge variety in the kind of teas they offer. Their walls are adorned by some lovely sayings on tea by various personalities/celebrities and even their menu has these tiny paragraphs on every page about what tea can really do to your body and soul. Uplifting in every way!
'Cafe Samovar', adjoining Jehangir art gallery, once again at Kala Ghoda is another place which has been there for many many years. And has sustained the quality of food along with the lovely feel it exudes.
The 'Bagel shop' at Pali hill is another place which is extremely serene and quiet and often lends itself to some heart to heart chats or some quiet contemplative work. Some places are such that the whole vibe is so quiet and calm that your own energies completely settle and you will almost find no one talking loudly or making a noise of any sort. It seems perfectly in sync with the already existing decorum of the place.
'Cha bar' at Oxford book store near churchgate station is nice too though its mighty small and I have lost count of the number of times it has been shut down and reopened! Havent been there in awhile but they serve yummy fresh and hot croissants with their chai!
The 'Baristas and CCD's' are anything but cafes in the true sense of the word! The teas are quite sad and the coffees quite boring, though Im not the best person to comment on the same as am not really a coffee drinker apart from enjoying my filter coffee once in awhile . The whole environment is somehow very commercial and businesslike and the only outlets from these that one can feel ok about are the ones by the seaside at carter road and bandstand. But that credit honestly goes to the seaside!
The recently opened chain of 'Bru world cafes' is quite nice especially for the authentic filter coffee they serve! 'Hometown cafe' at juhu is lovely mainly because of its ambience! Such a lovely decor. Have yet to come across something like that with some amazing woodwork and lovely paintings. Their washrooms are so nice! For once someone has made an effort to make washrooms look and feel so lovely! You have to see and experience it to believe it :) Wooden flooring with beautiful paintings and dim lighting!
I am sure there probably exist places that I still do not know about. Some quaint little tiny cafes or joints in the middle of nowhere! I wish I do chance upon them at some point.
This was meant to be a list of places in general to begin with but has somehow become a list of cafes! I guess the former will be another post perhaps. Till then I hope to come across some more lovely cafes and continue enjoying the ones I love!
