Irani Cafes in Mumbai (2026): The Old Rooms Still Pouring Chai
Irani cafes were opened by Zoroastrian migrants from Iran, most of them in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and for decades they were where Bombay ate breakfast, read the paper and argued over chai. Hundreds have closed. The ones that remain still have the bentwood chairs, marble-topped tables and glass jars of biscuits, and they are some of the cheapest good meals in the city.
This guide covers the Irani cafes we list, what each is best for and the practical things worth knowing before you go. Every name links to its full page on Discover Mumbai, with hours and directions.
What to order
- Bun maska and Irani chai: a soft bun split and buttered, dipped in milky, sweet tea. The default order everywhere.
- Kheema pav: spiced minced mutton with soft bread rolls, the breakfast most of these kitchens are known for.
- Mawa cake: a dense, milky cake from the bakeries, best early in the day before it sells out.
- Berry pulav: rice with meat and sweet-sour berries, a Parsi and Irani dish that few other places cook.
- Caramel custard: on almost every menu, and the usual way to finish.
Quick picks
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| The best kheema pav | Cafe Excelsior, Fort, or Olympia Coffee House, Colaba |
| Berry pulav and a beer | Cafe Military, Fort |
| Mawa cake | Sassanian Boulangerie, Dhobi Talao |
| Bakery biscuits to take home | Yazdani, Fort, once it reopens after its renovation |
| Late at night | Olympia, open until 11:45 PM |
| The western suburbs | Irani Canteen, Kandivali East |
The bakeries
Yazdani Bakery & Restaurant, Fort (₹)
A small bakery and cafe behind St Thomas Cathedral that has been baking since 1953, in a wood-fired oven, with a red signboard and peeling paint that regulars would not change. Come for the mawa cake, the bun maska and a bag of khari or Shrewsbury biscuits. Reviewers note that the apple pie it was once famous for has not come back since the pandemic. Open 7 AM to 7 PM. It closed for renovation on 29 September 2026, with no reopening date announced, so check before you go.
Sassanian Boulangerie, Dhobi Talao (₹)
On a corner near Metro cinema since 1913, with high ceilings and worn marble tables. The mawa cake and bun maska are baked through the morning and often sell out by afternoon, so reviewers advise arriving around 9 AM. It is chaotic, cheerful and walk-in only.
The kitchens
Cafe Excelsior, Fort (₹)
A century-old cafe opposite the old Excelsior cinema, five minutes from CSMT, and rarely crowded. Kheema pav is what most tables order, with mutton cutlets and caramel custard behind it, and the portions are large for the price. The kitchen runs out of its best-known dishes by mid-afternoon, so go early. Several reviewers raise the cleanliness of the crockery.
Cafe Military, Fort (₹₹)
A Parsi room off Nagindas Master Road that has become as much a beer joint as a restaurant. Reviewers rate the kheema ghotala, salli boti and berry pulav, and the old-school desserts. Cash only, no bookings, closed on Sundays; the washrooms are poor and dishes sometimes arrive lukewarm.
Olympia Coffee House, Colaba (₹)
A century-old room across the road from Leopold, open from 7 AM to nearly midnight. Kheema pav is what nearly every reviewer orders, followed by the Irani chai, bun maska and paya. There is an air-conditioned upper floor that most first-timers miss. Tables are shared, it is cash only, and a minority of reviewers found it inconsistent.
In the suburbs
Irani Canteen, Kandivali East (₹)
Not a survivor but a revival: a Thakur Village room done up in the old style, with bentwood chairs and old Hindi film songs. Reviewers love the room and rate the bun maska, chai, chicken keema fry and berry pulav, and the service is warm. Unlike the originals it is open until 11 PM and takes cards. People who know the old cafes sometimes find the food milder by comparison.
Not serving at the moment
Kyani & Co. at Marine Lines, often called the oldest Irani cafe still open, had its food licence suspended by the Maharashtra FDA on 27 September 2026. Check its page before you go.
B. Merwan & Co., opposite Grant Road station since 1914 and famous for its mawa cake, closed for good on 1 January 2026.
A half-day Irani cafe walk
Four of these are close together in the old city. Start with mawa cake at Sassanian in Dhobi Talao, walk south to Cafe Excelsior near CSMT for kheema pav, then on to Yazdani for biscuits once it reopens after its renovation, and finish with berry pulav at Cafe Military, which is the only one of the four that suits an afternoon beer. Olympia in Colaba is a short taxi ride further south if you want a late dinner.
Practical notes
- Carry cash: Cafe Military and Olympia do not take cards.
- Go early: the bakeries sell out of mawa cake, and Cafe Excelsior runs out of its best dishes by mid-afternoon.
- Expect shared tables and plain rooms. That is the point.
How we chose
These are the Irani cafes we list on Discover Mumbai. Descriptions summarise what diners consistently say in public reviews. Prices are per head for a normal meal: ₹ under 500 rupees and ₹₹ 500 to 1,500. If one has changed, or we are missing a favourite, tell us.
Header photo: Yazdani Restaurant and Bakery, Mumbai by Narendrabora, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
