Nothing beats an average Sunday morning with a cup of Irani chai and bun maska in south Bombay’s Iranian cafe, Kyani & Co., which is among the few famous Iranian cafes still in business. Ever since McDonald’s and Pizza Hut came to India in the ’90s, the Iranian cafes started losing their charm and shutting down, turn by turn.
Mumbai’s Iranian cafes are slowly dwindling in number, from about 400 at the peak of their popularity in the 1960s to about 30 today, including Britannia & Co. in Ballard Estate, famous for its berry pulao and keema pao; or B Merwan & Co. in Grant Road, famous for its mouth-watering mawa cake.
Mumbai has always been the perfect example of a melting pot of cultures, having people of different communities and religions. The city has also been a cosmopolitan space, which has led to it being a hub of uniqueness and exclusivity. This has given the city a certain kind of charm and allure.
Be it the hustling and bustling local trains, crowded yet harmonic chawls, skyrocketing buildings, or the plush localities—all seem to be a part of our collective consciousness about Mumbai. However, one thing without which the city is incomplete is its Iranian cafes.
Iranian Cafes Were Started By Immigrants
These cafes are an important cultural aspect of Mumbai and boast of a legacy of more than 100 years. They were originally opened by Zoroastrian, Iranian immigrants to British India in the 20th century, fleeing Islamic persecution in west and central Asia.
Mumbai boasts a number of Iranian cafés, which are very popular for chai and bun maska. Today, these Iranian cafes, even though depleting in number, are a part of Mumbai’s soul. Even the Indian poet Nissim Ezekiel wrote a poem based on the instruction boards found in his favourite Iranian café: the now defunct Bastani & Co. in Dhobi Talao.
Mumbai’s Iranian community includes the descendants of Zoroastrian (Parsi) and Muslim Iranians who fled to India, to escape famine or religious persecution, over the centuries. Many immigrant Iranians became chaiwalas (tea sellers) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Iranian cafes first opened their doors in 1923, when Mumbai was a bustling, trading port and an administrative hub of the British Empire. The cafes’ walls were covered with black-and-white images of the streets of old Bombay and memorabilia dating from the days when the British Crown ruled India.
Iranian Cafes Have A “No Nonsense” Culture
Regardless of days gone by, Iranian cafes often feature high ceilings, bentwood chairs, long mirrors, checkerboard-tiled floors and marble tables. It was a place where people could sit for hours and chat or read newspapers, while music played in the background.
Whoever carries forward the legacy of Iranian cafes is a hero in their community: it is the father, his son, then his son, coming generation after generation, who have manned the counters and partaken in the service often. This was a new way of establishing a no-hierarchy, no-nonsense culture.
The furniture, to this day, remains antique and the names of cafes are candid and innovative. But the culture is informal and warm, just like the spirit of the owners who grew up in the 1900s… As these cafes date back to an era when the British reigned.
Iranian Cafes Are Still Popular And Affordable
Today, the culture has certainly changed. Things are not as they used to be, but these cafes have still kept their old-world charm intact. The iconic, Iranian cafes have certain characteristics which continue to astonish: it’s the Indo-European atmosphere, it’s the taste of Irani chai, and the way that affordable buns are sold by hundreds.
The Parsi community itself is a close-knit one that doesn’t belittle anyone who comes from a less fortunate background; perhaps that is where the warmth at their cafes come from. It’s the little things such as the antique feel of the tables and chairs which, once upon a time, enhanced the grandeur of colonial India, but most of all, it is the quirky and unique identity of each cafe.
The time spent in Iranian cafes makes up the matter of stories told by people that have good memories, and the scores of their regular visitors to this day are a proof.