Bom Dia and Namaste!
We are Sunil and Melanie, and we welcome you to our new online space
Ten years ago, we started our little passion project in the neighbourhood of Wanowrie, Pune, in India. Fat Cats Cafe was the culmination of years of dreaming, cooking, baking, and scheming. For nearly a decade, we created a space that changed how cafes were traditionally meant to run. Our menu was made from scratch daily and changed almost as often. Fat Cats was a completely family-run affair. Our kids were our official taste testers, and every member of Team Fat Cats was involved with every step of our operations.
The best part of setting up our little neighbourhood cafe, our dream business, was our customers! They became family too! Our little mint green haven quickly became a space where friends dropped in for coffee and cake and stayed for long meaningful chats and heated discussions about where to eat/ travel/ do next.
Our annual holidays became an event for us and the many customers who wrote in asking for recommendations and travel advice. Over the years, we have visited a number of wonderful places (both in India and overseas) and returned with honest tips and tricks to make your next holiday the best one possible.
We shut down Fat Cats Cafe in December 2022. Now, in a completely surprising turn of events, we find ourselves as expats in a brand new country, creating a whole brand new life. But, we don’t want to give up the space we created at our cafe. That feeling of coming home, being among friends, exchanging notes and helpful hints. And that’s why we have intentionally retained this blog name. While the physical cafe may no longer exist, this space will continue to be one where we meet regularly and connect. We love you — our Fat Cats family — and we can’t wait to see where this new journey takes us!
Join us and our daughter Lana as we manoeuvre our new life and create core memories along the way. We want to use this blog as our travel diary, a place to capture our favourite recipes, and a keepsake for all the memories we collect along the way. We can’t wait to take you along with us on this rollercoaster journey.
Xxx
Melanie and Sunil
Ten years ago, we started our little passion project in the neighbourhood of Wanowrie, Pune, in India. Fat Cats Cafe was the culmination of years of dreaming, cooking, baking, and scheming. For nearly a decade, we created a space that changed how cafes were traditionally meant to run. Our menu was made from scratch daily and changed almost as often. Fat Cats was a completely family-run affair. Our kids were our official taste testers, and every member of Team Fat Cats was involved with every step of our operations.
The best part of setting up our little neighbourhood cafe, our dream business, was our customers! They became family too! Our little mint green haven quickly became a space where friends dropped in for coffee and cake and stayed for long meaningful chats and heated discussions about where to eat/ travel/ do next.
Our annual holidays became an event for us and the many customers who wrote in asking for recommendations and travel advice. Over the years, we have visited a number of wonderful places (both in India and overseas) and returned with honest tips and tricks to make your next holiday the best one possible.
We shut down Fat Cats Cafe in December 2022. Now, in a completely surprising turn of events, we find ourselves as expats in a brand new country, creating a whole brand new life. But, we don’t want to give up the space we created at our cafe. That feeling of coming home, being among friends, exchanging notes and helpful hints. And that’s why we have intentionally retained this blog name. While the physical cafe may no longer exist, this space will continue to be one where we meet regularly and connect. We love you — our Fat Cats family — and we can’t wait to see where this new journey takes us!
Join us and our daughter Lana as we manoeuvre our new life and create core memories along the way. We want to use this blog as our travel diary, a place to capture our favourite recipes, and a keepsake for all the memories we collect along the way. We can’t wait to take you along with us on this rollercoaster journey.
Xxx
Melanie and Sunil Meet the Fat Cat Fam
Sunil
With a head for numbers and a wicked sense of humour, you can count on me to keep things real. Someone has to!!!
Melanie
My official bio states that I am ⅓ Chef, ⅓ Writer, ⅓ Traveller — mama bear to the madhouse, chief list maker, holiday planner, and competitive grocery shopper.
Lana
Dog Whisperer. Cat Troubler. Collector of Jewellery.
Plans to start her own India-inspired boutique one day. Watch this space.
Lea
Recently graduated with a Masters in Art History in Rome. Now based in Amsterdam, she aspires to combine her love for art with her passion for food.
Solon
Currently completing his final year in Hotel Management in Mumbai. After that, the world is his oyster, but we hope he joins us soon in Portugal.
Chewie
Honorary member of the household. And while he may not be with us physically in Porto, he very much remains at the top of our minds - especially when we have leftovers and no one to feed them to.