Americanos, Affogatos, and Aficionados 

In Mumbai, coffee is as close to a religion (that is not a religion) as you can get. Odds are that every second person you meet has his or her “favourite coffee spot.” Conversations also tend to get heated over the best way to make your daily cuppa. I’ve witnessed a scuffle between the Pour Over coffee-making method versus the French press method. As I listened shamelessly to the conversation, I understood two things – 1. Coffee drinking is a passionate sport, and 2. Coffee drinkers take themselves very seriously. 

As a cafe owner myself, it amazes me how much has changed over the past ten years. When we opened our little cafe in Pune, we had the audacity to serve Nescafe. I know! I know! A situation we remedied almost immediately, but at that time, there were limited choices available, and you took what you got. 

Within a year of opening, though, we were approached by several small coffee makers and entrepreneurs from as far as the North East of India to the wilds of Coorg. Coffee beans, different roasts, a range of grinds – suddenly, it was all business. A decade later, the family and I have moved back to Mumbai. We are discovering the city all over again. And it’s frankly been amazing. From artisanal coffee shops to home bakers making the most exquisite breads and cakes, the city has exploded, and we, the happy consumers, are spoiled for choice. In this series of The Best of… I’m ready to tackle my new favourite pursuit – that perfect cup of Joe! 

I have a very simple format when looking for the best of the best. I choose one item on a menu and order the same thing across the board. Equal opportunities for all. Additional points are given for staff, ambience, location, and the rest of the menu. When it comes to coffee, my poison is the simple Americano. Notoriously difficult to get right but downright delicious in its strength and simplicity. Nothing gives you a clearer idea of the quality of your coffee than a regular black coffee with hot water. Let’s have a look-see how my top five coffee shops in Mumbai fared – 

Boojee Cafe

In a small by-lane of Bandra, this blink-and-you-miss-it cafe surprises you with its coffee menu and lures you in with its delicious bakes and healthy food. I am not ashamed to admit that I visit Boojee several (read 4 – 5) times a week for my caffeine fix and a biscotti to-go. 

They have freshly baked vegan and refined sugar-free cakes on display. Recently, they have added other sinful treats such as bombolinis (stuffed doughnuts) and croissants. 

If it’s coffee you are looking for and an Americano is too boring for you, fret no more. The rotating crowd of fitness freaks, peppered with your neighbourhood model and local expat, can be seen sipping on everything from matcha lattes to coconut cold brews. The space is tiny (though a little birdy did tell me they were expanding), and you will have to wait, but the staff are an absolute delight. They greet you with beaming smiles, and your coffee order before you even reach your table. Full marks on all fronts, in my opinion. 

Americano score – 9/10 

Address: Shop no. 6, New Kantwadi, Off Perry Cross Road, Bandra West, Mumbai – 400050

Subko

Subko is now officially a cult. There, I said it. You can’t visit Bandra (or Mumbai) without a trip to one of their outlets (and a corresponding Instagram post of their stunning menu display). Subko takes its coffee with a side of gravitas. Their website proclaims their “singular mission: we strive to highlight the complexity, care, and craft nature of the speciality coffee value chain…Our goal is simple: to create a genuinely Asian speciality coffee movement to represent the region globally.” What this means for you and me is that the coffee available at Subko is basically changing the game.  

Its first outpost – a reconverted villa in old Bandra – soon became the place to see and be seen. If you are lucky enough to find a space at one of their communal tables, make yourself at home by ordering one of their 27-layered croissants and dunking it into your latte for that perfect, buttery, drippy, delicious mess. 

I’ve personally visited the OG Bandra outlet several times, but my favourite remains the Subko Craftery. Built to educate the masses on what good Indian coffee can be – this “facility” boasts a roastery, a bakehouse, and a cafe. Choose your coffee beans, watch them being ground and brewed before you, and sit back and relax with a Pop Tart or two. It’s worth the trek into the maze of mills and lanes in Byculla. 

Americano score – 8/10 

Address: Ground floor, Mary Lodge, 21A Chapel Road, Ranwar, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050

Kcroasters by Koinonia

Google Maps thrice took us around in circles before we found ourselves in the tiniest cafes in Chuim Village, Bandra. A coffee roaster and accessories take over half the space inside this minuscule outlet. There’s a bench where only the slim of hip can sit and sip their coffee and a narrow counter with their pre-packaged coffees and baked goods for sale. Jack in the Beanstalk-giant vibes aside, Kcroasters serves delicious coffee. They have milk options ranging from coconut to almond to soy. Sugar-free and keto options. And some intriguing inventions such as their Activated Charcoal Mint Mocha or their South Bombay Cold Coffee (with jaggery, chicory, and coconut). I recommend getting there in the afternoon when a somnambulic haze settles around. Perch yourself on that lone bar stool, order an affogato made with local brand Bono gelato, and pretend the worries of the day don’t matter anymore.    

Ps: Kcroasters can also be found at Foodhall – Linking Road and Foodhall – Vama at their flagship Coffee Bars. Sipping a coffee while you shop is always a good idea! 

Americano score – 7.5/10 

Address: 66, Chuim Village Road, Khar, Chuim Village, Khar West, Mumbai 400052

Prithvi Cafe

As a college student in Mumbai in the 90s, there were only a few affordable places where you could while away a couple of hours. Prithvi Cafe was one of them. Even though it meant a trek across town, a visit to Prithvi always made memories. I don’t know whether it was the fact that it shared space with the eponymous Prithvi Theatre. Did some of that stage magic rub off on you while you were sipping your chai? Or did the distant sound of the crashing waves at Juhu Beach provide the perfect backdrop for that late-night kathi roll? Most probably, it was just the copious amounts of alcohol that was supposedly laced into their famous Irish Coffee. Sadly, the coffee doesn’t have any real alcohol anymore (did it ever? one wonders). But the fairy lights still twinkle, the theatre students mill around looking intense, and your chilli cheese toast never tasted better. 

Americano score – 5/10 (but let’s be honest, it’s not the Americano you are going to Prithvi for)

Address: 20, Janki Kutir Apartment, Next to Prithvi Theatre, Juhu Church Road, Mumbai 400049

Kala Ghoda Cafe

The Kala Ghoda precinct in South Mumbai is selling itself as the new ‘art district’ of Mumbai. The beautiful buildings that stretch from the Art Deco Regal Cinema to the grandeur of the High Court only add to the claim. In addition, there’s the Jehangir Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Modern Art, and The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum to really up the arty quotient. But I keep returning to Kala Ghoda for only one reason. To Kala Ghoda Cafe. For their lemon iced coffee along with their old-school egg sandwich. The lemon iced coffee comes to us in a delicate champagne flute, condensation glistening, and the perfect antidote for the muggy Mumbai weather. Don’t be surprised if you end up ordering two more quickly. The egg sandwich is that perfect blend of homemade mayonnaise, chopped boiled eggs, and nutty multigrain bread. The decor channels the Irani cafes of old, but the crowd is anything but fuddy-duddy. Ad-exec types rub shoulders with yummy mummies, and the place buzzes with the low hum of creativity and cheerfulness. The waitstaff is trained to let you do your thing, and even though there are invariably people waiting for a table, I have never ever been hurried off. And if you visit KGC in the evening, walk past the maze of tables to the end of the cafe, push open the swinging door and sneak into their not-so-secret wine bar. Designed like your aunt’s living room from the 70s, complete with lurid wallpaper and floral sofas, the Kala Ghoda wine bar is the perfect place to start your night out on the town. 

Americano score – 8/10

Address: 10, Rope Walk Ln, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai 400001

This was a commissioned piece but all views expressed are my own