I visited Leopold Café & Bar, more in remembrance of a friend I lost in the cowardly November 2008 terrorist attacks, than for a meal. I thought I’d drink a toast in his memory. Yeah, that didn’t work out too well – it was a dry day. So, my friends and I settled for some tea, orange juice, cakes and pastries.
The restaurant hasn’t changed much since I last visited it in the early ‘80’s. India is sometimes like that, things change…slowly.
Leopold’s is one of Mumbai’s original Irani cafés. A big, gold Faravahar, one of the best-known symbols of Zoroastrianism, the religion of the Parsis, takes pride of place on one of the walls as a testament. It was good to see the foreigners back, mixing it with young Mumbaikars, themselves the first to come back in two-finger defiance of the cowards who shot their way through Leopold’s on their way to the Taj in 2008. The restaurant has carefully preserved a window pane from that fateful night…as a reminder.
A cold one would have helped. I’ll be back for it soon…and perhaps some of their famous Mutton Keema. Tea and cake is NOT the memory you want to take away from Leopold’s.
Waste NOT. Want NOT.
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