Virpur is a 100% vegetarian Gujarati cafeteria in the Al Ras Gold Souq. The morning I visited, its well kept but compact interior was thick with the smell of incense which clung to my clothes for the remainder of the day. Like oud, if you’re not used to the smell, it can be a little overwhelming…especially if you’re trying to eat. Sitting in a middle of the gold souq, Virpur’s locality requires it to be a Jack of all trades, be it a Gujarati one (almost all the shops in the area are Gujarati owned and/or operated). So, it does chat (afternoons only) and sweets and snacks, breakfast and dinner and everything imaginable in-between. I was there for brekkie.
Savouries 
Sweets 
Puri Bhaji 
Gravied (aloo) Bhaji 
Koki 
The Puri Bhaji at Virpur is good, not fantastic, but good. You get no less than six puffy slightly oily puris with a small bowl of sweet and spicy gravied (aloo) bhaji. I also tried what looked and tasted precariously like a Sindhi Koki (similar to a stuffed paratha). It was served with yoghurt, a combination I had not tried till now. Interesting. I wasn’t entirely bowled over by the breakfast at Virpur in addition to being totally miffed at the fact that they weren’t serving their chat till afternoon. Being a Gujarati establishment service was always going to be good, and it was, friendly and accommodating. If you’re in the gold souq Virpur is worth a visit.
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