Leopold Cafe and Bar, Colaba
SB Singh Road, Near Electric House, Colaba Causeway, Mumbai Phone No : 022 2282 8185, 2284 8054
1900 hours, 9th August 2014, Saturday:
Leopold Cafe, founded in 1871, is one of the oldest Irani-run restaurants. Its a cafe, its a restaurant, its a bar. Located on the busy causeway bang opposite Colaba Police station, it is frequented more by firangs than by locals. The current owners are Fahrang and Farzad Jehani and Rashid and Gustad Dehmri.
Leopold Cafe, founded in 1871, is one of the oldest Irani-run restaurants. Its a cafe, its a restaurant, its a bar. Located on the busy causeway bang opposite Colaba Police station, it is frequented more by firangs than by locals. The current owners are Fahrang and Farzad Jehani and Rashid and Gustad Dehmri.
Leopold Cafe has acquired a cult status after it was attacked by the Pakistani terrorists in November 2008. Gunmen had sprayed the restaurant with bullets and there were blood stains on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers. The cafe had reopened four days after the attack, but was reclosed by the police as a safety measure after two hours because of the unexpected size of crowds gathering there.
The restaurant proudly displays one of the bullet marks on one of its walls for its patrons.
We look at the ambiance and immediately come to the conclusion that there has been a conscious effort to retain the old world charm. The place is jam packed with rectangular tables and cane chairs. The long stemmed fans, so antiquated, adorn the roof top. Attractive window display of pastries and brownies beckon even a casual visitor inside. Almost every table has a beer tower or a beer pitcher. Its a non air conditioned place, super crowded to an extent that if you stretch your arms, you are bound to flick a tart or a pastry from the nearby table without the poor sod who had ordered the very thing in the first place coming to know about it. |
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We call for a Chicken Cheese sandwich (INR 161) and one Leo's Cheese Cake (INR 160). I couldn't but help get a feel that since we were non white skinned, since we were not asking for liquor and since we were not there for a full fledged meal, the attention given to us by the server was slightly biased. I am not raising a flag, I might be mistaken completely and I should be giving a benefit of doubt due to the thronging crowds, but still, I got that feel.
The sandwich was a white breaded one. Four slices loaded with mayo and chicken bits. Nicely assembled, good in taste. French fries sprinkled around it.
The cake however, did not seem worth the price. It was rich in cream and plum and kiwi bits, but was very small in size. Poor VFM.
The tab indicated a levy of 10 percent service charge, which completely put me off. You don't decide how much I appreciated the service, I do.
Verdict: By all standards, this is a much hyped up place. The prices are high, the quantities not that great, the service is absolutely impersonal. There is no reason why someone should visit this place unless he wants to tom tom the fact on social media.
The ratings, they go like this:
The Food Quotient : Food Quality 3 / 5, Food Choices 4 / 5, Food Portion 2.5 / 5 Food Presentation : 3 / 5
The Other Determinants : Location 3.5 / 5, Cleanliness 2.5 / 5, Service 1.5 / 5
The Hygiene Factors : Ambiance 2 / 5, Space quotient 1 / 5, Delivery time 3 / 5
The Conclusives : Food Price 2 / 5, Honesty 2 / 5, Overall Experience 2.5 / 5, Will I call again 2 / 5
PS: Bouquets / brickbats on the review can be addressed to [email protected] or mentioned below.
Verdict: By all standards, this is a much hyped up place. The prices are high, the quantities not that great, the service is absolutely impersonal. There is no reason why someone should visit this place unless he wants to tom tom the fact on social media.
The ratings, they go like this:
The Food Quotient : Food Quality 3 / 5, Food Choices 4 / 5, Food Portion 2.5 / 5 Food Presentation : 3 / 5
The Other Determinants : Location 3.5 / 5, Cleanliness 2.5 / 5, Service 1.5 / 5
The Hygiene Factors : Ambiance 2 / 5, Space quotient 1 / 5, Delivery time 3 / 5
The Conclusives : Food Price 2 / 5, Honesty 2 / 5, Overall Experience 2.5 / 5, Will I call again 2 / 5
PS: Bouquets / brickbats on the review can be addressed to [email protected] or mentioned below.
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