Leopold Cafe,Colaba (Leilah Hazarika)

“A dream is a place where a wish and a fear meet. When the wish and fear are exactly the same, we call the dream a nightmare,” from the book ‘Shantaram’ by Gregory David Roberts.

A travellers’ curiosity about the idea of “Bombay” is spurred after reading ‘Shantaram’. If he has travelled to Bombay before, for only transit purpose or just a short visit and only having seen the airport, marine drive and Gateway of India, the limited perspective of Bombay only spells Bollywood , slums and traffic. Reading Shantaram transformed every travellers thinking and perception of Bombay. ‘Shantaram’ makes Bombay sound like an experience worth living. There is a sense of adventure and life in every aspect of this city. It was not until after having read the book, people started visiting Bombay with an increased sense of curiosity. Exploring most, if not all the places Roberts wrote about. Of all the very typical “Bombay” things and places mentioned in the book is, the Leopold Café.

‘Shantaram’ has not only put Colaba on the world map but has also immortalized Leopold Café, making it a Mumbai icon. This popular hangout also stocks autographed copies of the book. Leopold owes its renewed fame to an Australian convict with flowing blonde hair whose over 1000-page novel is an international literary sensation. It most definitely is the most read book in the café, especially amongst tourists. It seems to almost have become a favourite past time with them. Also, on a rack on the wall are notes that various travellers have left for the author. It is quite fascinating to see Bombay through his eyes, what he has to say about the “city of dreams”.

One of the city’s oldest Irani-run cafes owned by Farzad and Farhang Jehani, Leopold was set up 139 years ago in 1871. Fittingly wearing the tagline ‘Getting better with age’, it is a huge hit with foreign backpackers. Leopold's has wobbly ceiling fans, open-plan seating and a rambunctious atmosphere conducive to swapping tales with random strangers. There is a huge menu with almost three hundred items on it, ranging from the humble fish and chips to the royal biryani. But loyal Leodians swear by its chicken tikka masala and beef chilly and fried ric. My personal favourite on the menu is crispy chicken. The beer towers seem to be the real crowd puller. At no point during the day, does Leopold have a sparse number of customers. On weekends it has becomes especially difficult to get a seat in this much-preferred hangout

Serving hefty portions at reasonable price, what also sets the cafe apart is its ambience. Nothing too fancy to look at, but old-fashioned French cafe looks with ever-friendly waiters ready to serve you make most prefer, even recommending the best on the menu. Leopold has a total different culture even within its two sections. The non-ac section is full of tourists and very few Indians. Most tourists prefer to sit outside, they read, drink and hope to feel the aura of the man who immortalized this café. The interiors gives it the 80`s look. The big old clock, the paintings of alcohol bottles , rockstars, musicians of 70`s or 80`s and the Parsi logo. On the windows above and casual irani chairs and tables. The Menu is sandwiched on the glass table, thus not bothering to wait for the waiter to bring the menu to order. The place now really makes me wonder what it must have looked like back in 1871.

Rudely interrupting its warm ambience, on the night of Nov 26, 2008, terrorists targetted Leo’s as their first spot to launch their brazen attacks that claimed at least 179 lives. Seven people, including two tourists and two of the café’s waiters, were among those killed. Leopold reopened the next day. The owners and customers insisted that life must go own , claiming that the spirit of Bombay can never be dampened or deterred.

The number of people coming to Leo’s after the attack has not been affected. In fact, it has increased. But the number of foreigners among them has come down. Otherwise, at any given time, the lower section of the cafe is generally filled with foreigners,” said Avik, one of the waiters , in an interview with Outlook.

Nevertheless, this pub-restaurant, with its typical 1980s look and now bullet-riddled window panes, continues to serve loyal customers defiant in the face of depredations it had to endure. The bullet marks are a painful memory of the terrorist attacks. The Jehangir brothers have capitalised on that very event, in turn making Leopold a tourist attraction, selling Leopold merchandise like tee shirts, posters, and mugs. But, it is the jovial and unique atmosphere of the owners, employees and customers of Leopold that makes this place iconic.

References:

Roberts Gregory David , Shantaram

Outlook India , 2008 edition.

Lonely Planet , India (section : Bombay )

Times of India – Food Guide ( Bombay ) – 2009 Edition.