The past can
never be outdated as it has our existence rooted in it. The same is true
for Indian eateries that have been around since pre-Independence
days as well. While restaurants have begun experimenting and embracing
global cuisines across the country, these time-tested eateries carry
with them a whiff of nostalgia that never fails to charm their loyal
diners. Though many of them have evolved with time,these quaint eateries
make for an interesting stop for every traveler looking to get a taste
of history and local culture along with lip smacking food.
1. Tunday Kababi, Lucknow
Globally famous for its exquisite
Galouti kebabs, kormas and
biryanis,
Lucknow’s Tunday Kababi is believed to be established in 1905 by Haji
Murad Ali, the one-armed star cook of the Nawab of Lucknow. Tucked away
in the narrow gullies in the old area of Lucknow, the eatery still
uses the same age-old intricate blends of spices to make
its sensational non-vegetarian gourmet preparations.
2. Indian Coffee House, Kolkata
Tucked away amidst the dingy bylanes of College Street (Kolkata’s
academic hub), Indian Coffee House has long been an intellectual hangout
and meeting place for students (and ex-students) of the Presidency
College and other institutions. Great personalities like Rabindranath
Tagore, Amartya Sen, Manna Dey, Satyajit Ray, Ravi Shankar and several
others frequented this place. Mutton cutlet and chicken
kabirazi are the must haves on the still-very-cheap menu.
3. Britannia and Co, Mumbai
One of the Mumbai’s most loved restaurants, Britannia first opened
its doors to British officers stationed in the Fort area in 1923. A cult
restaurant, Britannia is where Mumbaikars head to when they are need
for some seriously traditional Parsi fare. The place still retains its
age-old charm and heritage furniture with the added bonus being the
personal touch of the current owner, the immensely charming Boman
Kohinoor, who hangs around making small talk and personally taking
orders. Must-trys include their outstanding Mutton and Chicken Berry
Pulav.
4. Mavalli Tiffin Room, Bengaluru
Founded by Parampalli Yajnanarayana Maiya and his brothers in the
year 1924, MTR is a culinary landmark in Bengaluru. Serving wholesome
fare that has its origins in the Udupi cuisine of the coastal
Karnataka, MTR has quite a reputation for its high standards of hygiene
and cleanliness. During World War II, a significant shortage of rice
supply resulted in MTR inventing the Rava Idli, a much-loved breakfast dish of south India.
5. Delhi Misthan Bhandaar, Shillong
Located in downtown Shillong’s bustling Police Bazaar, Delhi Misthan
Bhandaar has been serving the locals with mouthwatering sweets,
savouries and a lot more since 1930. The dedicated sweets
section serves arguably the best
jalebis and
gulab jamuns one
can get in town. The shop entered its name into the Guinness Book of
World Records in the year 2008 for frying the world’s largest
jalebi ever that was 75 inches in diameter and 15 kgs in weight.
6. Leopold’s Cafe, Mumbai
Established in 1871, Leopold’s (popularly known as Leo’s) is one of
Mumbai’s most iconic cafes and a must visit for anyone who visits the
maximum city. A symbol of the old world charm of Bombay, Leopold’s also
plays a central role in the 2003 novel by Gregory David Roberts,
Shantaram.
The restaurant is always abuzz with people indulging in
scrumptious meals that include everything from burgers with beer to
decadent desserts.
7. Glenary’s, Darjeeling
Opened by an Italian named Vado, Glenary’s was later brought by the
family of a local worker who became the manager here. The quaint bakery
cum restaurant is over a 100 years old and is a hit with both locals
and tourists alike. Known for its baking, the desserts at Glenary’s are
par excellence. Do not miss their yummy apple pies, sticky cinnamon
buns, fresh meat pies and Darjeeling tea.
8. Karim’s, Delhi
Established in 1913 by Hazi Kareemudin, Karim’s has won multiple
awards and many accolades for its lip-smacking non-vegetarian fair. Bang
in the middle of Chandni Chowk, with the beautiful Jama Masjid just
around the corner, Karim’s has an arsenal of recipes carried forward
from the days of the Mughal empire. The flagship items on the menu are
the mouthwatering
Mutton Nihari and
Chicken Jahangiri.
9. Favourite Cabin, Kolkata
Best known as the haunt of the freedom fighters
such as S C Bose and poets such as Kazi Nazrul Islam, the Favourite
Cabin at 69B Surya Sen Street was founded in 1918 by Nutan Chandra Barua
and his elder brother Gaur Chandra Barua. This unassuming tea cabin is
north Kolkata’s oldest tea stall and has been quenching Bengalis’ thirst
for chai and adda for over 94 years. The staple here
is still the same even after all these years – hot tea, complemented by
biscuits, cakes and different toasts.
10. Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halwawala, Mumbai
Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halwawala is a little sweet shop, nestled in
the bylanes of Mahim, that was started nearly 200 years back! The
founder, Giridhar Mavji, used to sell a special
halwa that gradually
became extremely popular across Mumbai. Today, people from all over the
country visit the shop to buy the famous
Mahim Halwa. Unlike the traditional
halwa,
Mahim halwa
is prepared by rolling out a cooked mixture of wheat, sugar and ghee in
the form of sheets that is cooled and cut into delicate squares.
11. Rayars Mess, Chennai
Located in a cramped nook in Mylapore, Rayars Mess was established in
the 1940s by Srivivasa Rao (called the Rayar by the locals) and has
been spinning a delicious tale for over 70 years. The mess serves fluffy
idlis, crisp
vadas(with
ghetti chutney), and
scalding-hot degree coffee to its loyal customers as well as to many
foodie visitors for just a few hours every day. Despite this,
the unbeatable hygiene and exceptional taste of food at this tiny eatery
is why people don’t mind travelling long distances to eat here.
12. Hari Ram and Sons, Allahabad
Tracing its origins to the year 1890, Hari Ram and Sons is one of the
oldest street food shops in Allahabad. The more-than-a-century old shop
has a fan following that includes many eminent personalities and is
only growing bigger with every passing day. The shop is famed for its
delicious snacks made in pure ghee and lip-smacking
chaat, palak ki namkeen, masala samosas, and
khasta kachauri.
13. Flury’s, Kolkata
Situated on Park Street in the heart of Kolkata, Flurys was founded
in the year 1927 by Mr and Mrs J Flury. This pre-independence tea room
of the British has a beautiful old world charm and is famous for its rum
balls, meringues with cream and a delicious English breakfast. Satyajit
Ray used to visit Flury’s every Sunday morning for breakfast and is
rumoured to have maintained a credit account at the eatery.
14. Dorabjee and Sons, Pune
A charming, old restaurant in Pune, Dorabjee and Sons was started by
Dorabjee Sorabjee back in 1878. Initially a humble little tea stall, the
eatery soon started serving traditional lunches that quickly became
popular. A little restaurant with a simple exterior, Dorabjee and Sons
uses time-tested recipes handed down through generations to create
signature Parsi specialties such as
Dhansak, Patrani Machchi and
Salli Boti.
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15. United Coffee House, Delhi
Established in the year 1942, United Coffee House holds
an important place in the hearts of food lovers in Delhi. Located in
Connaught place, it was one of the first few restaurants that offered
fine-dining in the capital city. The place has retained its
pre-independence antiquity and is still frequented by diplomats,
bureaucrats and tourists. The indulgent menu, though, has evolved over
the years and today offers a plethora of options – from international
and Indian classics to the recently added Oriental cuisine.
16. Shri Sagar (CTR), Bengaluru
Established in 1940s, Shri Sagar, better known as CTR, is one of the
most famous restaurants in Bengaluru. Known for the filter coffee and
its unparalleled
masala dosas, Shri Sagar is Malleshwaram’s landmark
thindi joint, the local lingo for small eating places that offer quick South Indian bites. Must-trys include the
benne masala dosa and the feather light
idlis.
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17. Chafekar Dughdha Mandir, Nagpur
Set up by Vasudev Govind Chafekar and his friend Narayan Sakharam
Palkar in 1931, Chafekar Dugdha Mandir was a meeting point for freedom
fighters of Nagpur. A functional eatery with a simple decor, the
restaurant has a steady and loyal stream of customers which keeps it
bustling with activity all day. The eatery is famous for items like
dahi misal, sabudana vada, shrikhand, khichdi, masala milk and the local favourite,
piyush.
18. Shaikh Brothers Bakery, Guwahati
Established by Shaikh Ghulam Ibrahim way back in the late 1800s ,
Shaikh Brothers Bakery rapidly became one of the most preferred bakeries
in Guwahati, not only for the locals but also for the British
administrators. It was also a favourite of Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira
Gandhi. According to a report in The Telegraph, cheese sippers from this
bakery were regularly served on Nehru’s breakfast table (he was
extremely fond of it) when he visited Guwahati.
19. Mitra Samaj, Udupi
Believed to be almost 100years old, Mitra Samaj is an authentic Udupi restaurant famous for its delicious
dosas, bullet
idlis and
Goli Baje, also known as Mangalore
Bajji.
The eatery follows the Udupi tradition of temple cooking under which
the use of onion, garlic and radish is prohibited. For those visiting
this simple eatery for the very first time, the must-try items should
also include Mangalorean Bun,
Masala Dosa, Dakshin Kannada-style
Khasta Kachori and
badam milk.
20. Nizam’s Restaurant, Kolkata
The pioneers of making the first
Kolkata Kati Rolls, Nizam’s was
set up in 1932 by Raza Hassan Saheb who named the place after his only
son. The story goes that one day a customer, a foreigner, was in a big
hurry and he asked for something light, dry and minimally messy that he
could take away quickly. Thus was born the Nizam’s kebab roll. The
tender flavours of meat entwine in a freshly fried
parantha to create these rolls that truly deserve their iconic status!
21. Bademiyan, Mumbai
Opened in 1942, the Bademiyan Stall moved several locations
during the tense pre-Independence years before finally settling down at
Colaba in Mumbai. It was started by Mohammed Yasin who came to be known
as Bademiya for his long flowing beard. The shop is famous for its spicy
succulent kebabs and
biryani, and is always jam-packed till late in the evening.
22. Kesar Da Dhaba, Amritsar
An iconic
dhaba of Amritsar, Kesar Da Dhaba was established
by Lala Kesar Mal and his wife in 1916 in Sheikhupura, Pakistan. It
moved to Amritsar after the partition of India in 1947 where it was
frequently visited by Lala Lajpat Rai and Jawaharlal Nehru. The
dhaba’s velvety
dal makhani, slow-cooked overnight and garnished with fresh creambefore being served, is legendary. The creamy
palak paneer, stuffed
parathas and the sinfully rich
phirni are also a must-try.
23. Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro, Panaji
Located in the gorgeous old Latin Quarter of Panaji, Fontainhas, the
80-year-old Confeitaria 31 De Janeiro is one of the oldest bakeries in
Goa. The cozy little shop serves traditional Goan sweets and savouries
like the moist date and walnut cake, the scrumptious
bebinca, the creamy sweet rolls, the crumbly prawn
risois and other teatime treats.
24. Pancham Puriwala, Mumbai
Pancham Puriwala was set up over 150 years ago when its founder,
Pancham came from Agra to Bombay to try his luck selling savouries.
His crispy golden
puris were so popular with the locals that
his shop survived and expanded over seven generations. This tiny, two
storeyed eatery is always crowded with eager clientele clamoring for
mouth watering delicacies that include
khichdi, kadhito (crispy
bhindi curry), potato curry and truckloads of different types of
puris.
