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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
6 Min
15/08/2025
Ever wondered where your grandparents went for their first dates or what fine dining looked like when India was still figuring out its freedom? Some of the country's most iconic restaurants have been serving up memories (and amazing food) since before 1947. These culinary time capsules didn't just survive the British Raj; they thrived, shaped our food culture, and are still making us queue up for tables decades later. Let's dig into their delicious stories this Independence Day.
Modern cafes can never match the finesse and vintage charm preserved by centuries of changing hands, shared recipes and the history of old restaurants and cafes. The likes of Leopold Cafe in the bustling streets of Mumbai, off the tourist hotspot of Taj Hotel and the Gateway of India, to Tuday Kebabi in Lucknow, are unbeatable date and hangout spots. Ask your adventurous and foodie grandparents, maybe even parents, and they might have a colourful tale or two to tell, this Independence Day. These spots still exist right where they opened, serving familiar flavours and comfort in every plate.
The is one cafe that travellers will always flock to is the famed Leopold Café, located close to the Gateway of India in Mumbai. Founded by Irani Zoroastrians in Colaba in 1871 and named after King Leopold of Belgium, the cafe evolved from a cooking-oil shop into one of Mumbai’s most enduring Irani cafés. It shot to further fame after the 2008 terror attacks; its walls still bear bullet holes from the incident. Today, the cafe is known for its Bombay masala sandwich, shepherd’s pie, and generous Irani-style breakfasts. Frequented by tourists and locals alike, featured in novels like Shantaram, it remains a cultural fixture where history and comfort food, in the heart of South Mumbai.
Established in 1913 by Haji Karimuddin in Gali Kababian near Jama Masjid, Karim's was founded by the son of Mohammed Aziz, who served as a cook in the royal court of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. This family-run establishment brought Mughal court cuisine to commoners, democratising royal recipes that had been confined to palace kitchens. Still operating from the same bustling Old Delhi location, Karim's remains the go-to destination for nihari, mutton korma, and their acclaimed roomali rotis. Featured in countless travel guides and beloved by generations of Delhiites, it continues to preserve authentic Mughal flavours.
More than the restaurant, the kebabs are known countrywide, and it was born from Nawab’s craving for soft kebabs. Tunday Kababi was founded in 1905 by Haji Murad Ali (1877-1967), known as ‘tunday’ due to his hand disability. The story goes that Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, having lost his teeth but not his appetite for kebabs, challenged his chefs to create something he could enjoy. The result was the iconic galouti kebab, made with a secret blend of over 160 spices that melts in the mouth. Located in Lucknow’s bustling lanes where it began, Tunday Kababi has been named among the world’s most legendary restaurants by TasteAtlas. It remains a pilgrimage site for kebab lovers, preserving its original recipes for over a century.
This dining spot was opened as Brahmin Coffee Club in 1924, by Parameshwara Maiya and Ganappayya Maiya on Lalbagh Fort Road, serving coffee and idlis. Did you know? MTR became Mavalli Tiffin Room in the 1960s and pioneered rava idli during WWII rice shortages. It’s still run by the founding Maiya family's third generation. MTR is famous for its masala dosa, filter coffee, and authentic South Indian breakfast spreads that defined Bangalore's food scene. That is the family behind MTR Foods, known for their spice mixes and frozen idlis.
This Parsi café in Fort, Mumbai, opened in 1923 and still charms guests beneath vintage ceilings and old-world atmosphere. This cafe serves authentic Parsi cuisine, and its signature dishes include berry pulao (imported Iranian barberries in seven versions), sali boti, dhansak, and caramel custard. The café's royal connection is hinted at through a cutout of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge displayed on the wall. Praised by renowned chefs like the late Floyd Cardoz for dishes like their mutton stew, Britannia remains a time capsule of Parsi culinary traditions in bustling Mumbai.
The Coffee Board established the Indian Coffee House in 1942 in a heritage building in College Street, dating to 1876. This branch is famed for being the literary and political meeting ground for Bengal’s intelligentsia, hosting legendary figures like Satyajit Ray, Amartya Sen, Manna Dey and countless writers, poets, and revolutionaries. To date, it remains a favourite ‘adda’ spot for countless locals, and its humble menu boasts classics like chicken cutlet, fish kabiraji, and mutton cutlet with prices as low as ₹20. The unchanged interiors, complete with marble-topped tables and plastic chairs, preserve the atmosphere of Bengal's cultural renaissance past.
Located in Loknath Gali since 1890, Hari Ram & Sons is legendary for its tiny masala samosas and khasta kachoris made in pure desi ghee, which famously stay crisp up to 25 days. It was founded by Mitthu Lal, who named the shop ‘Hari Ram Namkeen Bhandar’ in honour of his beloved grandfather, Hari Ram Purwar. The shop has served everyone from Jawaharlal Nehru to modern-day pilgrims and tourists, with their products now reaching tables in the USA and Europe. As one of India's oldest snack shops, it represents the enduring appeal of simple, perfectly executed street food traditions.
In an era of Instagram-worthy fusion cuisine and molecular gastronomy, these establishments remind us that sometimes the best innovations happened decades ago, like MTR's wartime rava idli or Karim's democratisation of royal Mughal recipes. So the next time you're debating between that trendy new place and one of these time-tested institutions, remember: these restaurants weren't serving great food before Independence because they had to; they're still here because they never stopped. That's not just impressive, but legendary.
