Samovar Cafe, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai

This is a cool spot situated inside Jehangir craftsmanship display. This spot is exceptionally well known for delectable snacks at extremely shoddy and moderate rates. The mood and the group is upto the imprint. Absolutely offbeat and magnificent.

The menu here is justified regardless of an attempt and a really sensible on as well. I had aloo parathas, chaai, pakoda and chutney. Every one of them tasted delightfully delectable. I finished my supper with a casata frozen yogurt. Had a decent time on crunching scrumptious snacks.

Certainly justified regardless of an attempt. Try not to miss on this one. I have heard it will close down soon? profoundly suggested.

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Samovar Cafe is something you would ideally miss if somebody doesn't recommend you about it. Located inside Jehangir Art Gallery this beautiful tiny cafe dishes out some lovely stuff. Their sandwiches are worth a mention.

The interiors are like a prettily designed house and even though prices may sound on the higher side.The staff is also well behaved.Its worth a visit in the art district of kala ghoda.

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This is a cool place located inside Jehangir art gallery. This place is very famous for delicious snacks at very cheap and affordable rates. The ambience and the crowd is upto the mark. Totally funky and awesome.

The menu here is worth a try and a pretty reasonable on too. I had aloo parathas, chaai, pakoda and chutney. All of them tasted delightfully tasty. I ended my meal with a casata ice cream. Had a good time on munching delicious snacks.

Definitely worth a try. Do not miss on this one. I have heard it is going to shut down soon? highly recommended.

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Out and about in the fort area? Drop in at the Samovar Cafe to enjoy a few good dishes and give a fine touch to your evening. Though you will find nothing fancy on the menu, just the regulars but the taste will definitely bowl you over.

It is a very classy place and the cozy ambiance will attract you instantly. Though it is a small cafe it has brilliance written all over it.

Don't forget to try the Mutton Samosa. It is a very unique item and I am head over heels in love with it.

You should definitely try it out.

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I think at some point of time each one of us have passed through the feeling when we want to eat out but we want to eat that is homely. We crave for that home food taste. Samovar Cafe serves food which will make you feel you are eating at home.

This is an iconic cafe in Mumbai and ask any local and they know about this place and they will recommend it to your fondly. If you are visiting the Jehangir art gallery then you simply can't miss this place. Their Mutton samosa is the star of the cafe and it will not disappoint your eagerly awaiting taste buds.

This is a lovely place and I can visit it again and again at any given place.

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The Samovar at Jehangir Art Gallery, next to the museum, is a veritable Bombay institution. It has a quirky, unpretentious atmosphere with functional seating and variable decor, sometimes bordering on the tatty. But all this adds to its charm!

Earlier the Samovar used to be full of established and budding artists, nowadays the clientele is more eclectic, although you will still see the artists around.

Choose a table next to the garden as far as possible. Go there a little bit before the main lunch time to get your choice of seating. In the rainy season, it is delightful just watching the rain and enjoying the greenery, one can spend hours here.

The food is always but always tasty with a daily menu offering all time favourites based on customer preferences. The kathi rolls, veg rolls, and keema are well known and much ordered. Punjabi specialities like sarson ka saag and makki roti are available here year round. An unusual yummy bean sprout paratha is also on offer. A delectable tangy tamarind and onion chutney along with green chutney is always kept on the table. Service, mostly by old timer retainers, is genuine and warm.

Prices are moderate. A more than adequate meal for two will set you back around Rs. 500/- Beer is also available for those who seek it. The Samovar has an indescribable air that makes you want to return time and again, especially on a rainy monsoon Saturday afternoon when its ambience is at its best.

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A Relaxed Lunch in Arty Ambiance

By

Vikram Karve

When I was a small boy I traveled all over the country by train, and I remember many trains like The Calcutta Mail via Nagpur, The Frontier Mail, The Grand Trunk Express, and even the Deccan Queen, had Restaurant or Dining Cars where one could sit comfortably and enjoy leisurely meals comprising the choicest “railway cuisine” whilst viewing the scenery passing by through the large open windows. Each train had its own special a la carte dishes apart from the thalis. One can’t enjoy this luxury anymore as the railways have replaced Dining Cars with Pantry Cars and they serve lackluster standard meals packed in foil, paper and plastic containers.

On a warm Mumbai afternoon I feel nostalgic and remember the good old railway dining car lunches, and I am in a mood for a relaxed lunch in arty ambiance, so I convince my friend and we head for Samovar at the Jehangir Art Gallery at Kala Ghoda near the Museum. Samovar restaurant is situated next to the art gallery in a long rectangular veranda and resembles a Railway Restaurant Car of yesteryear. We relax on the cane chairs and enjoy the view of the adjoining Museum lawns.

There is a menu card, but the specialties of the day are scribbled on blackboards on both ends of the no-frills eatery. We order the specialties of the day – a Mutton Chilly Fry Lunch and Hyderabadi Kheema with Lachi Paratha. The tender boneless Mutton Chilly Fry well cooked in a thick dark brown sauce has a nice spicy peppery taste and blends well with the garlic bread and fresh salad. The fiery orange-red chilli-sour Hyderabadi Kheema is lip-smackingly zesty, the paratha super-soft and fluffy, and the combination is delicious.

Next we have the wholesome stuffed parathas [Gobi (Cauliflower) and Kheema] accompanied by their appetizing chutneys followed by Kheema and Kabab Rolls. To cool off, we end with the huge soothing Dahi Wadas. I’m tempted to order a biryani or a prawn pulao, but we’re nicely satiated and overeating will spoil everything – maybe we’ll try the rice dishes next time.

Samovar has a unique charm and friendly ambience you won’t find anywhere else. It serves excellent value-for-money food and is an ideal place for a cosy tete-a-tete with a friend over a leisurely lunch on a lazy afternoon.

VIKRAM KARVE

vikramkarve@sify.com

https://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

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Have visited the Jehangir Art Gallery so many times, for different things, including to just to go take a whizz, but had never eaten at Samovar before yesterday. Had heard about it from various people, including a few artistically inclined friends. Evidently, this is more of an artists' hangout and serves as the second canteen for Elphinstone College.

Happened to be at Kala Ghoda yesterday a little after the regular lunch time with friends and we decided to eat at Samovar since we had to visit Jehangir to find out about booking a gallery for an exhibit. Yes, that would be a few years away, but still.

Samovar is built in what was a passageway on the side of the building, with a shade. If you look carefully, you would notice that the space has been widened a bit, with extra awnings. Well, it doesn't look posh, and is not air conditioned. That is a bit of a minus point as far as I am concerned. The decor is more white based, with small tables for four, chairs with cane seats. On the side there are a few cushions, perhaps to accomodate some more people on the table. When we went in, there were some table still available, some of the people did seem the pseudo-intellectual variety...if you know what I mean. gaudy ethnic, 2 rupee coin size bindis et al. Later noticed that one of them even wanted to see the tea leaves and smell them in the dabba they are kept in, before ordering tea. Come on, for heaven's sake.

Anyways, this is not meant to be my opinionated diatribe about pseudos, but about food. The servers made us comfortable and opened up the menu on the lunch page. The other pages had your usual sandwiches, soft drinks etc. The lunch menu page contained stuff like Kentucky Fried Chicken lunch (deep fried chicken with bread and a Russian salad), paratha lunch, kebab rolls, more sandwiches and some salads(?).

We ordered some aloo parathas, chicken sandwiches, keema paratha, and a plate of fries. The parathas looked the same, though of course they tasted different. The aloo paratha wasn't too bad, but was hardly the aloo paratha that one is used to. It wasn't that thick. More or less same for the keema paratha [and yes, I do not write k-h-e-e-m-a, because its not meant to be spelt or pronounced that way]. The filling did taste nice. We did not order any yoghurt to go with it, but spooned out some of the pickles.

The sandwiches are made of ordinary bread, and thus they are small. Not much of a complaint about the amount of chicken inside. And it tasted fairly good as well, not necessarily posh...but fresh. Another place to eat chicken sandiwches is the cafe in westside, of course if you like stale bread.

The fries were like whatever, not really crisp, but more like thicker pieces of potatoes, unlike say the fries that one gets at McDonald's or a Burger King or any of the American chains. But we could live through that since these were fried fresh and we didn't let them last too long on the table either.

I guess, if you are looking for a quick lunch of freshly prepared food, at not much of a cost, Samovar is a good bet. Especially since four of us ate our fill and paid Rs 551 (not including the gratuity). BTW, I blv they make vary good chai.

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