It will not be only chai and brun maska in the future for the 84-year-old Café De La Paix in Bombay. After renovations including repainting, polishing and rewiring that lasted six weeks, owner Gustad Irani hopes to now host book and poetry readings at the 45-seater Café. "I have great plans… music…or meeting venue for professionals… a showplace for budding artists to hold temporary exhibitions,” he told Parsiana on January 7, 2020. Also on the menu is drip filter coffee. "Putting in a coffee machine was (café and wine bar owner Farhad) Bomanjee’s idea… we were earlier serving only filter coffee,” he said.
The restaurateur, who runs the Café on his own, was assisted by his architect neighbor Pranay Shah, furniture designer Kunal Merchant and city historian Dr Simin Patel. Shah helped Irani to source the right carpenters, plumbers and electricians, "keeping the tight budget in mind.” Merchant was introduced to Irani by Patel who is writing a book on Bombay’s Irani cafes and is a regular visitor to the eatery. Irani told us that he always believed the wooden grain of the chairs would be visible if properly treated, but the costs deterred him.
Top: Repolished chairs Photo: Kunal Merchant
at Gustad Irani’s (above) Café De La Paix:"heritage value"
When Merchant buffed a small portion of the polish on one of the bentwood chairs at the Café, an etching that read "Welcome” was revealed on this and later on all the chairs, "something that was hidden all these years…I am so grateful to Merchant for helping me with this,” stated Irani.
"New customers and such events will also give me an impetus to create new items for the menu,” Irani told the mid-day (MD) of December 19, 2019. The Café was among 10 winners in MD’s The Guide Restaurant Awards 2019 in the surviving Irani café category. Irani sees himself "duty bound” to keep the Café safe for youngsters, "provided they appreciate and understand the value of such a place,” he told MD.
The restaurateur hopes to "give the Café back to the public for its heritage value” with the events planned in the future, he told MD.
Café De La Paix is located near Opera House, Girgaum, Bombay 400004; phone: 022 23824384.