GPS: Kitab Khana, Somaiya Bhavan, 45/47, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Flora Fountain, Fort, Mumbai
Tring Tring:+91-22-22844242
Click: www.cafefoodforthought.com
In & Out: 10:00 am – 7:30pm daily
Damages: Rs.500/- for a meal for two
Must-Order: Hot Buttered Apple Tea
Umami Quotient: Salty
Fort’s newly opened bookstore is everything a bookstore should be. It has calm stacks of books ranging from literary fiction to regional language bestsellers, is conspicuously free of DVDs, games, soft toys and other such indignities now stocked de rigueur in other city bookstores, and has the most charming café Food For Thought run by Kapil Sharma and his chef wife (if I am not mistaken her name is Kapila; and no I am not joking!).
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| Photo- Mariam Mamaji |
Bar-O-Meter
Since there is no alcohol on offer (we don’t want wannabe drunken poets after all, only sober connoisseurs!) we make do with the virgin beverages. The Hot Buttered Apple Tea is an absolute delight especially for squelchy rainy days like these ones. The cheery fragrance of apples meshes with the hint of butter that makes the tea a cloudy comforting delight. For all those with memories of sipping po cha (Tibetan buttered tea) in the mountainous terrains of Ladakh this comes a decent second. For scorching summer days our alternate pick is the perfectly tangy and cool Aam Panna, reminiscent of carefree childhood summers before colas and booze took over our thirst quotient.
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| Photo- Mariam Mamaji |
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| Photo- Mariam Mamaji |
Palate
FFT is a snacky stopover rather than a full-fledged meal destination and ideal for nibbling over a lazy read so we usually go with the lighter snacks as opposed to the pasta offerings. The unlikely sounding Bhel Sandwich is actually delish with bhel daubed in the perfect green chutney stuffed between bread slices and a comforting taste of Bombay with every bite. The perfectly done golden fries on the side don’t hurt either! For sweet endings we eschewed the violent pink and vitriolic green cupcakes and decide to opt for our weak spot Carrot Cake instead. It turns out we had made the right decision because the FFT version is dense, dark and homey, generously sprinkled with walnut bits and rich n’ comfy with a cuppa coffee.
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| Photo- Mariam Mamaji |
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| Photo- Mariam Mamaji |
Crowd V/s Company
It turns out that the Kitab Khana and FFT GPS used to house an LIC office which explains the high wood-beamed ceilings and the artfully located winding wrought iron staircase inside FFT painted bright pink. Movie posters and memorable quotes on FFT walls complete the unpretentious artsy décor and the ambience is perfect for a lazy read avec some snacks even if one isn’t particularly famished. Host Kapil’s bright pink tee, silver ponytail and wide smile also adds to making the atmosphere cozy and personal, like a spiffier version of Samovar (minus the unwashed jholas!)
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| Photo- Mariam Mamaji |
Comeback Quotient
This is the perfect place for a teatime stopover and gupshup with friends working in the neighboring lawyer/trading district if one is in the Fort area and abhors coffee shop chains as much as we do. Warning: booklovers might never want to leave!