It’s 8 pm, and all the tables at Prithvi Café are occupied. We hurry to stake our claim at one that’s just been vacated. The vibe hasn’t changed much over the years; the energy is visceral — familiar and comforting. The al fresco space has been a crowd favourite, irrespective of Mumbai’s fickle weather. While it offers one of the city’s most authentic theatre experiences, the café holds its own, irrespective of the type of performance being staged inside. The crowd is a mix too, from working professionals to couples, to serious theatrewallahs.

This writer has many intimate memories of this café, and its fare that remains an important part of this nostalgia including the Irish coffee, Sulemani chai, bun maska, and samosas. The café is catered to by Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Private Limited. We noticed additions to the menu — shawarmas, Amritsari kulchas, hummus bowls, bakes, and sandwiches in a long list. What catches our eye this time are two mud kulhads in the glass display. On the menu, they are listed in the pizza section. “These are kulhad pizzas,” the man behind the counter reveals. We pick both varieties – the barbecue chicken kulhad pizza and the vegetarian pizza farm fresh kulhad pizza (Rs 150 each).