For those avid readers whose bookcases boast rare titles and collectors’ editions, the thought of lending a novel to a friend must be one of hesitation and pause. But ex-MP and restaurateur Priya Dutt never saw it that way. The inheritor of a rich collection handed down by her parents—actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt—she decided to include a selection of books at Café Mommyjoon, the Bandra restaurant she co-founded with Chef Seema Sadequian in 2021.

Café Mommyjoon’s patrons can often be found enjoying a plate of joojeh kebab and fragrant tea while browsing through the diverse, three-sided bookshelf, teeming with titles on art and film, pulp novels, coffee table books and magazines like TIME and National Geographic. The image of a cafe with an attached library has long been a part of Dutt’s dreams; the one she now co-owns is defined by its delicate traditional Persian ceramic ware, samovars and walls lined with detailed carpets and fabrics in the outdoor section.