Flavour, with a side of books

In carving out tranquil book corners, Mumbai’s restaurants invite diners to linger, set aside their phones and truly savour their meals

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.

Shy’s book corner, reminiscent of a colonial clubhouse, is ideal for a quiet meal spent reading a book. Pics/Anurag Ahire

“Thanks to my parents, we were surrounded by books. We’ve worked hard to preserve this collection, especially through life changes like moving homes,” Dutt says. “The rarer ones on film belonged to my father—he had one by Frank Capra, that the Italian-American director personally signed for him. My mother loved Agatha Christie mysteries. There’s something for everyone. We knew that we wanted others to be able to read these books, because I fear reading culture is fast dwindling.”

Like Café Mommyjoon, bookshelves, whether part of vast libraries or small corners of restaurants, are geared to give the patron something more to chew on, and a reason to slow down. They are the very antithesis of the QR code menu, or the tendency to obsessively document meals; a reminder to savour the feasts we order, with our eyes and hearts.

At many restaurants in this niche category, books have been part of the plan from the very start. Tejal Mathur, the mind behind the design at Chembur’s Shy Cafe and Bar, envisioned different manifestations of a colonial clubhouse. “And how could that be complete without the comfort of a library?,” she asks us.  It’s a spot that conjures up the image of a post-meal cigar or glass of bourbon,” 

A winding staircase at Eve gives patrons a closer look at its ceiling-to-floor library, home to books and vintage knick-knacks

Shy’s menu delivers on the clubhouse promise with its gymkhana-style offerings like wontons and coastal lunch home-inspired curry and rice steamed in a banana leaf. If these are dishes you’d like to have in an intimate setting with a friend, or in the pleasure of your own company, head up to the restaurant’s reading corner—separate from the main bar and surrounded by lush tapestries. Its gold and ashy tones have a regal look, further accentuated by a slim ladder and old paintings. It’s the perfect spot to lean into solitude, away from the cacophony, says Mathur. The titles picked for this corner are the ones the promoters grew up reading—by Mark Twain, Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde.

At Café Mommyjoon, the creation of a cosy book corner was guided by the same warmth and sense of nurturing that determined the cuisine on offer: Persian food. Dutt says that Café Mommyjoon fills a culinary gap in the city, where Mediterranean and Lebanese food is found aplenty, but not Persian fare. Sadequian brought to the fore recipes handed down by her Iranian mother and continues to oversee the preparation of each dish.

Cirqa, a cocktail-forward establishment, is a celebration of Mumbai’s history; even its location at a former Lower Parel mill is a nod to this past. The visual indulgence of its wood-panelled walls, a pleasant lime-green colour palette and art deco-inspired lights matches the richness of its lobster- and burrata-centric dishes.

Some of the titles in Cirqa’s bookcases have been sourced from Crawford Market

It invokes an ‘anti-speakeasy’ vibe in its bar called 1960, tucked away on the floor above the restaurant. Why 1960? Because it’s the year when Mumbai was declared Maharashtra’s capital and was witness to the first, historic Air India flight. Tellingly, the titles in its slim-but-promising bookcases also have a connection to the city—a mix of travel and cook books, classic and contemporary novels, some of which are sourced from Crawford Market. “We had a desire to infuse the space with a sense of history and nostalgia, and a bookcase was a perfect embodiment of that vision. Books make us feel at home and we wanted guests to feel that, too,” says restaurant partner Adele de Fontbrune.

Literature is a natural fit at Khar’s Silly, whose decor takes inspiration from the Harry Potter series. The cafe and bar remains true to its community-oriented approach by actively involving diners in the curation of its bookcase. “We ask them about their preferred genres and encourage anonymous suggestions. This direct interaction with our patrons helps us curate a diverse collection that caters to varying tastes. Additionally, my travels allow us to keep a track on the pulse of the most trending books, and we regularly update our collection to ensure it stays fresh and captivating,” says founder Karan Nohria.

At Powai’s Eve, perhaps the most captivating nook is one where a winding staircase, lit up by a glass chandelier, allows patrons to get a full view of a floor-to-wall bookcase. Straight out of a 19th-century salon, the bookcase’s shelves are also populated by vintage objects like telephones and radios. “The curated collection of books not only adds visual interest but also sparks conversation, making Eve more than just a restaurant… the selection of books was a meticulous process. Each book was chosen for its visual appeal, thematic alignment with the overall decor, and the potential to spark interesting conversations among patrons,” says one of the establishment’s partners, Nikita Harisinghani.

The inclusion of an inviting literary offering among culinary ones doesn’t go unnoticed. Silly’s Nohria says that patrons have taken books home (as part of a library-like set-up)—thus taking the comfort and ease of the cafe with them. Harisinghani observes that the giant, double-height nature of the staircase and bookcase are often backdrops for diners’ photographs taken at the restaurant.

Cirqa’s patrons, on the other hand, feel encouraged to linger or come back during the daytime to relax with cocktails or cups of coffee—often by themselves. de Fontbrune recalls a particularly memorable response. “One author, whose book is featured in our collection, casually walked in and found her work… she was deeply moved by the recognition.”

Just as there is chemistry and magic at work when a chef pairs two unlikely but compatible ingredients, we believe that there’s a delicacy made for every book, too.  Mathur agrees. “If Mansfield Park is your mood, a Bordeaux [wine] with a truffle oil risotto could hit the spot at Shy. You’d be teleported to the world of the early 1800s, of the upper crust—with swirls of lace and parasols in an English garden,” she says.

Harisinghani suggests that patrons pick up a classic like To Kill a Mockingbird to enjoy alongside a cup of comforting chamomile tea, or even a lavender-infused cocktail. After all, the timelessness of a classic must be matched by beverages that embody elegance and soothe the reader. “Personally, I’d dive into a book on film at Café Mommyjoon, about a director like Akira Kurosawa, as I sip on chai e sadeh [Persian black tea] and savour cheesy lamb koobideh bites,” Dutt recommends with a smile.

A complete meal

Heading to one of these restaurants to grab a meal and catch up on your reading? Here are three ideal book and dish pairings, suggested by the establishments’ partners, chefs and designers
>>  SHY: Mansfield Park with truffle oil risotto
>>  EVE: To Kill a Mockingbird with a lavender-infused cocktail
>>  MOMMYJOON: Books about films and film history with cheesy lamb koobideh bites

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