Take a turn into Ranwar Village from Hill Road and your step earns a gait, matching the vibe the gentrification of the area has witnessed in the last decade. You become a tourist in your own city, peering into charming porch-lined homes, and experiencing them at the line of stores and cafes.
Everhome was used as a Bollywood set for many years
The latest to open in this neighbourhood is Everhome Cafe, in a 130-year-old bungalow that was previously leased out as a Bollywood set for film shoots. Up a flight of wood-panelled steps, a parlour houses the coffee bar and a bakery is set up. Behind it is a small open-air seating overlooking the road. Remnants of the old teak wood and knick-knacks have been preserved and upcycled.
Everhome is in Ranwar Village. Pics/Shadab Khan
The 90-seater space is divided into three rooms — the community room has a long wooden table under a glass roof that throws natural light. It is flanked by a garden room and gathering room. Vintage poster artists were roped in to paint murals on the wall — staircases, angels, and garden scenes. Look around and you have a lot to discover — a tap sourced from an 18th-century Portuguese church, antique cabinets, repurposed furniture and frames.
Pineapple picante
Founders Atil Pavesha and Dipti Gohel, who previously owned Tru Fit Gourmet Cafe, have partnered for the space. Pavesha’s love for wood work — he runs his own studio in Vile Parle, and the equestrian theme is visible in horse sculptures, trophies. “I run the coffee programme while Dipti manages the kitchen,” he says, adding, “We own four horses at the Race Course; we are competitive showjumpers.”
Vanilla and Coffee softies
We are just in time for breakfast and order our Americano, made from beans sourced from Chikmagalur, and a Sundried Tomato Pesto and Sunny Side Up (Rs 450). The eggs are overcooked and the base is rubbery. The pesto is fresh and fragrant. The Guacamole and House Rustic Bread (Rs 550) is an easy bite, and the guac has a balanced tang we like.
The rustic bread is a 72-hour fermented bread, made like a naan with rosemary, which is served as a side in most dishes, including the Chicken Bombay Keema (Rs 650). The chicken mince is masala-daar, and we relish it more than the eggs. We wash it down with Pineapple Picante (Rs 350) that has been sweetened by agave syrup instead of sugar.
Atil Pavesha and Dipti Gohel
Our fellow companion has a Smoked Cinnamon Cappuccino (Rs 450) that is fired on the table. We try the Fresh & Warm Chocolate Dough Balls with Ice Cream Swirl (Rs 450). While the coffee soft serve is creamy, the vanilla is too powdery and icy. The dough balls are soft and ooze of chocolate.
The food is homestyle, and if you are expecting the polished restaurant-style decadence, this one is more rustic at heart, and well attempted with a great coffee
programme. When we request the server to give us a shot of espresso for our softie, he’s happy to see us assemble into an affogato.
AT Everhome Cafe, 1st Floor, Shanti Sadan, 51, Waroda Road, Ranwar, Bandra West.
TIME 8 am-11 pm
CALL 7710965556
Being mindful of living heritage
The fetishism of heritage as Bandra residents dub it, led to a handwritten signboard recently springing up banning photography and videography to protect privacy of residents.
Chicken Bombay Keema
Bandra originally had 25 villages. Ranwar is among the last standing ones; its character intact. Bandra chronicler, Shormistha Mukherjee (above) says there is a strong sense of community and heritage among people who’ve lived here for generations. “On the rise of cafés in the area, it is important to note that it is difficult and expensive to maintain these homes. Replacing a single tile can cost a lot of money.
Not everyone can maintain them. Offering the space to a coffee shop or a restaurant is their prerogative. Unless, we are aiding them or the government is giving them any aid,” she says.
On the other hand, the onus of gentrification that brings in the crowds, cars and traffic lie on the cafés and the eateries to manage, she opines. “Visitors to these narrow lanes also need to be mindful. They should know we love where we live, and it is a fragile ecosystem,” she summarises.
