A Café Worth Leaving the House For..

Bombay,India

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Let me tell you this before you keep reading: this isn't a café review.

I'm probably not the best person to trust when it comes to rating pastries or coffee. I've tried plenty over the years, but taste is incredibly subjective. This is simply a little story about a place that made me happy and I'm pretty sure it'll make you happy too. :)

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People who know me know I'm not exactly Bombay's biggest fan. (Yes, I still call it Bombay.)

Nothing against the city. It's just chaotic on a completely different level from where I come from and I'm from Bangkok, so that's saying something.

After three years of living here on and off, I barely go out. Getting anywhere feels like a mission. Mumbaikars are built differently; they're survivors. Warriors, even.

So most days, I'm perfectly happy staying home with a pile of books while the July monsoon does its thing outside. It has been raining nonstop, and honestly, I love it.

Every now and then, though, I make the trip into town. My usual excuse was Café by The St. Regis Mumbai. They used to make a ridiculously good prawn spaghetti aglio e olio. Sadly, on my last visit, one of the staff told me the chef had left. I gave it another try... and yeah, it just wasn't the same. A tiny heartbreak, but enough to make me stay home even more.

Anyway, enough about me.

I wanted to share a little place I stumbled upon that I think is worth visiting if you're in Mumbai: The Cacao Mill by Subko, Colaba.

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It's tucked away in a quiet little alley, almost hiding in plain sight. Exactly the kind of place I love finding.

The staff were wonderful. I wandered around, admired everything, and if I'm being honest... I don't remember much about the pastry anymore. It's been a while. 😅 But I do remember how the place made me feel. Inspired. Comfortable.

You can almost feel that this place was built by someone who truly cares about their craft and, fortunately, have the resources to bring that passion to life.

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The chocolate, though, I definitely remember.

Get the Filled Bar. My favorite was the Carameliscuit, a crunchy gluten-free biscuit layered with soft salted caramel and wrapped in a 70% dark chocolate shell. DAMN!

Absolutely worth spiking your blood sugar once in a while.

Go see it for yourself.

(Oh, and a close friend swears their breakfast is excellent too.)