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| slogan              =  
| slogan              =  
| established        = {{start date and age|1871}}
| established        = {{start date and age|1871}}
| current-owner      = Iranis, Sherezad Dastur, New York City, Pers and Company.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130711003620/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-29/news-and-interviews/36615786_1_leopold-cafe-terror-attacks-mumbai-attacks]</ref>
| current-owner      = Farzad Jehani, Deenyar Jehani
| head-chef          =  
| head-chef          =  
| food-type          = multi-cuisine
| food-type          = multi-cuisine
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[[File:LeopoldCafe2 gobeirne.jpg|thumb|Interior, September 2007]]
[[File:LeopoldCafe2 gobeirne.jpg|thumb|Interior, September 2007]]


The '''Leopold Cafe and Bar''' is a restaurant and bar<ref name=nyt>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/world/asia/15mumbai.html  Boozy and Raucous, a Cafe Defies Terror,  THOMAS FULLER, New York Times, DEC. 14, 2008]</ref> on [[Colaba Causeway]], in [[Colaba]] area of [[Mumbai]], India, located across from the [[Colaba]] [[Police station]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blonnet.com/life/2004/12/24/stories/2004122400130300.htm |title=Mumbai's Culture Square – For the Foodie |first=Shrilanka |last=Mehta |work=[[Business Line]]|date=24 December 2004 |access-date=7 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202161312/http://www.blonnet.com/life/2004/12/24/stories/2004122400130300.htm |archive-date=2 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&q=leopold+cafe+mumbai |title=Map of Colaba Causeway, Apollo Bandar with Leopold Cafe}}</ref> It gained its main popularity after the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] as it was one of the first sites attacked.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hv8CviTH0MlF4XlDTJa6S_fHBtxAD94N71EO1 |title=A look at the main places targeted in Mumbai}}</ref>
The '''Leopold Cafe and Bar''' is a restaurant and bar<ref name=nyt>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/world/asia/15mumbai.html  Boozy and Raucous, a Cafe Defies Terror,  THOMAS FULLER, New York Times, DEC. 14, 2008]</ref> on [[Colaba Causeway]], in [[Colaba]] area of [[Mumbai]], India, located across from the [[Colaba]] [[Police station]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blonnet.com/life/2004/12/24/stories/2004122400130300.htm |title=Mumbai's Culture Square – For the Foodie |first=Shrilanka |last=Mehta |work=[[Business Line]]|date=24 December 2004 |access-date=7 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202161312/http://www.blonnet.com/life/2004/12/24/stories/2004122400130300.htm |archive-date=2 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&q=leopold+cafe+mumbai |title=Map of Colaba Causeway, Apollo Bandar with Leopold Cafe}}</ref> It was the location of one of the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] as it was one of the first sites attacked.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hv8CviTH0MlF4XlDTJa6S_fHBtxAD94N71EO1 |title=A look at the main places targeted in Mumbai}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
It was founded in 1871 by [[Irani (India)|Iranis]] (a term used for Zoroastrians in Mumbai who arrived in India in 19th century, as opposed to "[[Parsi]]s"). These Zoroastrian Iranians came to India in the late 19th and early 20th century, and many of them opened restaurants now often termed [[Irani café]]s.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4485523.stm  India's Iranian cafes fading out, Jayshree Bajoria, BBC News, 27 April, 2005]</ref> It first started out as a wholesale cooking oil store and over the years has variously been a restaurant, store and pharmacy (hence the name "Leopold Cafe & Stores"<ref>[http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-09-18/news/54068100_1_yrf-yash-raj-films-phonographic-performance-ltd  Yash Raj Films' asks hotels like Four Seasons, JW Marriott to pay for its music By Maulik Vyas, The Economic Times, Sep 18, 2014]</ref>).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23953040-5002031,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912080420/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23953040-5002031,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2012 |title=Cafe confidential |newspaper=[[The Australian]] |date=5 July 2008 }}</ref>
It was founded in 1871 by [[Irani (India)|Iranis]] (a term used for Zoroastrians in Mumbai who arrived in India in 19th century, as opposed to "[[Parsi]]s") named after [[King Leopold of the Belgians]]. These Zoroastrian Iranians came to India in the late 19th and early 20th century, and many of them opened restaurants now often termed [[Irani café]]s.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4485523.stm  India's Iranian cafes fading out, Jayshree Bajoria, BBC News, 27 April, 2005]</ref> It first started out as a wholesale cooking oil store and over the years has variously been a restaurant, store and pharmacy (hence the name "Leopold Cafe & Stores"<ref>[http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-09-18/news/54068100_1_yrf-yash-raj-films-phonographic-performance-ltd  Yash Raj Films' asks hotels like Four Seasons, JW Marriott to pay for its music By Maulik Vyas, The Economic Times, Sep 18, 2014]</ref>).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23953040-5002031,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912080420/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23953040-5002031,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2012 |title=Cafe confidential |newspaper=[[The Australian]] |date=5 July 2008 }}</ref>


Prior to the terrorist attack, it was particularly known as a popular hangout for foreign tourists. After the attack, it is also now also popular with many Indians to commemorate the spirit of defiance. The Leopold Cafe has preserved some of the signs of the attack as a memorial, whereas at the [[The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel|Taj]] and Trident, the damage from the attacks has been repaired.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Leopold-remembers-scars-of-26/11-attack/articleshow/6985398.cms  Leopold remembers scars of 26/11 attack, Anahita Mukherji, TNN, Nov 25, 2010]</ref>
Prior to the terrorist attack, it was particularly known as a popular hangout for foreign tourists. After the attack, it is also now also popular with many Indians to commemorate the spirit of defiance. The Leopold Cafe has preserved some of the signs of the attack as a memorial, whereas at the [[The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel|Taj]] and Trident, the damage from the attacks has been repaired.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Leopold-remembers-scars-of-26/11-attack/articleshow/6985398.cms  Leopold remembers scars of 26/11 attack, Anahita Mukherji, TNN, Nov 25, 2010]</ref>
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==2008 Mumbai attacks==
==2008 Mumbai attacks==
The Cafe was an early site of gunfire and grenade explosions during the 2008 Mumbai attacks by terrorists on 26 Nov, at about 9:30 PM. The terrorists, perhaps an hour after landing, sprayed fire inside the restaurant from outside killing 10 persons and injuring many others.   The restaurant was extensively damaged during the attacks. There were blood stains on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/26/mumbai-terror-attacks-india |title=Terrorists run amok in Mumbai |work=The Guardian|accessdate=28 November 2008 |date=27 November 2008 |location=London |first=Randeep |last=Ramesh}}</ref>
The cafe was an early site of gunfire and grenade explosions during the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] by terrorists on 26 November, at about 9:30 PM. The terrorists, approximately an hour after landing, sprayed fire inside the restaurant from outside killing 10 people and injuring many others. The restaurant was extensively damaged during the attacks. There were blood stains on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/26/mumbai-terror-attacks-india |title=Terrorists run amok in Mumbai |work=The Guardian|accessdate=28 November 2008 |date=27 November 2008 |location=London |first=Randeep |last=Ramesh}}</ref>  
[[Sourav Mishra]], a [[Reuters]] reporter and one of the first media witnesses of the attack, suffered severe bullet injuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia/july-dec08/mumbaiattacks_11-26.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326105529/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia/july-dec08/mumbaiattacks_11-26.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2013 |title=Multiple attacks in Mumbai leave at least 78 dead |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] |accessdate=19 March 2008 |date=27 November 2008}}</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azb-8XhTkaI Kasab's attack on Cafe Leopold, "Attack of 26/11", Eros Now,  Apr 7, 2013]</ref> After spending one and half minutes at the Leopold Cafe, the terrorists walked over to [[The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel]], the main target.
[[Sourav Mishra]], a [[Reuters]] reporter and one of the first media witnesses of the attack, suffered severe bullet injuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia/july-dec08/mumbaiattacks_11-26.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326105529/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia/july-dec08/mumbaiattacks_11-26.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2013 |title=Multiple attacks in Mumbai leave at least 78 dead |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] |accessdate=19 March 2008 |date=27 November 2008}}</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azb-8XhTkaI Kasab's attack on Cafe Leopold, "Attack of 26/11", Eros Now,  Apr 7, 2013]</ref> After spending one and half minutes at the Leopold Cafe, the terrorists walked over to [[The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel]], the main target.


The cafe defiantly reopened four days after the attack,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clHqtrDtB54  Mumbai Terror Attack Leopold's Cafe reopens after four days - Skynews Report, Dec 1, 2008]</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5260641.ece |title=Defiant Leopold café shows that Mumbai is not afraid |author=Blakely, Rhys and Jeremy Pag |date=1 December 2008 |accessdate=30 November 2008 |work=The Times |location=London}}</ref> but was reclosed on the recommendation of the police as a safety measure after two hours, due to the unexpectedly large size of crowds gathering there.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-12-01-india_N.htm |title=Cafe in India reopens; Taj hotel vows to 'rebuild every inch' |author=Siddharth Philip |work=USA Today |date=1 December 2008 |accessdate=7 May 2010}}</ref>
The cafe defiantly reopened four days after the attack,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clHqtrDtB54  Mumbai Terror Attack Leopold's Cafe reopens after four days - Skynews Report, Dec 1, 2008]</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5260641.ece |title=Defiant Leopold café shows that Mumbai is not afraid |author=Blakely, Rhys and Jeremy Pag |date=1 December 2008 |accessdate=30 November 2008 |work=The Times |location=London}}</ref> but was reclosed on the recommendation of the police as a safety measure after two hours, due to the unexpectedly large size of crowds gathering there.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-12-01-india_N.htm |title=Cafe in India reopens; Taj hotel vows to 'rebuild every inch' |author=Siddharth Philip |work=USA Today |date=1 December 2008 |accessdate=7 May 2010}}</ref>


==Mention in novel ''[[Shantaram (novel)|Shantaram]]'' ==
==In popular culture ==
The cafe was also mentioned extensively in the novel ''[[Shantaram (novel)|Shantaram]]'' and its sequel The Mountain Shadow.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/mumbaiterrorstrike/Story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20080075144&type=News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221233436/http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/mumbaiterrorstrike/Story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20080075144&type=News |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-02-21 |title=A week later, Patrons back to Mumbai's Leopold Cafe}}</ref> Shantaram is about an Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes from jail and flees to Bombay, as Mumbai was formerly called. Of all the very typical "Bombay" things and places mentioned in the book is the Leopold Café.  The novel was the reason many patrons returned after the attack.<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/tourists-back-at-leopold-with-shantaram/story-g7fMKdCgE0dgKEW2KA2aeL.html  Tourists back at Leopold with Shantaram, Azera Rahman, IANS, Mumbai, Dec 11, 2008]</ref>
The cafe was also mentioned extensively in the novel ''[[Shantaram (novel)|Shantaram]]'' and its sequel ''[[The Mountain Shadow]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/mumbaiterrorstrike/Story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20080075144&type=News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221233436/http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/mumbaiterrorstrike/Story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20080075144&type=News |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-02-21 |title=A week later, Patrons back to Mumbai's Leopold Cafe}}</ref> Shantaram is about an Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes from jail and flees to Bombay, as Mumbai was formerly called. Of all the very typical "Bombay" things and places mentioned in the book is the Leopold Café.  The novel was the reason many patrons returned after the attack.<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/tourists-back-at-leopold-with-shantaram/story-g7fMKdCgE0dgKEW2KA2aeL.html  Tourists back at Leopold with Shantaram, Azera Rahman, IANS, Mumbai, Dec 11, 2008]</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
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{{Tourist attractions in Mumbai}}
{{Tourist attractions in Mumbai}}
{{2008 Mumbai attacks}}
{{2008 Mumbai attacks}}
{{Portal bar |Food}}


[[Category:Coffee houses of India]]
 
[[Category:Coffeehouses and cafés in India]]
[[Category:Restaurants in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Restaurants in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Restaurants established in 1871]]
[[Category:Restaurants established in 1871]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 1871]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 1871]]
[[Category:2008 Mumbai attacks]]
[[Category:2008 Mumbai attacks]]
[[Category:Buildings associated with crimes]]
[[Category:1871 establishments in India]]

Latest revision as of 15:15, 14 August 2023

For the ice-cream parlor in Savannah, Georgia, see Leopold's Ice Cream.
Leopold Cafe
LeopoldCafe gobeirne.jpg
Leopold Cafe
Restaurant information
Established1871; 154 years ago (1871)
Owner(s)Farzad Jehani, Deenyar Jehani
Food typemulti-cuisine
CityMumbai
StateMaharashtra
CountryIndia
Coordinates18°54′51″N 72°49′27″E / 18.9142°N 72.8241°E / 18.9142; 72.8241Coordinates: 18°54′51″N 72°49′27″E / 18.9142°N 72.8241°E / 18.9142; 72.8241
Other informationOpen Daily 7:30am-12am[1]
Websiteleopoldcafe.com
Interior, September 2007

The Leopold Cafe and Bar is a restaurant and bar[2] on Colaba Causeway, in Colaba area of Mumbai, India, located across from the Colaba Police station.[3][4] It was the location of one of the 2008 Mumbai attacks as it was one of the first sites attacked.[5]

History[edit | edit source]

It was founded in 1871 by Iranis (a term used for Zoroastrians in Mumbai who arrived in India in 19th century, as opposed to "Parsis") named after King Leopold of the Belgians. These Zoroastrian Iranians came to India in the late 19th and early 20th century, and many of them opened restaurants now often termed Irani cafés.[6] It first started out as a wholesale cooking oil store and over the years has variously been a restaurant, store and pharmacy (hence the name "Leopold Cafe & Stores"[7]).[8]

Prior to the terrorist attack, it was particularly known as a popular hangout for foreign tourists. After the attack, it is also now also popular with many Indians to commemorate the spirit of defiance. The Leopold Cafe has preserved some of the signs of the attack as a memorial, whereas at the Taj and Trident, the damage from the attacks has been repaired.[9]

It uses an Achaemenid Persian Lion Rhyton as a part of its logo to indicate its Zoroastrian affiliation.

It is one of a couple of Irani Cafes that are still doing good business, while many others are fading away.[10]

2008 Mumbai attacks[edit | edit source]

The cafe was an early site of gunfire and grenade explosions during the 2008 Mumbai attacks by terrorists on 26 November, at about 9:30 PM. The terrorists, approximately an hour after landing, sprayed fire inside the restaurant from outside killing 10 people and injuring many others. The restaurant was extensively damaged during the attacks. There were blood stains on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers.[11] Sourav Mishra, a Reuters reporter and one of the first media witnesses of the attack, suffered severe bullet injuries.[12][13] After spending one and half minutes at the Leopold Cafe, the terrorists walked over to The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the main target.

The cafe defiantly reopened four days after the attack,[14][15] but was reclosed on the recommendation of the police as a safety measure after two hours, due to the unexpectedly large size of crowds gathering there.[16]

In popular culture[edit | edit source]

The cafe was also mentioned extensively in the novel Shantaram and its sequel The Mountain Shadow.[17] Shantaram is about an Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes from jail and flees to Bombay, as Mumbai was formerly called. Of all the very typical "Bombay" things and places mentioned in the book is the Leopold Café. The novel was the reason many patrons returned after the attack.[18]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ About Us, Leopold Cafe. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  2. ↑ Boozy and Raucous, a Cafe Defies Terror, THOMAS FULLER, New York Times, DEC. 14, 2008
  3. ↑ Mehta, Shrilanka (24 December 2004). "Mumbai's Culture Square – For the Foodie". Business Line. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  4. ↑ "Map of Colaba Causeway, Apollo Bandar with Leopold Cafe".
  5. ↑ "A look at the main places targeted in Mumbai".
  6. ↑ India's Iranian cafes fading out, Jayshree Bajoria, BBC News, 27 April, 2005
  7. ↑ Yash Raj Films' asks hotels like Four Seasons, JW Marriott to pay for its music By Maulik Vyas, The Economic Times, Sep 18, 2014
  8. ↑ "Cafe confidential". The Australian. 5 July 2008. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012.
  9. ↑ Leopold remembers scars of 26/11 attack, Anahita Mukherji, TNN, Nov 25, 2010
  10. ↑ Mumbai's Parsi cafe culture, Rosie Birkett, The Guardian, Friday 10 May 2013
  11. ↑ Ramesh, Randeep (27 November 2008). "Terrorists run amok in Mumbai". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  12. ↑ "Multiple attacks in Mumbai leave at least 78 dead". PBS. 27 November 2008. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
  13. ↑ Kasab's attack on Cafe Leopold, "Attack of 26/11", Eros Now, Apr 7, 2013
  14. ↑ Mumbai Terror Attack Leopold's Cafe reopens after four days - Skynews Report, Dec 1, 2008
  15. ↑ Blakely, Rhys and Jeremy Pag (1 December 2008). "Defiant Leopold café shows that Mumbai is not afraid". The Times. London. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  16. ↑ Siddharth Philip (1 December 2008). "Cafe in India reopens; Taj hotel vows to 'rebuild every inch'". USA Today. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  17. ↑ "A week later, Patrons back to Mumbai's Leopold Cafe". Archived from the original on 21 February 2012.
  18. ↑ Tourists back at Leopold with Shantaram, Azera Rahman, IANS, Mumbai, Dec 11, 2008

External links[edit | edit source]

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