Cafe Royal Bombay

India in the early 1980s was almost in a time warp. Although it was almost 40 years since the British left, much of the Raj remained. It was still just possible that former British colonial officers who decided to remain were still toiling away in some distance office.

The architecture remained the same, there was virtually no high rise in bombay at that time, and the traffic was very quiet.

I took this one afternoon from the Regal Cinema at Colaba, Bombay, just near the Wellington Fountain. Across the road stands the famous Bombay Cafe Royal, established in 1919.

The Cafe Royal still exists:  "Cafe Royal has been serving hungry patrons since 1919, which makes it one of Mumbai's oldest restaurants. Interestingly, the land on which Cafe Royal stands today was once used as a shed to park horse carriages for the Maharaja of Mourvi. What started back then as an Irani tea and samosa place gradually grew into one of the most famed fine dining restaurants with a live orchestra. Today Cafe Royal is once again bringing back the magic of the past and operates essentially as an all day cafe, specializing in Sizzlers and a variety of continental delicacies."