At 7 am, long before Mumbai fully wakes up, Cafe Madras is already in motion. Stainless steel plates clatter, filter coffee steams, and regulars make their way to familiar tables for podi idli soaked in chutney, crisp ghee dosas, and rasam vadas.
One of Matunga’s most sought-after Udupi eateries, the 86-year-old restaurant opens early and runs late, closing only for a brief afternoon break. Its podi, ground coarse and aromatic, has long been a point of distinction.
Earlier this month, when we visited the eatery, a fresh coat of paint had brightened its interiors. Awards had been taken off the shelves, and parts of the restaurant were covered with plastic and newspapers. Greeting customers was Devavrat Kamath, 45, while his older brother Jai Prakash, 49, manned the cash counter, both representing the third-generation custodians of an establishment that began in 1940.
How an Udupi eatery came to be called Cafe Madras
Devavrat’s grandfather, Gopal Kamath, came from Katapadi, a village near Udupi in Karnataka. “The 1920s and 1930s saw many people from in and around Udupi coming to Bombay. He was among them,” he said, adding that his grandfather went on to set up several restaurants. Cafe Madras was likely the third, launched in partnership with a Tamilian, Mr Subramaniam. “Which is why it is called Cafe Madras,” he shared, adding that though Subramaniam gave up his share after five years, leaving his grandfather as the sole owner, the family retained the name.
“It started as an eatery serving idli, vada, upma and four kinds of dosa—ulundu (made only from urad dal), sada, masala, and tupa (ghee) dosa. There was also Madras pakoda, round fritters made with flour, chopped onions and spices. And because he was very good with sweets, there would be malpua, jangri (similar to jalebi), Mysore pak and boondi ladoo.”
Devavrat Kamath (right) and Jai Prakash represent the third-generation custodians of Cafe Madras. Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty
To commemorate Cafe Madras’s 75th anniversary in 2015, the family recreated the original menu at original prices for one morning. “Coffee was 10 paisa. Idli and vada were 15 paisa. The most expensive item was masala dosa at 40 paisa. We didn’t promote it, it was meant to be a surprise. But word travelled. By 4 pm, the street was packed. The phone rang for two whole months,” he laughed.
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Although now an institution in its 86th year, with a steady stream of clientele walking in regardless of events or weekends, Devavrat recalls that the first four decades were challenging.
“The furniture you see is second-hand. We were perhaps among the last to get gas cylinders. We cooked on kerosene stoves for years,” he said, adding that business only picked up after the 1980s.
“Eating out wasn’t really a thing then; it was frowned upon. There was also competition — about 12 restaurants serving similar food, some even older than ours. Plus, we were on Bhaudaji Lane and not on the main circle. But we always had a solid family base of customers. Their friends began coming, then their extended families, then their children and grandchildren. We continue to be a family restaurant,” he said.
Continuity and celebrity clientele
While the eatery remains rooted in what his grandfather established, the family has made incremental changes over the years. “My father, Jagdish Kamat, 82, reduced fried items like pakoda and puri bhaji. He introduced Mysore dosa, pesarattu (made from moong dal) and ragi dosa—which, mind you, was very tricky to perfect,” he said. Devavrat was 16 when he began helping out; his brother joined around the same time. Both came on board full-time after graduation.
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Alongside iced filter coffee and benne dosas, the brothers opened a retail store next door nearly a decade ago, selling chips, murukku, namkeen, tea cakes made in-house, and FMCG products such as sauces, bread and dry fruits.
Podi idli soaked in chutney, crisp ghee dosas, benne dosa and rasam vadas at Cafe Madras. Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty
When it comes to clientele, Devavrat speaks with quiet pride. The Kapoor family, he says, has long been fond of the eatery. “Raj Kapoor was a regular. Chimpu (Rajiv Kapoor) would have three ghee roast masala dosas. Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Raju Hirani, everyone used to come here.”
He added, “Once Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan came to dine here. Abhishek told us they have been having our coffee for over 30 years.” Deepika Padukone, Vicky Kaushal, Dhirubhai Ambani, Anil Ambani and several others have also visited over the decades. More recently, heightened security means many prefer to have food parcelled home. “Once Sachin Tendulkar came, but security didn’t allow him to step out. We served him in his car a few metres away,” he recalled.
The road ahead
Throughout the interview, Devavrat says “touchwood” whenever he acknowledges success. Asked if there was a golden period, he said: “God somehow blesses one with enough to take care of growing families.”
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On expansion, he hesitates. While not entirely closed to the idea, his primary concern is quality control. “We don’t want it diluted,” he said, adding, “Maybe a smaller menu… but let’s see.”
