One of the Iranian restaurants opened by Zoroastrians aka Iranis who came to India in the 19th century is Cafe Leopold in the year 1871 named after Belgian King Leopold. It was founded by Sherezad Dastur. It was opened as a cooking oil store, then turned into a general store, a pharmacy and finally a Cafe.
The novel ‘Shantaram’ and its sequel ‘The Mountain Shadow’ mentions this Cafe.
The 2008 Mumbai terror attack that took place on 26 November shook the world. Cafe Leopold was also one of the places that was blasted with bombs and gunfire, killing 10 people and injuring many others.
Visitors flock to this restaurant to see the bullet marks and enjoy the delicious food as well. It is easily locatable in Colaba, South Mumbai.
