I think I literally did my happy dance when my coffee came out the first time at Suzette. Having been to Mumbai before and remembering I had to search and search for a good coffee, I was pretty much resolved to sticking to tea this time. Don’t get me wrong Mumbaikars love their coffee and the coffee culture has certainly picked up over the years. The idea of meeting up with friends in the confine of a friendly place, where you can spend 100 INR (just over a pound) and sit for a couple of hours, is very appealing. The use of their wifi, makes it even more appealing!
Suzette looks like a coffee shop you are happy to sit in for a while. The coffee is local and the produce is advertised as a French cuisine specialist. You can get your croissant, baguettes, huge array of crepes and even a trio of macaroons…must be French inspired. Thankfully there are NO tacky pictures on the wall of the Eiffel tower or even worse waiters wearing a beret! I think I went to one of those places once…
The look is simple at Suzette, with wooden floors and benches with bohemian like cushion covers…they make an anthropology store look like an amateur. Waiters dressed smartly in black with aprons, a chalkboard with specials and avocado on the menu! That sold it to you didn’t it?! Oh yeah they make a great avo chicken salad and if you don’t want the bacon…add extra avo is an option! Happy days!
Suzette is not a place I ever felt rushed in and it’s the kinda place that once you’ve had your breakfast or lunch…you can sit and watch the world go by. And boy is there a lot of world going by in Mumbai! With a population in one city the same as the whole of Australia, I’m always amazed at how over populated this city is. I think you learn so much from just watching people go about their everyday lives. From the girl on the next table using her pens to draw the skyline of Mumbai to the business woman going through her presentation to a keen investor or perhaps you might witness a kitty catch-up! What’s that you ask? I couldn’t believe that they have a name for this…it’s a catch up that well-to-do women do when their husbands are at work. They walk in loud, confident and elegantly dressed and leave louder and happier than they arrived! Well that’s my definition at least. There’s no way we could get away with calling it a kitty catch-up in London or Melbourne for that matter.
After your lunch at Suzette, get a rickshaw (tuk tuk) and just go somewhere. It’s an experience hard to describe until you’ve done it! Make sure they put the meter on. A 30 minute trip should only cost you around 80 INR? One pound! Think of it as a ticket on a theme park ride you have never been on, where you never know quite what to expect! Colaba markets, Bandra and Gateway are a must! Good restaurants are a plenty and a bargain to be found on every corner.
With new branches opening up all the time, there’s one for sure near you. The branch near Gateway, just near the Taj Palace is new and with loads of healthy options and a nice vibe, it’s sure to attract the healthy conscience. I recommend the chicken salad with avo and a cappuccino at Suzette and of course a window seat!
Insta: @suzettemumbai
Address: Unit 2, Ventura Bldg, High street, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076, India
