Kala Ghoda Cafe

Kala Ghoda Cafe is an all-day cafe, bakery and wine bar on Rope Walk Lane, in the middle of the Kala Ghoda art district. It is spread across three rooms, each with a different mood, and it is one of the most useful places in South Mumbai for a coffee, a light meal or a few hours of work between museum and gallery visits.

The main room is high-ceilinged and bright, with a design that draws on the old Parsi and Irani cafes of Mumbai, and it is the place for meeting friends or working over coffee. At the back, the wine bar is a contrast, with heavy curtains, low lighting and plush armchairs that suit longer conversations in the evening. The overall effect is relaxed and slightly European.

The menu covers breakfast through to the evening. The chef's salad is a favourite, and the rasta sandwich, filled with an omelette, chopped onion, tomato, coriander and green chilli, is a simple, satisfying lunch. For something to drink, the house juices include Rojo, a mix of tomato, watermelon, celery, red pepper, sun-dried tomato and basil with a dash of Tabasco. Among the bakes, the chocolate almond flour cake served with thick milk cream stands out. Coffee and tea are served all day.

The cafe suits solo travellers, people who need to work, and anyone looking for a calmer place to eat in the Fort. It is good for breakfast and afternoon tea, and there are vegan options and lighter dishes for those who want to keep things healthy. Takeaway is available. Weekday mornings are generally the quietest time to find a table, and weekends can be busy, especially during the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in February.

The cafe sits in a lane close to the main museum, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, the Jehangir Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Modern Art, so it is ideally placed for a break during a day of sightseeing. Trishna and Americano are a few minutes' walk away for lunch or dinner, and the Gateway of India and Colaba Causeway are a short walk to the south.