Subko
A large, high-ceilinged roastery and one of the most dependable places in Bandra to work for a few hours. Specialty coffee, plenty of seating, and no pressure to move on.
What to orderSif on the Rocks
DirectionsPhoto: subko.coffee
Bandra
25 to 35 minutes from the venue
The densest run of good rooms in the city, and where most of these picks are. Close enough for an evening, too far for a session break.
Boojee
Bandra's busiest brunch room at the moment, spread over two floors and full from mid-morning onwards. There is usually a wait, but it moves quickly.
What to orderPortobello truffle mushroom hash browns · Tiramisu French toast · Vietnamese cold brew
Expect a queue at weekends.
DirectionsPhoto: boojeecafe.com
Mokai
A matcha-led café with eight varieties on the menu. It moved to a larger space in March and still fills up most days.
DirectionsPhoto: @mokaiindia
Veronica's
A small sandwich counter with a serious following. Plan around it rather than arriving hungry.
What to orderThe Big Floyd
The queue runs over WhatsApp. Put your name down, then walk Waroda Road while you wait.
Pomodoro
Unfussy pasta that has become a local fixture. Best approached with a group and an appetite.
What to orderThick-cut fries with parmesan truffle oil · Such A Cheeser pasta
DirectionsPhoto: @pomodoro.pastabar
Dough & Joe
Coffee and desserts until 4am, which is rare in Mumbai. The place to end up after a side event.
What to orderDough knots · Hot chocolate
Open until 4am.
DirectionsPhoto: @doughandjoebombay
Scarlett House
A considered interior in a ninety-year-old bungalow, and a short menu that delivers. Suits a quiet dinner or a small meeting rather than a crowd.
What to orderMac and cheese · Truffle sushi · Mushroom toast
Reservation only.
DirectionsPhoto: Scarlett House
South Mumbai
60 to 75 minutes from the venue
A long drive from the venue and worth it for the rooms. Plan these for an evening or a free morning, not a gap between sessions.
Banyan Tree
Set inside what was Mumbai's first ice factory, around a 150-year-old banyan tree in the courtyard. An open kitchen, and the calmest room in South Mumbai for a long conversation.
What to orderFrench toast · Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon
DirectionsPhoto: @banyantree_cafe
Bayview Café
A rooftop looking straight across at the Gateway of India, the Taj and the harbour. Empty first thing; best in the evening for the light. Portions are generous.
What to orderBiryani · Tandoori
Leopold & Café Mondegar
Two Colaba institutions side by side. You go for the rooms and the history rather than the cooking. Worth doing once.
Before you go
A few practical answers before you pick a table or plan a cross-city trip.
The Bandra cafés are 25 to 35 minutes from Fairmont Mumbai in ordinary traffic, and the South Mumbai ones 60 to 75 minutes each way. Traffic swings with the time of day, so treat these as evening or free-morning plans, not something to fit between sessions.
Subko is the most reliable room in Bandra for a few hours of laptop work. Banyan Tree in Ballard Estate is the calmest space for a longer meeting, and Scarlett House suits a quiet one-to-one. Bayview is the one for a meeting you want remembered.
Scarlett House is reservation-only. Veronica's runs its queue over WhatsApp, so you add your name and wait nearby. Boojee does not take bookings and usually has a wait at weekends.
Dough & Joe on Hill Road serves until 4am, rare for Mumbai, which makes it the obvious last stop after a side event.
These picks first appeared on our X account, chosen by Nidhi from the IBW team, who has lived in Mumbai all her life. Travel times are door to door from Fairmont Mumbai in ordinary traffic.
The photographs are the cafés' own, used with credit and linked back to them, except where the credit on the card says otherwise.
Last updated September 2026.
