How This Café in Mumbai’s Bandra Became Bollywood’s Favourite New Haunt

It was launch week for Benne, a day they were supposed to be closed. But Akhil Iyer looked out of the glass windows of his cosy South Indian café, only to find a frenzy of onlookers, along with a mob of paparazzi parked outside. That was the day Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh had decided to drop by. “It was surreal,” Iyer recalls. “Almost like a mela [fair] when they were stepping out, but the moment their car drove away, it was quiet again…” A very interesting dichotomy, he calls it.

But for this quaint café nestled in the heart of the Mumbai suburb Bandra, celebrity encounters are an everyday affair. Since their launch, a host of actors, comedians and national award-winning directors have been spotted enjoying buttery dosas at Benne — including Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Dia Mirza Rekhi, Masaba Gupta, Ishaan Khatter, sisters Bhumi and Samiksha Pednekar, and comedian Sumukhi Suresh, to name a few. And thus, Benne has earned its title as the ‘celebrity hub’ of the season. 

Every other day, Bollywood A-listers flock to the newest café, where one can expect to find everything — from Japanese matcha to sourdough bagels; everything, that is, except authentic South Indian breakfast. And for Bengaluru-born Iyer and his wife and co-founder Shriya Narayan who grew up frequenting Darshinis — an iconic food chain in Bengaluru— this struck a chord. With the intention of bringing a delicious piece of Bengaluru to Bandra, Benne was born.

“Benne is affordable but doesn't compromise on quality,” says Iyer, explaining the hype around their establishment, as he brings out a steaming cup of filter coffee. He continues, “There aren't too many South Indian places here so comparing us to a café serving croissants is like comparing apples to oranges.” Unlike typical cafés, where one lingers for an hour or two, Benne offers a quick stand-and-eat service drawing inspiration from Bengaluru’s Darshinis. And unlike other fast food chains, traditional food is freshly made every day, with no external additives. 

This is a quality actress Dia Mirza Rekhi deeply appreciates. “Benne is a sensory experience unlike any other,” she says. In fact, currently travelling abroad, she reveals she’s been dreaming of returning home just to eat a Benne dosa! “The very thought of it makes my mouth water,” gushes Dia. Iyer smiles gratefully, adding, “When you're a newcomer with no prior experience, getting a vote of confidence from someone like her is everything.” But she’s certainly not the only one. Mum-to-be Masaba Gupta is a big fan of the Benne experience. “It has a very old-school and nostalgic flavour; it doesn’t feel like a modern twist on something. It’s comforting.” It reminds her of the simple joys of going out to dine, without any of the flamboyance. She loves that “the ambience at Benne is created through the food and flavour.”

But the biggest surprise for Iyer came when Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh dropped by. A Bengaluru girl at heart, the actress also brought her mother Ujjala Padukone, and Singh’s parents, Anju and Jagjit Singh Bhavnani, along. “I remember seeing Deepika's mum's face when she came into the restaurant. She was very tentative about us saying that we’re serving authentic Bengaluru food,” says Iyer, with a laugh. “But after she ate [the food], she was so generous in her appreciation of what she liked,” he adds.

On any given day at Benne, one might spot many happy customers enjoying their podi dosas — Iyer’s mother’s recipe, he says, now adapted by Narayan. This also happens to be the dish that Ishaan Khatter couldn't help raving about — in fact, the Benne team even gave the actor tips on where to eat in Karnataka as he was heading there soon after. “Benne’s menu is limited — they do what they do, but do it really well,” Khatter says, aligning perfectly with the founders’ core philosophy. Narayan as a psychologist, and Iyer as a producer — who first moved to Mumbai to become an actor — knew very little about the F&B industry. But passion drove the latter to learn how to make the dosas himself. Iyer turned to a street-side vendor in central Bengaluru, one whose stall he had frequented over the years, recalling, “He taught me how to make it and told me all the things that one needs to know about making dosas.” 

Today, Benne offers plain, masala, podi plain and podi masala dosas alongside thatte, regular and ghee podi idlis. They also include monthly specials, like bisi bele bath from the last month, and Mangalore buns this month.

The beverages — once again, an ode to the Darshinis — include filter coffee, Horlicks and Bournvita. In addition to iced versions, Benne also offers vegan renditions of the same, no doubt appealing to their celebrity clientele. Iyer says, “Shriya and I turned vegetarian eight years ago and while we haven't made the switch to veganism yet, a lot of people are conscious of the environment.”

The restaurant is also committed to sustainability. “We use areca nut leaf plates which are 100 per cent biodegradable and recyclable; we don't sell bottled water and encourage people to bring their own dabbas for take-aways,” says Iyer.

It’s this inherent sense of compassion, simplicity and authenticity that draws A-listers, along with most of Mumbai’s population, to Benne. Looking ahead, Iyer shares his plans for expansion while emphasising their focus on quality and consistency — which was underlined in the manner he asked his staff to take their time and prepare a customer’s order with care, even after closing time. “I hope people feel a sense of community here because that was always the idea,” Iyer concludes, because celebrity or not, in a few short months, Benne seems to have become everybody’s go-to dosa café in Mumbai.