A Peep Inside Shree Thaker Bhojanalay: Mumbai’s 80-Year-Old Thali Legacy Loved by Celebrities and Chefs Alike

Tucked away in the bustling lanes of Kalbadevi, Shree Thaker Bhojanalay isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a living piece of Mumbai’s culinary soul, serving authentic Gujarati thalis for eight decades and counting.

What began in a modest 200 sq ft space, seating just 20 at a time, has now become a beloved institution. Frequented by Marwari and Gujarati traders craving home-cooked food in the 1940s, this eatery today welcomes a wide range of patrons, from tourists and local families to A-list celebrities and internationally acclaimed chefs.

Legends abound in the Bhojanalay’s storied walls. It’s said that even Dhirubhai and Kokilaben Ambani once dined here. The restaurant’s celebrity wall proudly displays photos of guests like Raj Thackeray, Sachin Tendulkar, Vidya Balan, Saira Banu, Dia Mirza, Ronit Roy, and Michelin-starred chefs Vineet Bhatia and Suvir Saran, alongside the many awards the restaurant has earned.

The Legacy of a Dream

The story of Shree Thaker Bhojanalay began in the late 1930s with 16-year-old Maganbhai Purohit, a village boy from Sindarli, Rajasthan. One of 10 siblings, he left home with just a few rupees, arriving in Bombay in search of work. After a range of odd jobs, from coal breaking to working in dhabas, Maganbhai finally saved enough to open his own small eatery in Zaveri Bazaar. When that building collapsed, he relocated to Kalbadevi and laid the foundation for what would become one of the city’s most beloved restaurants.

Carrying Forward the Flame

Today, his son Gautam Purohit, 51, is the heart and soul of the kitchen. With Rajasthani roots but a deep love for Gujarati cuisine, he has been at the helm for 35 years. Gautam not only plans every meal but personally cooks and tastes all 35 items that go into each thali served daily, over 400 of them, to be precise.

“My father was in the kitchen every day. I learned by watching him, and I still follow that path,” he says. His day begins at 6:30 am with a trip to Byculla market, handpicking vegetables based on quality. “If the bhindi isn’t up to the mark, the entire menu changes,” he adds.

A Thali Like No Other

The weekday thali, priced at ₹700, features around 35 items: four sabjis (including two leafy greens), two dals, kadhi (one sweetened for Gujarati palates), seven types of rotis—including phulkas, bajra, jowar, ragi, and makai rotis slathered in ghee, plus thick bhakri and crisp puris. It comes with pulao, khichdi, curd, chaas, six types of chutneys, three farsans, and a rotation of sweets.

On weekends (₹1,000), additions include paneer sabji, special pulao, extra sweets, and more farsans. During mango season, patrons are treated to rich Alphonso aamras and a delicate mango kadhi.

Among the restaurant’s most famous offerings is the doodh pak, a rich rice pudding slow-cooked for seven hours. Then there’s the puranpoli, a sweet flatbread that has such a devoted fanbase that one NRI patron packs 365 of them every time she visits.

Tradition with a Modern Touch

Despite his deep commitment to tradition, Gautam has fine-tuned the menu to meet changing tastes. The dishes are lighter, less oily, and prepared with ingredients of the highest quality—like saffron sourced from Kashmir and winter vegetables for undhiyu from Surat.

For Gautam, perfection is personal: “Every dish we serve defines us. I oversee every detail because people come to us for a taste of something they can’t find anywhere else, a taste of home.”

From humble beginnings to becoming a cherished stop on Mumbai’s food map, Shree Thaker Bhojanalay’s journey is a heartwarming tale of grit, passion, and the magic of food made with love.