How a 275 sq ft Dosa Café in Bandra Became a Local Sensation
How a 275 sq ft Dosa Café in Bandra Became a Local Sensation
In a narrow street in Bandra, Mumbai, a small standing-only café is quietly drawing crowds for a dish that’s big on nostalgia, benne dosa. The eatery, simply named Benne, was launched in May 2024 by actor-producer Akhil Iyer and psychologist Shriya Narayan, both originally from Bengaluru.
Their idea was simple: bring an authentic slice of their hometown to Mumbai. While South Indian food is available across the city, the couple found nothing matched the benne dosas they had grown up eating in Bengaluru’s darshinis, soft, thick dosas with crispy edges, served with a single chutney and a generous dollop of white butter.
Neither Akhil nor Shriya came from the food industry. But that didn’t stop them. Akhil trained under a dosa master on Avenue Road in Bengaluru to learn how to get the technique just right. Back in Mumbai, they tested batches in their kitchen for months before finally locking in the taste. Every detail was planned, from the way the dosas are made to the way customers are called out using funny Bengaluru-style nicknames.
Benne’s charm lies in its simplicity. There’s no seating, no elaborate menu. Just a few types of dosa, ghee podi idli, and filter coffee, all served on banana leaves with eco-friendly plates. It’s not just food, but an experience. And it’s working, they now serve up to 800 dosas daily.
The couple is fully involved in day-to-day operations. Shriya often jokes she’s “30% chutney” now because of how many times she tastes it to make sure the flavor stays consistent.
Part of Benne’s popularity is thanks to the way Akhil and Shriya documented their journey online. Even before opening, they shared behind-the-scenes moments, wins, and mistakes. That honesty connected with people.
Today, the café has fans across the city, and even celebrities like Deepika Padukone and Virat Kohli have stopped by. For Akhil and Shriya, this isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a love letter to where they come from, written one dosa at a time.
