Sharda Bhavan — Restaurant in Mumbai

Extremely rude and unprofessional owners. My family and I have been visiting this place since years but our latest visit completely ruined the place and the experience for us. We were 4 people and luckily, we got a table together after a 30-min wait. We asked for Idli Vada and the waiter said due to a large parcel order, idlis will take 10-12 minutes. We agreed and one of the members ordered a dosa in the interim. Once the idli vada arrived, we ordered a crispy butter sada dosa - which the server, after 10 minutes brought a cold, soggy one and ASKED US if this works. We said no and he said he will get us another one. Meanwhile, 2 members of our group left as there was a long queue outside and they did not wish to place any other order. As soon as the dosa arrived, we ordered for an Onion Uttapam. The server made a face and asked us why didn't we order earlier and that it would take time. We said we were ok waiting. He then made a face again and was extremely rude. We cancelled the order and asked for the bill. On mentioning the same to the owner, he was extremely rude . He told us he had received an advanced parcel order of 300 idlis. He then kept arguing and said aapko nahi aana hai to mat aao. If they had a large parcel order, then they should have made the preparations accordingly, in advance. Or simply said no idlis to guests placing an order for the same. They agreed to serve and then blamed us when there was a delay. The dosa was incorrectly made by them. We placed the order right when the idli-vada arrived so there wouldn't be a delay. Blaming us for the long wait is not our problem. If your restaurant serves dishes that take time to prepare, that is not our fault. We ordered as per the menu. We never complained about the waiting times. We were standing quietly in the queue outside for 30 minutes. We didn't demand a table together. 2 members even left so place could be given to others. Making a face and serving food is the worst crime to commit. If you cannot serve with a smile, shut shop. If you are not even willing to listen to the customer and simply saying "Nahi aana to mat aao", no one is going to come to your restaurant. There are 100 other restaurants in Matunga with better crowd management, better service and better attitude. Never visiting this place again no matter how good...

I was introduced to Shri Sharada Bhavan quite accidentally; during a presentation at a venue nearby.

It was in summer, 2001. I was newly wed then; with me was my wife; it was early in the morning; we ate a breakfast composed of wadas and coffee; and a dosa shared betwixt the two of us. It was probably the best breakfast that I'd ever eaten.

Ever since that day, I've gone back to Shri Sharada Bhavan more times than I can catalogue. In fact I write this review after having dined upon a Rawa Dosa as my afternoon meal - half an hour ago.

Shri Sharada Bhavan is clean. Not a grain of grime or dust is to be found herein. Not a cobweb hangs anywhere; not a whiff of smoke, that strays into the dining area.

Waiters here are attired cleanly; simple. The choice seems to be in a clean shirt, often white; and a Dhoti.

Ingredients used in making food are untouched by preservatives; by artificial thinners or thickeners; or additives to hasten fermentation. Food is exactly as it is prepared in a clean, conservative kitchen.

Do not expect to be served in porcelain coloured Wedgewood blue; or sterling silver crockery. This is not the Taj. Plain aluminium and stainless steel; and shot glass is what you get here as your dining service.

Deferring to the mores of our times, it is only rather recently that Shri Sharada Bhavan added a water cooler and a refrigerator in its premises; I was in fact surprised, half an hour ago, to discover an offering of cold drinks, albeit limited. When I visited the first time, a request for a cold drink elicited a grunt in the negative. The cold drink doesn't always feature on the menu board, by the way. One has to ask for what drink is available. There's no menu card either. What is offered is written on the board on the left of the door, inside.

A calm, quiet place where time has stood still in spite of every temptation to begin moving; and never has time stood still to such a good effect.

I shall go back to Shri Sharada Bhavan as long as it remains just as it is; and I pray to Providence that so must it remain for as long as I live.

In the mandate that it serves, Shri Sharada Bhavan ranks amongst the best...

They have just 9 tables of which one table has only 2 seats and the rest 4 each. Their marble topped tables have wicker bottom type chairs (older) and laminate topped chairs in case of newer ones. A corner property in the building, the restaurant has a sign board that says lodging. Many small eataries of yore of Mumbai were housed in such corner spaces of a building's ground floor and faced the street. The sign at the entrance referring to lodging is of yore when bachelors and married men who had left their families to work for at Mumbai sought food and board both at the same place. A Kannada speaking family runs this place. They have the usual menu which is displayed on the wall. Nothing fancy. The bare basics. And for which people come long distances. Also short distances as there are several colleges not far and from where students throng the place. Sharada Bhavan in keeping with its small size has a short menu too - just idlis, vada and dosa all of which require the same basic ingredients - urad dal and rice batter. They serve Neer Dosa, a very light, rice based Dosa with chutney and Sambhar. Upma, buns-puri and poori-bhaji are the only wheat based dishes of this modest eatery. Buns-puri are a maida-based puri like fried dish, common in coastal regions of Karnataka - they are sweet, thick and a common breakfast staple. Kela Bhajji and Potato Bonda are also part of the menu. They also serve spicy hot sambar rice and creamy curd rice at lunch, the closest they come to serving meals. Like it's ambience, the food is simple and unpretentious at Sharada Bhavan. Dhoti clad waiters take your order and verbally communicate it to the open kitchen at one end of the restaurant. The food is simple, non-oily and is served in modest quantities. You eat here for a light meal and minimal impact on your pocket. They have an open area to the side of the entrance where they have placed plants on a platform. An old photo of the deity Sharada after whom the restaurant is named adorns the wall behind the cash counter and likely has been there for the many decades the restaurant has been...