Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery — Restaurant in Mumbai

Rashid Zend is possibly the most endearing Irani I’ve ever met in Mumbai.

When I ask him his name, the bucket-hat wearing gentleman at the cash register says with an air of royalty and a comfortable nonchalance, “My name is Harun Al Rashid,” hinting at the fact that he is named after the famous Caliph who ruled Iran around 800AD.

After a little more prodding, the man admits he is also known as Rashid Zend, the 73-year-old second-generation co-owner of Yazdani in Fort, and he tells me a little about how his bakery came into being.

The name Yazdani originates from the town of Yazd, which is the capital of the Yazd Province in Iran, and a hub of Iranian culture.

Back in 1951, Rashid’s father Meherwan Zend started the Yazdani Restaurant and Bakery in place of a Japanese bank that stood there through World War II. Today, the three brothers, Rashid, Zend, Parvez and his son, Tirandaz run the bakery.

For the first three decades Yazdani served dhansak, dal rice, kheema pav, biryani and other such staple Irani fare.

“Back then dhansak cost 1 anna and biryani cost only 2 annas,” recalls Tirandaz, the ebullient younger Irani. It was only in the 1980s that Yazdani shifted focus to being a bakery and boulangerie after his grandfather had died.

A quick peek into the kitchen and you will see a flurry of bakers working manically: greasing pans for baking, cleaning the raisins and weighing the dough, while another worker catches a wink beneath the large wooden table piled with dough. The sheer size of the ovens and bags of flour are enough to leave you speechless. Yazdani makes 1,000 laadi pavs each day (that would be 6,000 individual pavs).The bakery was opened in 1953 by Meherwan Zend, an Irani baker.All products in the bakery are handmade, and baked in diesel ovens. The bakery draws a lot of visitors, particularly international visitors especially Germans. The building, built in the early 20th century, was originally a Japanese bank, which was later sold off. December 11, 2007, the bakery was felicitated by Maharashtra governor SM Krishna the Urban Heritage & Citizens Award. What to buy: Bread, biscuits and brun pav The Yazdani bakery is tucked into a by-lane in Fort and is quite easy to miss, given the unassuming exterior.

Once inside, you can take your seat on one of the many wooden benches in the modest sized seating area. A slight look around the place will divulge its rich history. The vintage framed posters of burly men, the humongous clock from an era gone by, and the antique brass call bell make the Yazdani experience a charming one.

Your visit to Yazdani is not complete if you haven’t chatted up the owners while sipping on your chai and biting into your brun maska, slathered with copious amounts of Amul butter.

Regulars, however, swear by the multi-grain bread and ginger biscuits and rum-soaked plum cakes that are popular during Christmas.

“Don’t eat and drive after those,” Rashid says with a poker face that breaks into a smirk seconds later.

Other popular Yazdani fare includes khari biscuits, apple pies (more like raisin pies) and mawa cakes.

Rashid also proudly tells me that this is possibly the only bakery that makes bread packed with 12 types of grains and seeds. The latent chemist in him reasons as to why this bread is healthier. “You see, the whole wheat releases sugar slowly, and just once slice is enough to fill you up.”

Yazdani deserves its place in Mumbai history, foremost for being unfazed by rapid...

With very strong legacy of more than six decades, Yazdani Bakery will take you back in time just as you enter the small but very distinct building at Cawasji Patel Road. The bakery is home to some of the most amazing bakery items along with the traditional Irani Chai.

Experience:

After reading the reviews here, we decided to go visit the place for sure. We reached around late evening to see all the tables occupied. This is where our regular restaurants and cafe practices go for a toss. We shared a four people table where a couple was already seated. Even though the place is very famous, they haven't tried to expand the capacity. While the place is about 62 years old, the people serving also seemed to be there for years.

Food:

The food was good. Although we couldn't get hold of apple pie as it was sold out for the day, the classic brun maska, bread pudding and khari biscuit were a treasure. Khari was distinctively different but amazingly crisp and tasty. Perfect partner for the Irani Chai, which might be too different if you are not used to that taste. However, it was very well made. We inquired about the breads but everything was sold out. So, I guess next time we might just reach around 3:30PM to be able to taste the famous apple pie as well as get those breads for ourselves.

Ambiance:

Ambiance is where this place scores 5/5. The owners have maintained the heritage and have been rightly awarded the Urban Heritage & Citizens Award. As you enter, you feel 40-50 years back in time. Especially the wall clock with a pendulum (which wasn't working but the clock was showing the right time). The paint, the windows, the photos on the wall - everything brings back the memories of the era of the rotary dial telephones.

Service:

Service was good and prompt. They kept the track of bill incrementally since there was no taking order note. Order was taken and served mostly in less than a minute. It is a cash only place, so you may not worry about carrying your credit/debit card. There would be an old gentleman at the cash counter who was generally irritated but talked well to the customers.

Overall, this is one of those MUST VISIT places if you want to know the real and...

Yazdani Bakery, located in Colaba, Fort, is one of Mumbai's iconic old-school Parsi bakeries. It has been a beloved spot for both locals and tourists, largely for its nostalgic charm, but your experience highlights how the hype can sometimes overshadow the reality.

// Positives -

Old-School Ambiance: The bakery's vintage wooden roof, aged structure, and old-world vibe certainly transport you to another era. It’s like stepping into a piece of history, where time seems to have paused.

// Negatives

Limited Variety: It’s disappointing to find that they had a very limited selection of products during your visit. Given the bakery's reputation, it’s reasonable to expect a fuller menu, so this could be a letdown for many visitors.

No Digital Payment: The lack of a GPay facility (cash-only payments) can indeed be frustrating, especially in a time when most places accept digital payments. This adds inconvenience, particularly if you’re not carrying cash.

Hygiene Issues:The sight of mice freely roaming around is a serious concern. Hygiene is crucial, especially in a food establishment, and this issue can definitely tarnish the experience, making you question the overall cleanliness and food safety.

Customer Service: The person at the counter being slow and rude is another red flag. Good customer service is key to any establishment, and long wait times combined with poor attitudes can really spoil the visit.

Food Quality: Trying the mawa cake and fortune cookies—both of which are quite popular. It’s disappointing that the mawa cake didn’t live up to the hype, though the fortune cookies seemed to fare better.

//Overall Review - Yazdani Bakery is a spot that thrives on its historic value and vintage charm, but your experience suggests that the quality of service and the range of offerings might not meet the expectations that social media hype creates. Hygiene issues, the lack of payment options, and subpar customer service could overshadow the nostalgic ambiance. For someone visiting with high hopes, this could result in a disappointing experience, especially if they are expecting more from such an...