Mumbai’s Olympia Coffee House made headlines when Hollywood stars Tom Holland, Matt Damon and filmmaker Christopher Nolan visited during their Mumbai trip in July this year. The coffee shop is in the news again, but this time because its licence has been suspended.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the licence of the 108-year-old iconic Colaba coffee house following an inspection that found several serious hygiene and food safety violations.
The action was taken after a consumer complaint. According to FDA officials, inspectors found a urinal inside the food storage area, along with an infestation of cockroaches and flies. Meat and blood residues were also reportedly found inside the refrigerator.
The inspection flagged several other concerns at the coffee house. These included unhygienic food preparation and utensil-washing areas, food being handled directly on the floor and the use of unclean water. The regulator also found that raw vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was not being properly separated.
Inspectors reportedly found damaged wooden chopping boards being used in the kitchen, while food handlers were not wearing appropriate protective clothing. The licence has been suspended until further notice. Olympia Coffee House is among 14 establishments across Maharashtra against which the FDA has taken action. The canteen at Mumbai’s Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central has also had its licence suspended over food safety violations.
The FDA has stepped up inspections across the state under chief Tukaram Mundhe, with food safety and hygiene at restaurants coming under greater scrutiny.
Olympia was in the spotlight just a few months ago for a very different reason. In July, Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan and actors Tom Holland and Matt Damon dropped by the Colaba cafe during their Mumbai visit ahead of the premiere of their film The Odyssey. They reportedly stopped for a quick tea served in glass cups along with bun maska and a few desserts.
For generations of Mumbai diners, Olympia has been associated with old-school Parsi and Irani cafe food. It is famous for its mutton keema pav, biryani, kebabs, dal gosht, Irani chai and, of course, bun maska. The restaurant is far from the polished cafes and restaurants that dominate the city but has been drawing several diners every day for decades.
