Pancham Puriwala

The area of Fort is the main business district of Mumbai. During the British era, the area was enclosed within a fortification. Eventually, sometime during the 19th century, the walls of the fort were demolished to expand the city. Today, the area is still called Fort.

The walled city, back then, had three gates: Bazaar Gate, Church Gate and Apollo Gate. Near Bazaar Gate, an eatery was started by Mr. Pancham Sharma in around 1848. He came to Mumbai (then Bombay) from Agra. His eatery served puri-bhaji and that is how Pancham Puriwala started.

Today, several generations later, the place still remains an absolutely iconic food spot for both locals and tourists alike. One can find people of all ages and all social backgrounds dining here. Their main dish, puri-bhaji, has remained the same over the ages. They have also introduced different varieties of puris as well as other dishes with changing times.

It is located right in front of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and it has existed since before the railway station was constructed in around 1887.

The place also has some very fascinating anecdotes to share from the past. According to legends and stories, there once existed a pond with a gallows in the nearby area in the 19th century. It was called Gibbet’s Pond and was also known as Phasi Talao. Public executions used to take place here. According to stories, large crowds used to gather for the public executions and later, people used to drop into the restaurant for the puri-bhaji.

The restaurant is a legendary place from a bygone era and continues to exist in the heart of Mumbai, with its signature puri-bhaji attracting hundreds of patrons every day.