10 restaurants, bars and cafes older than independent India

Tucked away in the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk, Karim’s has been in business since 1913. Amidst the chaos of what could well be the microcosm of India, Karim’s is a haven for the hungry. Head over to Karim’s for its Nihari and Jahangiri and also the opportunity to watch life go by as you dig into your second plate of mutton biryani. (Photo by Subhendu Sarkar/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The bar along Mumbai’s famous Colaba Causeway is also one of the symbols of the city’s resilience. One of the many spots to have come under attack on November 26, 2008, Leopold forms an important part of the narrative in Gregory David Roberts’ novel Shantaram. From burgers to desserts and a small menu of alcohol, Leo’s is the classic watering hole of yore. Photograph: Shankar S/Flickr

Today, Britannia and Co serves just one meal a day for six days a week. But long before it became an institution, known for its Parsi and Irani food, it used to also double up as a store (like most other institutions of its kind at the time). Britannia’s primary clientele included the British officers stationed in Mumbai at the time. Today, it has evolved into one of the select few restaurants in Mumbai serving Parsi and Irani food. Go for their Mutton Berry Pulao made from berries supposedly flown in from Iran, or take that with a pinch of salt and just go there for the atmosphere. Photograph: om.merchant/Instagram

Think choley bhature, gulab jamuns, cutlets, lassi. There’s literally nothing else you need to know about this blessing to mankind. Oh, and the fact that they made a 75-inch diameter jalebi just because they could and that earned them a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Photograph: valentina_didini/Instagram

Flury’s is to Kolkata what Leopold is to Mumbai. Founded in 1927 by a couple by the same name, Flury’s is your classic tearoom that evokes old-world charm not just with its décor but also its menu. Think meringues with cream, English breakfast and cookies. If it was good enough for Satyajit Ray, it’s good enough for you. Photograph: Rahul Ganguly/Flickr

Legend has it that a rushed customer at Nizam’s once requested for something that was dry and not messy to have on the go. This was how Nizam’s kebab roll was born and the beloved institution began to thrive. Photograph: Eric Parker/Flickr

What can you say about the place that was frequented by everyone from Manna Dey and Ravi Shankar to Amartya Sen and Satyajit Ray except “Go there!” Photograph: Nahid Sultan/Wikimedia Commons

Shaikh Ghulam Ibrahim and Shaikh Sobiruddin, the eponymous Shaikh brothers, decided to cash in on the gap in the still nascent Guwahati market in 1882 and decided to open a bakery. Like with all bakeries at the time, officers of the British government were their main patrons, though, eventually, a certain Pandit Nehru also fell in love with their fare as did his daughter Indira Gandhi. Photograph: zeneifromkohima/Instagram

If you think of it the world is divided into people who love idlis and those who hate them from their core. There’s no in-between. Except when it comes to Shri Sagar whose feather-light idlis will turn even the fiercest of critics into believers. Photograph: chicabeingme/Instagram

MTR is the only restaurant in this list that hasn’t just survived but also thrived. And how. The tiny establishment that started out in 1924 has seen several iterations before it came to set up shop on Lalbagh Road in 1968. Sometime in the last decade MTR evolved itself into a brand that found its ways into the homes of people around the country and indeed the world with pastes, masalas and ready-to-cook packaged meals. You can see why we saved the best for the last. Photograph: alkhmzt/Instagram