'Kyani & Co. Is Horrible Place To Eat!': Netizens React To Mumbai's 122-Year-Old Irani Café Licence Suspension Over Rat Droppings And Hygiene Violation

Mumbai’s old-school Irani cafés have a certain nostalgia attached to them, from marble-topped tables and cups of tea to familiar bakery treats that have been part of the city’s food culture for generations. But a recent FDA inspection at one of the city’s best-known names has put that nostalgia under a very different spotlight.

Kyani & Co., the historic Irani café in Kalbadevi, has had its food licence suspended with immediate effect after Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration officials reported several hygiene and food-safety violations during an inspection on September 27.

Why was Kyani & Co.’s licence suspended?

The action came as part of the Maharashtra FDA’s wider festive-season food safety crackdown. During the inspection at Kyani & Co., officials reported finding cats, rat droppings, live flies and dead cockroaches in areas used for preparing and storing food. A significant amount of blood was also reportedly found inside a refrigerator.

The inspection also flagged an open sewage manhole in the processing area. Food was reportedly being stored directly on the floor, while raw dough was covered with printed newspaper. Inspectors further found that raw and ready-to-eat food was not being adequately separated.

Following the findings, the FDA ordered the establishment to stop purchasing, preparing, processing, storing, selling and distributing food products with immediate effect.

Mumbaikars react

The news has triggered a strong reaction online, particularly among Mumbaikars familiar with the iconic café. Some social media users questioned the establishment’s long-standing reputation, while others said the FDA action was overdue.

One commenter described it as an “overrated” South Mumbai spot and criticised both the food and service. Another called the place “miserable since decades”, while another simply wrote, “Horrible place to eat!”

Some reactions were even harsher, with one user calling Kyani & Co. “the filthiest of them all” and claiming they had felt as though the café “breed rats for a living”.

One user on X expressed, "This restaurant had very poor hygiene issue and glad to know that the food regulator has made an very good check on its kitchen. This place was very hyped on social media only for content, not for contentment of the good food lover."

Kyani & Co., established in 1904, is among Mumbai’s oldest surviving Irani cafés and has long been associated with classic tea, bakery fare and dishes such as kheema pav and egg bhurji. Its latest FDA action has now placed its legacy against a very different conversation, one about food safety and hygiene.