Sanjay Restaurant & Bar

Lower Parel has changed so much with all the malls and big offices, but the area around N M Joshi Marg still feels like the old Mumbai. We are located at 68 B, Jawahar Chawl. It’s an old building, very close to the railway station. In fact, we are right opposite it. You can hear the trains arriving and the announcements on the platform all day and night. Sanjay Restaurant & Bar is a place where people come to unwind. The crowd is mostly local men from the chawls or workers from the nearby shops. It’s not a fancy lounge. We have dim lights and simple wooden tables. The 400013 area is always packed. When the shift ends at the factories or offices, the street gets flooded with people. We stay busy until late. I handle the billing and keep an eye on the floor. It’s a lot of noise—clinking glasses and people talking over each other. The walls are a bit stained from years of use. We don't try to hide that. It’s a real place for real people. Sometimes the rain leaks a little near the back door during the monsoon. We just put a bucket there and keep serving. Being opposite the station means we never have to look for customers. They just walk in because we are right there. It’s a tough business, but it’s what we know.