Sawantwadi Hotel

Our place, the Sawantwadi Hotel, is in Dadar West. To find us, look for the 2nd Cross in Cauvery Layout, near the Axis Bank ATM on Thavarekere Main Road. We are in Shop No 5 of the Radha Niwas Building. It’s a bit of a mouthful to say the address, but once you get here, it’s a simple place. We serve traditional food, the kind we grew up eating. The kitchen is always busy with the sound of pans clanking. We don't have fancy menus or waiters in suits. It’s just us serving food on plain plates. The tables are close together because the room is small. Sometimes you end up sitting next to someone you don’t know, but that’s just how it goes here. We get a lot of workers and families from around the neighborhood. The recipes haven't changed in years. We use the same spices our family has always used. It’s not a quiet place, especially during lunch when everyone is trying to get a meal quickly. We do our best to keep up. The building itself, Radha Niwas, is older, and our shop has its quirks. The fan makes noise and the door sticks sometimes. We just focus on the cooking. It’s honest work and it keeps us going. If you want a real meal without any fuss, come find us near the ATM. My wife and I do most of the cooking. We focus on dishes from our home region. The smell of curry is strong.