Mumbai's best breakfast joints that open early be it rain or shine

Day 1 Itrsquos a wet wet Saturday morning Even the crows have refused to budge from their hideouts And here we are facing the sea near Haji Ali dargah Itrsquos just past 6 am and the streets are unusually empty by Mumbai standards But in one corner of the road there is already a crowd building up curious mix of morning walkers joggers religious pilgrims call centre employees on their way home and a few others like us who are still yawning Juicing it up at Haji Ali The Haji Ali Juice Centre at the entrance to the shrine is one of the most popular haunts for early birds craving for a bite and a drink The joint which is open from 5 am to a little after midnight serves fruit juices ice creams faludas sandwiches pizzas and a lot more Make no mistake itrsquos not just the runofthemill stuff they serve here So while the apple orange carrot and watermelon juices are all available at Rs 70 or Rs 80 a glass you can also order a New Zealand grape juice for R 180 or a blueberry juice for Rs 150 These are of course seasonal fruits and not available all the time We order a peach juice R 150 and a Kesar badam pista with fresh cream Rs 220 There are loads of ice creams Kiwi cherry banana mango fresh anjeer etc all priced between Rs 160 and Rs 200 that come loaded with fresh cream or topped with fresh fruits but we donrsquot want to pile on the calories So we ask for the Mushroom Club Grill sandwich Rs 120 and a Mozarella Cheese Roll Rs 100 One for the road So we pick up a Lichee Cream Bowl Rs 180 Total bill Rs 770 three filled tummies the monsoon celebrations have begun South Mumbai giants It is no easy task mind you checking out dozens of restaurants and roadside food stalls that open for breakfast to come up with an authoritative list of Mumbairsquos best breakfast joints Ah but perfectionists have always had to suffer So we move on pushing further south stopping briefly at the Sassanian the centuryold Irani cafeacute on Marine Lines that opens early at 730 am Sassanian is quite simply for the lack of a better alternative an awesome place The food is hot and tasty and the price quite unbelievable We order Fried Eggs Sunny Side Up Rs 17 for two eggs Keema Bhurji Rs 20 and a plate of Buttered Buns Rs 10 To make sure we are hungry again after the binge at Haji Ali we walk the last mile to Sassanian The eggs are perfect and the buttered buns take our minds three decades back to rainy mornings at home We pay in cash here as like Haji Ali Juice Centre the plastic hasnrsquot yet arrived I Am Alkalising Sandwich and Detox Tea at Yoga House Chimbai Road PicDhiman Chattopadhyayu00a0u00a0 At Cafeacute Sundance a little further away near Eros Cinema Churchgate station the shutters have just opened Itrsquos 8 am but already the local train commuters are arriving in large numbers Many have skipped breakfast at home and joined a beeline for this everpopular joint The breakfast menu here we discover is quite small We simply are too full to order anything any more so we coax a guy we spot eating alone to become our reviewer for the next 20 minutes He has just ordered the Sundance special which basically consists of two eggs made to order our friend asks for scrambled eggs two toasts with jam and butter French fries on the side and a cup of steaming hot coffee Our friend digs into it hungrily Going by his smile we can tell he has almost reached a state of nirvana Satisfied we move on to our last stop for the morning mdash Cafe Mondegar on the Colaba causeway Kids and adults alike throng Omi Samosa Centre at Sion Koliwada Pic Suresh KK Mondies as itrsquos known opens a little after 8 and along with its causeway twin Cafeacute Leopold caters to a large expat crowd as well as foreign tourists We are not surprised therefore to find large pots of tea chicken sausage and garlic toasts giving company to masala omlettes here A plate of masala omlette with buttered toast costs Rs 180 here so itrsquos not cheap by any means But this place is a winner just by being such a cool place to hang around in Day 2 Saturdayrsquos downpour fades in comparison when we peek out of the window on Sunday But then we have a job at hand so without much ado we set out for the hunt even when it seems cats and dogs may literally rain from the skies Mysore Sada Dosa at Thambi Ghatkopar PicKareena N Gianani Eastward ho Our first stop is Cafeacute Madras in Matunga Itrsquos already crowded when we arrive at 730 am but luckily we find a table to ourselves in this wildly popular all day south Indian joint We know the menu here inside out so we quickly order a dosa a plate of idlis and two cups of typical south Indian coffee The bill is under R 200 and the meal over in 15 minutes There is always a queue outside and with the rains coming down again we feel sorry for those getting soaked and dreaming of steaming idlis Onward we march braving the rain and the ankledeep water to reach Manirsquos Lunch Home in Matunga This humble eatery which opens at 630 am is the favourite haunt of college goers morning walkers and nearby residents The place is abuzz as we enter Narrow benches line the restaurant and waiters get down to business promptly without wasting a single minute We order a Mysore Masala Dosa Rs 35 and Sheera Rs 30 The dosa is crisp with a coating of light masala and lipsmacking filling of potatoes and onions tempered with mustard seeds and turmeric We relish the crispy dosa with the accompanying green coconut chutney and Madras onion sambar The sheera isnrsquot overly sweet and is made with loads of ghee The eatery also offers idli medu wada upma and a wide variety of dosas Next on our plate is Guru Kripa in Sion Experience has made us wiser and we have come out in greater numbers today After all we set out to give an authentic and credible list At Guru Kripa we see an indoor and outdoor section and also a healthy section that offers a wide array of healthy juices While white benches line the indoor section the outdoor is designed like a veranda where you can sit on parapets or even stand and eat The place opens at 8 am and is brimming with morning walkers and youngsters We stay outdoors and keep our raincoats on and order a Samosa Chhole R 26 The samosas are fresh the crust breaks with a crunch as we dig in The potato filling inside isnrsquot overtly spicy and complements the crunchy exterior perfectly The eatery offers Idli Sambar Uttapa Dosas Chhole Tikki Samosa Batata Wada and Dal Pakwan etc Our final port of call this morning is Thambi an Udupi cafe at Ghatkopar west Wersquove got the blues and only the slickness of the gheeladen upma and the shock of the spicy rasam can dispel them And we need something strong to keep a gang of cackling girls at bay at least mentally Thambi which has four branches in the city Ghatkopar Kurla Matunga and Chandivli serves South Indian North Indian and Maharashtrian food We call for the Upma Mysore Sada Dosa and Rasam and turn rather hopeful The Upma Rs 30 is a compact scoop and tastes good It is the Mysore Sada Dosa Rs 40 that really gives our appetite something to chew on Generous red chutney smeared on a fairly large dosa is good news on a rainy day The Rasam is not as spicy as we hoped it would be but is still worth sipping on The winner however is their dayrsquos special Kanda Bhajiya Rs 45 Hot bhajiyas with just the right amount of batter coating crisp onions come sprinkled with ample tangy chaat masalau00a0We have survived another dayrsquos hard work Only the western suburbs remains to be conquered Day 3 Thankfully itrsquos not a manic Monday The rains have stayed away and before the Gods change their minds we step out The Westside Story Love French tea and yoga At Love amp Latte the newly opened cafe at Lokhandwala we discover a quaint little place for coffee lovers The little cafeacute is warmly lit up and as we are the sole guests the staff is at our disposal The menu promises a number of sandwiches pastas salads wraps and rolls but in the morning supply is limited we are told No nonvegetarian items are available We pick the Jalapeno Popper Sandwich Rs 120 which comes with a generous filling of cheese The Mozzarella amp Pesto Panini Rs 130 is filling but the mustard is a bit overpowering To warm ourselves as the rain comes down in sheets we ask for Cookie Dough Mint Latte Rs 130 and a Choco Ginger Latte Rs 130 both of which arrive hot in large mugs The soft music playing the background sets the mood We sip our coffee in peace A few kilometres away we chance upon Silver Beach Cafeacute This Parisianinfluenced cafe in Juhu offers eggs madetoorder yummy sandwiches and wraps fresh oats and milk upma juices and more We skim through the menu Wersquove been here before and like the place So we keep our appetite intact and head to Bandra where three interesting places await us afeacute Basilico on Pali Naka opens at 9 am We are one of the first customers and go with what the staff recommends Cous Cous Upma Eggs Benedictine and Herbal Tea The upma is deliciously different and the eggs near perfectNext door the long stop is at the French cafeacute Suzette Antonia Achache who owns the establishment is sitting at one of the tables and tells us all about the French teas that she has in stock We ask for a Savoury Breakfast Rs 300 which includes a Chicken Crepe there is a choice of bacon or eggs a Croque Olive with Crooked Ham Rs 270 and a Raspberry Yoghurt Smoozie Rs 215 The food is delightfully different and filling The Mariage freres tea we order is mild aromatic and just the right pickmeup on a rainy morning Itrsquos drizzling and the pretty lady asks if we want seconds but we decide to walk on getting soaked in the rain instead as we approach out final stop for the feature mdash Yoga House on Chimbai Road Here we park our umbrellas and shoes outside and step into a world of peace and solitude There are normal seats and then there are sofas on the floor with low tables meant for those who are and want to stay fit Yoga House runs several yoga courses through the week and both trainees as well as other patrons can order from a vast menu of healthy organic breakfast options the place has The raw vegetables section has items such as I Am Dieting Rs 200 I Am Dancing Rs 250 and I Am Fulfilling Rs 250 which are all complete meals comprising of different and relevant veggies yoghurt brown rice a selection of nuts and hummus The Yogirsquos Corner Breakfast of porridge multivitamin juice and tea comes for Rs 300 We order an I Am Alkalising sandwich oven roasted veggies with zucchini paprika pesto and marinated fried peppercorns Rs 220 a Detox Chai ginger lemon basic honey and their signature Hash Browns Rs 270 We look on as the staff chop fresh vegetables in a spotlessly clean kitchen and get our order ready in minutes Meanwhile we look around the place as one can buy everything from honey jaggery and rose water to clothesu00a0books on yoga and even chandeliers hereu00a0With breakfasts as scrumptous as these waking up at the crack of dawn would never be a challenge Best early morning breakfast joints in town Haji Ali Juice Centre ndash Mahalaxmi ndash 61589004 Sassanian ndash Marine Drive 45217888 Cafeacute Mondegar Colaba 23455555 Cafeacute Sundance Churchgate 11007662 Cafeacute Madras ndash Matunga 7162 6262 Manirsquos Lunch Home ndash Matunga 26551879 Guru Kripa ndash Sion 91726262 Thambi ndash Ghatkopar 82728272 Love amp Latte ndash Lokhandwala 827272982 Cafeacute Basilico ndash Pali Naka Colaba 92827262 Suzette ndash Pali Road Colaba 87625327 Yoga House ndash Chimbai Road Bandra 65372653 Ayappan ndash Matunga 816392673 Omi Samosa Centre ndash Sion 81739273 This list does not include coffee shops of star hotelsu00a0