We walk into Cafe Royal on a weekday evening to find a group of elderly Parsis discussing community politics over sizzlers. Interestingly, the Parsi connection runs deep. Originally an Irani café, the restaurant has come a long way from its tea and bun-muska selling days. And by long, we mean a century. Established in 1919, there are no tell tale signs of its age, except the fact that it's housed in yet another relic, the Oriental Mansion building. "It was a bustling Irani café back in the day because of its strategic location. Later, it changed hands and became a modern fine dine," says city historian Deepak Rao, who surprisingly hasn't dropped by at the restaurant since it became Cafe Royal.

The café's painfully media-shy proprietor, Manpreet Singh, admits that the modernisation was their way of keeping up with the times. "Before we came into the picture, which is about 20 years ago, it was a quaint space that offered tea, kharis and samosas. After the renovation, we decided to broaden our menu and offer a host of cuisines based on public demand. The idea was to offer everything under one roof," he says. But it is sizzlers that the café became synonymous with, and continues to be. "We still specialise and invest in it because it is part of our identity," he adds.