The historic Leopold Cafe in south Mumbai's Colaba area has been one of the city's most iconic restaurants, both for travellers as well as locals. It was also one of the first sites to be targeted during the city-wide terrorist strikes on 26 November, 2008, which predated the recent Paris attacks by seven years.
The cafe was attacked with gunfire and grenades during its peak hours between 9.30 and 9.48 pm, that left ten dead and severely injured several others. It reopened just four days later, but was closed as a security measure. It opened its doors again after renovation a month later. However, retained its bullet-riddled walls and mirrors, which became a symbol of the city's resilience after the attacks and a reminder of the night.
Led by members of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba, the 26/11 attacks resulted in the deaths of 164 people and left over 300 injured. Spread over four days, they comprised of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across major landmarks. These included the luxury hotels Taj Mahal Palace & Tower and Oberoi Trident, the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway terminus, a Jewish community centre at Nariman House, the Metro Cinema and Cama Hospital.
Started in 1871 by Iranis (Zoroastrians who migrated from Iran to India), Leopold Cafe was famous long before 26/11 happened. Crammed with foreign tourists and locals, it even featured in Australian author Gregory David Robert's bestselling novel Shantaram. Today, the cafe remains as popular as ever -- an evergreen institution where you can soak in history with a chilled drink.
