This New Cafe And Library In Andheri East Has A 'No-Discrimination Policy'

Bombay To Barcelona is a new cafe in Andheri East which is all about acceptance of kids from all socio-economic backgrounds, free book exchanges, munchies, homemade jewelry and more.

Bombay To Barcelona Cafe opened up its door to the public on Independence Day. Started by Amin Sheikh, a former street kid, it took years before this dream could be finalised. The cafe works on simple rules – it’s open to all with no sense of discrimination and is run by volunteers. Their in-house chef, bakes all the good goodies and churns fresh juices rather quickly.

What we found charming about the cafe was its simple sweet decor, with Barcelona finding mention on the walls. Enter and there’s a bookshelf straight in front of you. The book shelf has an open exchange policy – take one and give one – but there’s a tiny catch, you must tell them why you want your donated book to be kept there. Apart from this, there’s also a glass cupboard housing jewelry, handmade cards, paintings done by the street kids, and the kids from the Snehasadan NGO {a shelter for street kids} up for sale  for INR 250 upwards.

The welcoming vibe of Amin’s niece, Shabana Sheikh, who volunteers there, the smiles they greet the customers with, and of course, the chocolate cake by Anil Kurup {the chef}. Order a latte, and watch Shabana try her hand at making you some really strong coffee.

Want a hassle-free eating out experience with people who won’t give you the stink eye when the food’s over? Check into Bombay to Barcelona Cafe. They encourage a beautiful cafe vibe, and we are going back ready with our book recommendations for their library.

If you want to volunteer your time at running the cafe, you can get in touch with Amin Sheikh directly. They also only take cash as of now, but card payments will happen soon.