The food at Cream Centre is purely vegetarian but extremely delicious. The restaurant is an institution when it comes to food, having been around since 1958.

Six decades into the business, and they have revamped the menu -- their beloved vegetarian classics and crowd favourites stay; however, new, delightful dishes catering to modern sensibilities have entered the limelight.

Sanjiv Chona, Chairman and MD, reminds us that Cream Centre stands for "delicious, welcoming, vegetarian comforting food". The presentation and aesthetics may have evolved with time, but the soul of their offerings remains the same. "My father started the brand, and I took over at 18," he says.

Sanjiv Chona with his son Rishi.

Fluffy bhaturas and flavour‑packed chole

Patrons recall that the taste of Cream Centre's carrot pickle, red onions, and signature channa has not changed over the years. Their iconic Chole Bhature definitely deserves a special mention -- it's a wonder that the dish has retained its taste for the last 65 years. The channa is imported from South America to maintain "the authenticity and quality that customers expect".

According to Sanjiv, their channa masala "is a closely guarded proprietary recipe, much like the Coca-Cola formula. That consistency in taste is what keeps generations of customers coming back," he reveals.

Nachos and Belgian Truffle Chocolate

Passing on the food legacy

The new menu has introduced around 30 to 32 new dishes. Additionally, Cream Centre has also curated a dedicated Jain menu.

"Food has always been central to my life," says Sanjiv. "It's not just what I do, it's who I am. I have vivid memories of making rotis at the age of four with my mother. That early passion continues to fuel the way I evolve Cream Centre every year."

Though Sanjiv's mother wasn't involved in the business directly, she was his pillar of strength, especially after his father's passing. "She came in daily, encouraged me constantly, and always said, 'where there's a will, there's a way.' That belief has stayed with me throughout my journey."

Sanjiv's young, health-focused son Rishi has played an influential role in shaping the new menu. "We've added a variety of nutritious dishes like Tandoori Soya Chaap and high-protein brown rice bowls to serve our calorie-conscious guests, including those seeking vegan options."

The new menu mentions the calories, allergens, and portion sizes for diet-conscious people to enjoy the meal of their choice without guilt.

(Left) Guacamole with Tortilla Chips and (right) Truffle Fries

Food Review: The starters here are out to seduce you

Cream Centre undoubtedly has the 'World's Best Nachos' that comes with a generous drizzle of cheese sauce. However, the next time you are there, we recommend you give the homemade chips with their Tex-Mex secret cheese sauce a miss. Try their Guacamole with Tortilla Chips instead! It's accompanied by an avocado dip, bursting with flavours, with chopped onions, tomatoes, fresh cilantro, Mexican spices, and a squeeze of lime.

Giving their Sizzling Cheesy Mexican Fries a tough competition is their new Truffle Fries, which are drizzled with truffle oil, Parmigiano cheese, and chopped parsley. Not shaped like the regular French fries, these potato wedges are served with herbed mayo.

In the starters, their all-time favourite classics like Punjabi Samosa, Onion Rings, and American Corn Cheese Balls still occupy the pride of place.

Chinese Black Bean Rice Bowl

Going beyond the classics

Fans of Bao will be spoilt silly with two fun options, including the Paneer Chilli Bao and Mushroom Bao. In the first option, the steamed Chinese buns are stuffed with the goodness of wok-tossed soya chilli paneer and stir-fried veggies. In the latter, there's a stuffing of golden mushrooms in a chilli-garlic sauce to tempt your taste buds. The baos are filling but also act as palette cleansers with their fiery Schezwan sauce and chilli dip, only making you want to reach back for more.

Indian chaats evoking sentimental nostalgia like Mumbai's Radga Pattice and Sev Batata Puri; Delhi's Raj Kachori and Papdi Chaat; Amritsari Aloo Tikki Channa Chaat; Varanasi's Awadhi Samosa Chaat are still around, but the global ones have slowly made their way into the menu as well. There's Mexican Chaat with tortilla chips, Mexican beans, green gram, chickpeas, potatoes, curd, sweet and green chutney and curd.

Healthy Brown Rice Protein Bowl and Mango Pinacolada

Unpretentiously healthy meals in a bowl

Health freaks will be drawn to the rice bowls that are actually an entire meal by themselves. Fans of red kidney beans can opt for the Rajma Chawal Bowl prepared the Punjabi way, served with rice and grilled paneer. There's also a Chinese Black Bean Rice Bowl and a Mexican Burrito Bowl.

I was tempted to try the Healthy Brown Rice Protein Bowl. There was brown rice pulao, spicy soya chaap tikka masala, grilled paneer, served with what could easily be the hero of the dish: chickpeas salad, broccoli and zucchini tossed in olive oil.

Baked Delhi Khulcha and Cream Centre Channa

Non-stop vegetarian feast

Fans of Indian food, a vegetarian feast awaits you in the main course with new entrants like Kashmiri Rajma, Soya Chaap Butter Masala, Aloo Mutter Makhanwala and Mushroom Mutter. They go brilliantly well with the Baked Delhi Khulcha. As you bite into the pillowy soft, flaky bread, the staff at Cream Centre will remind you to order their original Cream Centre Channa that goes best with the khulcha. Not in the mood for khulcha? You can always settle for their tandoori roti, naan, lachha paratha (do try the pudina version) and bhatura (psst... there's a spinach one too).

At Cream Centre, pastas and pizzas still rule the roost. But Quesadillas are making a roaring entry with a side of salsa and green Mexican sauce.

Featuring oven baked, crispy corn tortilla, the Fajita Vegetable Quesadilla is stuffed with herbed vegetables, corn, cheddar and mozzarella cheese and seasoned with Mexican spices. It's served with guacamole and sour cream. You can also try the Chilli Cheese Quesadilla and the Mushroom Quesadilla.

Kitkat Brownie Sundae and King Kulfi Sundae

On a sweet note

Lotus Biscoff Cheese Cake is the 'chef's choice'. However, Cream Centre also has a Lotus Biscoff Shake (crushed cookies, served with a touch of caramel) or Biscoff Ferrero Sundae that's sinfully good with Biscoff caramel, Tahitian vanilla ice cream, Ferrero Rocher sauce, biscuit crumble, whipped cream and a chocolate waffle on top.

You can enjoy your kufi as a sundae (with chunks of kulfi, gulab jamun, rabdi, cashews and rose syrup) or as a shake with falooda noodles dunked in rose syrup and topped with chia seeds.

The highlight of the dessert menu, however, is the Dubai Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate and Sizzling Brownie Fundae.

"The Kunafa-inspired dessert, for instance, features our signature Ice Cream Works creations, bringing together innovation and nostalgia in a way that appeals to both long-time loyalists and new patrons," adds Sanjiv.

Cost for a meal for two: Approx. ₹ 3000/-

Address: Fulchand Niwas, Chowpatty Sea Face, Chowpatty, Mumbai. They have branches across Mumbai.