Papa Pancho

Rest : Papa Pancho da Dhaba
Loc : Bandra West,
Meal : dinner

Many people seem to have noticed my penchant of Bandra joints of late. No i havent moved out of my beloved South Bombay but work carries me out there often. We were recording the title track for my film there and thus dined in the area.

Now, we spent about 10 mins with the car parked to one side trying to figure out where we wanted to dine. The choices were Bonobo, Mabruk and Papa Pancho.Mabruk seemed a touch too far for once, one of the partners at Bonobo is a friend but i wanted something quieter and thus headed to PP.

Papa Pancho is a small place, the novelty of their ambiance has faded with time and the kitsch factor is long gone and plenty of others have imitated the concept on a grander scale.

So, now that the gimmick has worn out its novely, the space has to live and die by its dishes. The menu has not changed in the time i have been coming, although they do have a chalk board full of new dishes listed daily.

The wife got the ol favouraite, Rajma & Chawal, a classic combination (another place famous for this dish is Crystal. The dish comes complete with a pappadum, some yoghurt. Personally i really liked it, the wife insists she can do it better and she is possibly right. BUT i thought it was fairly well done anyway.


My choice was something i have ordered everytime i have been here, Paneer Makhani with a Naan. For some reason i cannot find myself to be too adventurous whilst i am here. I always go for the same dish, which is not like me. Yet, i did so again and was not disappointed. Creamy gravy, soft paneer, rich heavy taste on the spicier side of things. It came with yoghurt and pappadum. Enough to satiate...

I continue to enjoy Papa Pancho even though most people i know do not rate it highly or frequent it. Its not a date kind of place, nor is it a spot for a working lunch.

But if you are in the mood for a quick meal with good food and a helluva value for money price. Head on down.

Food : 8/10
Service : 6/10
Damage 650