What keeps Mumbai’s iconic restaurants alive decades later?

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Every week, a new restaurant opens in Mumbai promising to be different. Most will not be around long enough to prove it. Industry estimates suggest that 70-80% of new restaurants in India shut within their first few years, according to Petpooja, a restaurant technology platform that tracks industry data. Rent alone can sink a business before it finds its footing. Add fickle diners, rising food costs and a city always chasing the next big thing, and most restaurants disappear before they become anyone’s memory.

Yet a handful of Mumbai institutions have dodged that fate. Gulmurg, tucked inside The Shalimar Hotel at Kemps Corner, has been serving North Indian cuisine since 1962. Gaylord in Churchgate, once frequented by Raj Kapoor and George Harrison, is still thriving nearly seven decades later. Gallops, which has been around since the 1980s, overlooking the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, remains the dining room of choice for generations of old Mumbai. Between them, they have survived recessions, the pandemic and the relentless churn of the city’s dining scene .

Plush seating at the newly revamped Gulmarg | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

So what keeps a restaurant alive once nostalgia alone isn’t enough? The answer, it turns out, is not reinvention but refinement.

At Gulmurg, that responsibility now rests with third-generation owner Yash Advani, who recently oversaw an 18-month restoration. The revamp introduced a contemporary bar and an elevated cocktail programme, featuring drinks such as the Nimbubani highball and a fat-washed Old fashioned. But the heart of the restaurant remains unchanged.

“We are still a North Indian-focussed restaurant, not going the whole fusion route at all,” says Yash.

Roughly half the menu still consists of the classics that built Gulmurg’s reputation: paneer makhanwala, murg makhanwala, tikka masala and the biryanis regulars have been ordering for decades. The changes, however, are subtler — a chaat trolley, tapas-style small plates and more polished presentation.

He attributes the restaurant’s longevity as much to business discipline as to culinary instinct. Long-standing vendor relationships have helped cushion rising ingredient costs, while the family diversified beyond the dining room. During Gulmurg’s renovation, they strengthened delivery, takeaway and outdoor catering operations instead of relying solely on dine-in business. A consulting chef was also brought in to develop contemporary additions without compromising the legacy menu.

The detail Yash returns to most, however, is his staff. Several members have been with Gulmurg for nearly three decades.

“People are the most valuable thing in this industry,” he says. “If our own people are happy, our guests will be looked after. And there’s a comfort in returning to staff who know your name and remember your order.”

Gaylord tells a similar story. After decades under Sunil Lamba’s stewardship, the restaurant is now run by his sons, Dhruv and Divij, who oversaw a 11-month renovation in 2024.