From impromptu lecture skips to chai-fuelled gossip sessions, college canteens are where friendships are forged and memories made. Sunday mid-day travels through Mumbai’s canteen culture from the late ’90s to today, serving up nostalgia, cult-favourite bites, and light-hearted anecdotes that prove there’s much more to these spaces than just vada pav and budget eats.

Jai Hind College, Churchgate
Craig Travasso
Communication coach and voice-over artist
Graduated in: 2006 with a Bachelor’s in Management Studies (BMS)

Back when he had the chance to experience the college canteen in its original old charm, packed with nostalgia, mosaic tiles, and granite tabletops for the affordable price of R15, Travasso shares, “I fell in love with Sev Puri because of Jai Hind College. It was a great way to start conversations and go beyond your table. Because I was on stage very often, it was great running into people who remembered me from my earlier events. I formed connections with fellow students just because I went to the canteen.” As someone who embraces change, Travasso yearns to go back to how the canteen was 20 years ago, before the reconstruction and hiked menu prices.