A tiny first, a big memory — my baby’s first café outing at Mira’s Café.

This post was long due but as a new mom, delays have become inevitable. My tiny human’s smiles and giggles have busted all my schedules. But at the end of the day, I feel blessed to be making some amazing memories with him. While everyday is a rollercoaster ride, the firsts with him have been very special. Mira’s cafe has also joined his firsts list. On Friendship Day, I found myself at Mira’s in Defence Colony with an invitation that felt well-timed. After two road trips with Tintin, I was contemplating taking him to a café in Delhi. But for his first café outing, I wanted a place that was spacious, warm and baby-friendly. Tucked into Defence Colony, Mira’s is the kind of neighbourhood café that effortlessly brings together the pleasures of good coffee, freshly baked breads, pizzas and comforting plates in a relaxed, welcoming setting. Most importantly, it assures of clean ingredients.

With a six-month-old baby, I have become selective about where I go to eat. In the past, I had never considered these factors but now a restaurant outing involves a mental checklist of naps, feeds, bottles and, inevitably, the possibility of abandoning a meal midway or racing around to pacify a crying baby. A café, on the other hand, sounded easy. I had looked up Mira’s before going and the reviews spoke of a place people genuinely enjoyed returning to. There was also a Friendship Day celebration with a caricature artist coming over, and the idea of having one drawn of my baby and me and my spouse was enough to tempt me out. It was a nice idea to do something like this.

Mira’s cafe

My husband and I arrived curious, but also slightly apprehensive. We had no idea how our six-month-old would take to an unfamiliar space, or whether we would spend the evening entertaining him rather than enjoying it ourself. We knew that it wouldn’t be like usual dates that we had enjoyed for the last fourteen years. As soon as I entered, there were people who ensured that even though there was waiting, we were looked after. Having someone come for our pram was such a relief. With babies, we do have to carry paraphernalia and a helping hand is always a relief. A young man guided us through with his cherubic smile and made us comfortable with small talks. Soon he was joined by his gregarious wife. We really enjoyed their company. In between our conversations, I learnt that he was one of the founders, Gaurav. Mira’s is owned by two brothers Mayank and Gaurav. I really loved knowing how the cafe got its name, Mira.

In the capital, new restaurants and cafés appear with such frequency that the challenge is no longer finding somewhere new, but finding somewhere you would willingly return to. Mira’s seems to have identified this and worked on this already. While the menu looked great, I could see that Mira had built a strong base for itself, drawing people with its warmth, familiarity and appeasing hospitality. With a baby in tow, each of the parent had to take a chance at eating, but we were happy to have our Tintin along. Between settling him in, looking around and watching the caricature take shape, I realized that this was precisely the kind of outing I had been missing. I would also like to appreciate them for space between tables, and ease of moving around with a stroller. People were enjoying at their tables. There was good light. I really like to see my food, click pictures and then taste it. Everything felt easy and comfortable.

Two personal stories that I remember from there. First, Mira’s is named after the family’s grandmother, and I am sure the restaurant is living up to its name. Also, the restaurant’s relationship with its surroundings feels personal. A mango tree growing at Mira’s has found its way into the culinary narrative, with its fruit transformed into house-made jams and chutneys.

What did we eat?

We ate Barley Avocado Salad and it turned out to be a soothing bowl of comfort. Surprisingly, the whole combination with avocado, edamame, cherry tomatoas, fresh herbs, cucumber made it super yum. I am definitely coming back for this. We also tried the Aglio E-olio pepperonico- our favorite Italian classic. It was nicely done. Not one of the best that I have had but definitely appetizing. The lemon thyme grilled chicken was something that I would recommend for sure. The pesto burrata pizza was delightful, making it a befitting end to an indulgent meal. We ordered Turkish dumplings too. The interesting part was that it was served over lebnah and pomegranate but I would have loved fuller dumplings. Overall, we had a delish time. They even asked us if we needed baby food, which was very thoughtful.

The overall experience

Motherhood has made me notice these details differently. I used to think of luxury as beautiful spaces, impeccable service and the pleasure of lingering over a meal. Now, with a baby beside me, my priorities have changed, I look out for comfortable spaces, freedom to arrive and have a valet parking, have someone help with the pram, check on baby food. I am not judging places which do not do these things but those which do, definitely win brownie points.

As a new mum, I am still struggling to fit in several rooms. A place that feels welcoming when you have a baby in your arms is all that the mother needs. Also, I loved the plates carrying the name Mira’s.

And so, on Friendship Day, Mira’s gave me something I hadn’t expected: not just a memorable evening, a very sweet caricature, but also a place where I can head back for all my dessert and bakery cravings. They offer fairly substantial bakery items.