A decade ago, Pooja Dhingra launched Le15 Café in Colaba—an extension of her much-loved patisserie Le15, founded in 2010. Located opposite Ling’s Pavilion and diagonally across from Bademiyan, the cafe quietly built a loyal following. So much so that even six years after it shut during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dhingra is still asked: “When are you bringing Le15 Café back?”
On Thursday, she finally returned to the café format, but not with Le15 Café. Instead, she launched Pardon Our French, which she describes as “a brand-new cafe by the team of Le15.”
“It was so loved, people really miss it, and there’s a lot of nostalgia attached to it,” she said. “But it was time to stop living in the past and move towards the future, to build something fresh. It felt like the right place, right time.” The idea took shape mid-last year, when Dhingra reached out to her friend Purva Mehra, Group Creative Director at creative agency Please See//.
A Parisian cafe with SoBo energy
Located in Ballard Estate, close to IF.BE, Pardon Our French announces itself with a matte inky-blue facade and soft cream signage, giving a very Parisian-in-SoBo energy. Inside, the palette shifts to creams, muted burgundy, and dusty rose. The interiors feel deliberately unhurried. While cloche-turned pendant lights cast a warm, intimate glow and burgundy-painted ceilings add drama, painted curtains, scalloped details, and beaded mirrors introduce a playful, patisserie-like lightness.
“I started Le15 when I was 23. I turn 40 this year,” said Dhingra, who intuitively wanted to do something that felt like a more mature version of herself. “The idea was—what if a 40-year-old woman came back from Paris and wanted to start something? What would that look like?”
Interiors of the cafe and (right) Banoffee French Toast (File)
In matters of taste
At the heart of the cafe, unsurprisingly, is the food. The menu came together organically, and coincidentally, with an all-women team. Coffee consultant Geetu Mohnani curated the beverage programme, chef Anandita Kamani handled the food, and Dhingra focused on desserts. “The three of us were jamming together to create something cohesive,” she shared.
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We cherished the toasted coconut mocha (Rs 350), served in a charming handcrafted cup by Hyderabad-based Jojo’s Pottery Studio, as well as a Bisou Bisou (Rs 400), a citrusy iced drink that saw a happy marriage of double espresso, Valencia orange and raspberry, it was finished with raspberry dust. There’s also a banana bread latte and a brown butter cappuccino. “I wanted everything to lean a little towards dessert,” Dhingra said, adding, “It comes from the house of Le15, but it has its own personality.”
The dessert menu boasts of a delicate lemon cake (Rs 325) with black sesame, lemon cream cheese frosting and lemon curd, finished with blueberries; a dense POF chocolate cake (Rs 325) with mousse, sea salt and olive oil; a gently salted vanilla soft serve (Rs 300), served plain or with chocolate sauce or alongside cookies; and brown-butter and date madeleines (Rs 350) with miso caramel and honey cinnamon butter on the side.
* From left to right: Lemon Cake, POF Chocolate Cake and Strawberries & Creme.
(Express)
The showstopper for us was strawberries & cream (Rs 550), an eggless dessert that saw strawberry compote layered with mascarpone and generous fresh strawberry pieces, elevated by basil olive oil, the ingredient that takes it several notches higher. It rewards a deep, committed spoonful with a full appreciation of its balance and texture.
What stands out equally is the restraint: none of the desserts is overly sweet. “The idea was to keep the sugar profile slightly muted,” said Dhingra, adding that as a pastry chef, it’s easy to overcomplicate. “This time, I wanted to tone things down, simplify, and still keep it comforting. The maturity is not only about how the place has been designed, but also in how the menu has been conceived. I want people to taste something and just think, “Damn, this is delicious. I want to come back for it.”
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Dhingra is also having fun pushing boundaries, with a dessert like chiku and hazelnut, one of her personal favourites. “It is polarising. People either love it or hate it. But the ones who love it, really love it.”
While the savoury menu wasn’t available during our visit (it is likely to start from mid-February), Dhingra is particularly excited about Pardon Our French Toast, a desi take inspired by her childhood. “Growing up, I always thought French toast was savoury because my dad made it like a masala omelette French toast. We’d always eat it with Maggi hot and sweet chilli sauce,” she said. “It was only when I moved to France that I realised French toast is actually meant to be sweet.”
At the cafe, the sentimentality arrives in the form of a cheese sandwich dipped in masala omelette batter, folded over and finished with a Maggi sweet-and-chilli salsa. There’s also avocado toast (non-negotiable, she insists), tofu akuri, burrata salad, tartines, and chia puddings with dessert-inspired flavours.
Coming full circle
For those who loved Le15 Café’s avocado toast, there’s a nostalgic callback. “I have always liked mine with pickled jalapenos and pickled onions, just like we did in Colaba,” said Dhingra, adding that she is carrying it forward here alongside hot potatoes—a comforting bowl of mashed potatoes topped with a poached egg, salad, and generous parmesan.
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One corner of the cafe also doubles up as a flower shop called Fortune Flowers, complete with notes by Dhingra herself. “Why wait for someone else to buy you flowers?” she said. “You can just buy them for yourself, a little pick-me-up for days you need them the most.”
One of the fortunes reads: “You’re allowed to outgrow old recipes.” It feels like a fitting note for Dhingra’s latest chapter.
Where: Sushila Bhavan, Ballard Estate, Fort, Mumbai
When: Tuesday to Sunday, 12 pm to 8 pm
Dining and Cooking