What makes Mumbai’s century-old ice cream shop so special? Even Madhubala was a fan

There’s an undeniable pull about ice creams. Be it the hot and humid summer season or the chilly and shivering winter months, sweet-tooths typically do not hesitate to treat themselves to a scoop or sometimes two of flavourful variants. If this sugary treat is your weakness, then Mumbai’s 138-year-old brand, serving the creamiest, fruity ice cream, is something you must try at least once in your life. Tucked away in the bylanes of Mohammed Ali Road, behind the bustling Crawford Market in South Bombay’s Bhendi Bazaar, lies a store as old as time itself, known as the Taj Icecream shop.

All about Taj Icecream

Despite being a small outlet, you will find hordes of people queuing up in front of the popular ice cream joint on any given day, just to immerse themselves in the taste of luxury. Reason? This century-old place has earned a reputation for creating the perfect hand-churned ice creams in an array of fruit-induced flavours. Such was the demand that celebrities like cinema icon Madhubala raved about the taste. Other popular personalities who frequented the shop were Johnny Walker, the director duo Abbas-Mustan and politician Farooq Abdullah.


Taj Icecream was established in 1887 by Valilji Jalaji, who journeyed a great distance from Kutch to Mumbai with nothing but a dream, oblivious that he was inadvertently laying the foundation for a rock-solid business. He set up a tiny stall at one corner of Bhendi Bazaar without any signage and started selling fruits mixed with milk in an earthen pot, serving the cold concoction to the customers.



The sixth-generation owner of the business, Aamir Hatim, in an interaction with The Better India, revealed that the original menu featured bite-sized pieces of pineapple, grapefruit and chikoo whipped together in milk and dates and served cold in clay pots.

Taj Icecream's unique production

Interestingly, the name Taj came from Tajuddin, who was a loyal customer of the shop. According to Aamir, this gentleman used to travel all the way from Kutch just to enjoy the ice cream. Soon, customers started calling Aamir and his family Icecreamwala, and they happily accepted the surname.

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Unlike the modern, mass-produced ice creams created in automated machines, Taj Icecream follows the traditional method of using a barrel-like ‘sancha’. As per Aamir, Sancha is a type of mould, consisting of 2 compartments. Explaining the process to The Indian Express, he revealed that the ice cream mixture is poured into a sealed copper container, which is then placed inside a barrel packed with ice and rock salt. This creates a freezing environment and afterwards the mixture is hand-churned for nearly three hours, incorporating air, resulting in a smooth texture. No colour, preservatives, or milk softeners are used, just milk, fruit, and sugar.

Back in 1961, Aamir’s grandfather, Sharafali Tayebali Icecreamwala, introduced the classics like falooda and cassata. His father, Hatim Sharafali Icecreamwala, expanded the menu with muskmelon and guava. Today, visitors can choose from 16 delicious flavours, including seasonal options such as alphonso mango, custard apple, and strawberry, alongside staples like pineapple and chikoo. Despite the variety, the mixed fruit ice cream remains a favourite, available in scoops or takeaway packs of 250g, 500 g and 1kg.