Mumbai: Olympia Coffee House Faces FDA Action Over Hygiene Lapses
Mumbai, 18th September 2026: Mumbai’s iconic Olympia Coffee House in Colaba, a 108-year-old establishment that recently made headlines after Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan and actors Matt Damon and Tom Holland visited the eatery, has had its food licence suspended by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following an inspection that found several food safety and hygiene violations.
The FDA inspection was conducted on 16th September following a consumer complaint. Officials found food being handled directly on the floor, unhygienic food preparation and utensil-washing facilities, and the use of unclean water. The inspection also reported cockroach and fly infestation, meat blood residue inside a refrigerator and damaged wooden chopping boards.
The inspection further found improper segregation of raw vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, while food handlers were reportedly not wearing the required protective clothing. Of the 35 food handlers at the establishment, 34 had not undergone mandatory food safety training. The FDA also found that required water testing reports and sanitation records were not available for inspection.
The FDA suspended Olympia Coffee House’s licence with immediate effect and directed the establishment to stop the purchase, preparation, storage, sale and distribution of food during the suspension period. The eatery will have to rectify the deficiencies and undergo a satisfactory re-inspection before further action on its licence is considered.
The action against Olympia is part of a wider food safety enforcement drive being carried out across Maharashtra ahead of the festive season. In Mumbai, the FDA suspended licences of seven food establishments following inspections on September 16, including the canteen at Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central.
The Nair Hospital canteen was also found to have serious food safety and hygiene deficiencies, while other establishments across Mumbai, including eateries and food businesses in Chembur, Ghatkopar, Worli and Malad, faced similar action.
The crackdown comes days after another well-known Colaba establishment, Cafe Mondegar, also faced FDA action over food safety deficiencies. The department has indicated that inspections will continue as part of its festive-season enforcement campaign.
For Olympia Coffee House, reopening will now depend on addressing the deficiencies recorded during the inspection and clearing the subsequent FDA re-inspection.
