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Mumbai’s late-night food circuit has taken another hit. The decades-old restaurant in Fort – Ayub's – popular for its kebabs, rolls and post-midnight crowds – has had its food business licence suspended by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under its under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, from August 23. This action was taken after an inspection on August 22 at the restaurant, where multiple food safety and hygiene violations were uncovered.
The action is a part of the FDA’s ongoing Safe Maharashtra, Safe Food campaign – under the guidance of Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Munde – where Mumbaikars have seen a growing list of 'iconic' clubs, food outlets, and restaurants face suspension over unsafe kitchen conditions in recent weeks.
What did FDA find at Ayub's?
As per FDA, the officials inspected Fort’s Ayub’s premises on Saturday, August 22, after receiving information about the possible food violations.
The inspectors found several high-risk food handling issues, including inadequate pest-control measures and poor segregation between raw and cooked food, raising concerns about cross-contamination and microbial growth. Additionally, drains and stagnant water lacked proper maintenance, plus inadequate measures in temperature-controlled facilities for food.
Ayub's isn’t the only one. Over the last few weeks, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has intensified inspections across Mumbai, with several prominent establishments – including clubs, restaurants and quick-commerce outlets like Blinkit – facing suspensions in licence, mainly over sanitation and storage violations. As per the food regulator, the drive aims to ensure safer dining and food delivery standards across the state. These statewide raids resulted in improvement notices to dozens of eateries, and food products worth crores of rupees were seized.
Why is Ayub's food considered iconic in Mumbai?
Ayub's, open until late, is known to be one of the best late-night and post-clubbing spots to grab a hot snack in Mumbai. They're particularly well known for their Mughlai rolls and succulent kebabs. Part of their charm's the unique car-service dining, where they deliver hot, steaming food directly to your car.