Archive note, September 2026: This family birthday story was originally published in 2018. Bombay Bustle is still trading in Mayfair; the dinner, cake and family details below record that original celebration. If you plan to bring an outside cake to any restaurant today, check the venue’s current cake, storage and cakeage policy directly.
I consider myself properly lucky – I genuinely adore my mother-in-law. And I’m fairly certain the feeling’s mutual. Not simply because I turn up armed with cake at every conceivable celebration (and quite a few non-celebrations too), not just birthdays.
It’s not about defying the tired “monster-in-law” trope you see wheeled out in films. I’ve watched perfectly decent families wobble under the strain of in-law politics, so I don’t take it for granted. I properly, wholeheartedly like mine. She’s warm, curious, up for anything – and always ready for a bit of sparkle.
For her birthday that year we had grand plans to whisk her off to Kerala. I’ve been banging on about the backwaters and coconut curries for years. Life, however, had other ideas. So instead, we booked a table in Mayfair at the gloriously theatrical Bombay Bustle. Not quite the Arabian Sea, but blimey – it’s a feast in its own right.
The interiors are styled like a vintage train carriage – but think Orient Express decadence, not commuter chaos. Polished brass, plush banquettes, the sort of setting that makes even a Tuesday feel celebratory. X-ray behaved impeccably through starters (mini dosas and keema pau that vanished at alarming speed), then predictably unravelled during mains, prompting a parental relay race around Regent Street.
After a few brisk laps and a timely nod-off, I slipped back in just as the moment arrived. Her face when the cake appeared? Worth every step. We’d arranged her own customised Oreo Softie – swapped out with Nutella for that extra indulgent flourish. There’s something deeply satisfying about adapting a cake so it feels entirely personal. That’s the joy of Custom Cakes: starting with an existing design and changing the details that matter.
Indian food in London has had a proper glow-up over the past few years, and Bombay Bustle was part of that renaissance – bold, regional, unapologetically vibrant. If you’re planning a celebration in that corner of town, we do regularly deliver to the area (you can peek at our Mayfair cake delivery page for the details). If you want a restaurant to present an outside cake, ask the venue directly about its current policy, storage requirements and any cakeage charge before you book.
Here’s to mothers-in-law who say yes to new adventures, to train-carriage dining rooms in Mayfair, and to cakes that make a table fall silent for a split second before the cheering begins.
Lots of love,
Reshmi xoxo
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