Saqib & Melanie Mir’s Love Story is Called ‘La Delice’ in Srinagar

This first-of-its-kind French bakery in Srinagar is run by a Kashmiri French couple.

For the past few months, many in Srinagar have been savouring macarons at Le Delice, Kashmir’s first authentic French bakery on Boulevard Road.

The interiors at the bakery spell restrained French chic – the goodies are displayed in elegant French baskets while the walls are painted lavender and white.

On offer here are plenty of Viennoiserie – from buttery croissants, to pain au chocolat (chocolate bread), to baguettes (long, narrow French loaf), as also caneles (small French pastry with a soft custard centre), congolais (coconut biscuits), and delicate macarons.

Kashmiris have long loved sweets – there are plenty of shops in Srinagar selling local cakes, biscuits and the famous bakarkhanis; but madeleines – Proust’s lovely madeleines – are a rarefied thing that have Kashmiris hooked since July of last year.

Le Delice was opened first in June 2015, but the Kashmir floods impaired the machines and spoilt the ration, and the bakery was finally reopened in July.

The story behind the launch of this bakery is one of homecoming – its owner, Saqib Mir who owned a bakery and handicrafts store in France, moved back to his homeland Kashmir after living in France for nearly 14 years. He was accompanied by his French wife, Melanie Mir and their little son.

When a strike was called on January 26, by separatist groups in Srinagar, asking people to observe it as a ‘black day’, Le Delice remained open, unaffected by the tensions outside.

For all its Frenchness, Le Delice also embodies a homespun way of life. Saqib, a learnt French baker, trained a bunch of boys working in local bakeries in the fine art of French pastry making. The bakery is largely staffed by local Kashmiris.

Le Delice is for everyone – the young and old, locals and tourists, and even those divided along political and ideological lines. Even people from nearby villages in Srinagar come down for a bite at this famous bakery.

Lone Raees, who operates the bakery on a day-to-day basis credits the encouraging response to the increasing buying power in Srinagar and the experimentative attitude of the local populace.

Even Omar Abdullah is a patron, Lone proudly suggests through a picture he got clicked with the ex-J&K Chief Minister during one of his visits.

Tourists are loving the café – Jeannouille Lafripouille from France writes an enthusiastic, “bravo à toi ! j’espere à très vite” on the bakery’s Facebook page.

Then, there are others who were at first surprised and later impressed by the alien bakery on their visit to the Valley.

This was a surprise. Finding a very fine French patisserie in Srinagar.

Anoop Chand, Patron

Lone Raees says with similar cuisine-based cafés and restaurants opening in the region, a mini food revolution is happening in the Valley. In the troubled region, he adds, the desserts his bakery sells are a heady uplifter – making patrons temporarily forget the bitterness that surrounds them.

After all, everyone needs unrestrained lashings of creamy dessert once in a while.