Our Story
History beneath the branches.
The Banyan Tree Cafe lives inside IFBE — the Ice Factory at Ballard Estate — Mumbai's first ice factory, restored over two and a half years into a cultural house for architecture, design and the arts.
From ice, to art, to afternoon coffee.
The Ambico Ice Factory rose here in the late 1800s, one of the first buildings in India to make ice in Bombay's sweltering port district. A 147-year-old banyan tree grew alongside it — and, for years, suffocated behind its walls.
Architect Kamal Malik saw the tree crying out for help. With partners Abhijeet Mehta and Amardeep "Tony" Singh, Malik Architecture transformed the derelict factory into IFBE — keeping its honesty intact. Where an ice-cooling coil once sat, you'll now find an open-to-sky courtyard and a tranquil, nature-infused café beneath the tree.
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Ambico Ice Factory is built — Mumbai's first ice factory, in the reclaimed heart of Ballard Estate.
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Malik Architecture restores the crumbling factory, freeing the ancient banyan and keeping exposed brick, Burma teak trusses and original machinery.
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The Banyan Tree Cafe opens in the courtyard — an all-day café under the tree, part of the IFBE cultural campus.
