Police Station Turned Into Restaurant: This Meghalaya Cafe Lets You Dine Inside A 'Jail'

Ever wondered what it feels like to dine inside a jail? Do not worry - the food is nothing like prison meals, but the ambience might surprise you. While jail-themed restaurants exist in various cities, this one stands out. A new cafe has opened in Sohra (Cherrapunjee), Meghalaya, inside a building that once functioned as a real police station. Established in 1885, it is the oldest of its kind in the state and was known as a "dreaded detention centre" during colonial times, according to PTI. Now, it has been transformed into a heritage cafe called "Sohra 1885", complete with a refurbished lock-up area offering a unique 'jail dining' experience.

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The initiative has been led by the Meghalaya Police. The concept was proposed by Vivek Syiem, the current Superintendent of Police in East Khasi Hills. He had first pitched the idea when he was serving as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the area. "I always wanted to do something with the heritage police station. There are not many such buildings left in the state that have so much history," he told PTI. Profits from the cafe will reportedly go towards police welfare.

The cafe is a collaboration with Nafi Nongrum, a young entrepreneur. She took on the restoration using several British-era artefacts from the original police station, as per PTI. The walls have been preserved in their original form, while the rest of the structure has been upgraded for comfort and safety. "Even the fireplace has been renovated to its old glory. The floors have been left to their original state as they are still in very good condition," Syiem said.

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Batskhem Thabah, a customer at the cafe, said, "We really enjoyed our time in the lockup, which has been converted into a dining area." The cafe also offers additional seating, accommodating up to 100 guests in total. The multi-cuisine menu includes comfort food like pizza, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, and momos, along with popular dishes from Mexican, Indo-Chinese, South Indian, and North Indian cuisines.