Mumbai (Bombay), India — Food and Dining
Restaurants in Mumbai (Bombay), India
Restaurants
Expensive
Indigo
Housed within a turn-of-the-century colonial bungalow, this is probably the most fashionable restaurant in south Mumbai. Indigo's innovative menu is predominantly modern European with a dose of local flavor and the wine list extensive and impressive. The décor is slick (the Black Lounge is particularly chic) and the split-level roof-terrace is the place to eat in cooler months. Bookings are essential.
4 Mandlik Road, Colaba
Tel: (022) 6636 8999.
Website: www.foodindigo.com
Khyber
Situated near the High Court in the heart of south Mumbai, Khyber is an elegant, upmarket restaurant serving excellent Punjabi and other north-Indian dishes. The restaurant is hugely popular, and deservedly so, as the food is some of the best in town. Khyber is particularly well known for its specialty dish raan, a whole leg of slow-cooked lamb. Vegetarians might do well to look elsewhere.
145 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort
Tel: (022) 2267 3227.
Website: www.khyberrestaurant.com
Olive Bar & Kitchen
This swanky restaurant and bar serves excellent Italian food in a magical setting. Dine at teak tables in a garden that's peppered with lazy daybeds and white wicker chairs. Or come in the evening and admire the whitewashed villa by candlelight. The extensive menu includes dishes such as lobster ceviche, rosemary roast lamb and homemade pastas. The bar gets going on the weekend when DJs take to the decks.
Tourist Hotel, 14 Union Park, Khar
Tel: (022) 2605 8228.
Website: www.olivebarandkitchen.com
Wasabi
Wasabi, in the Taj Hotel, is the only authentic Japanese restaurant in Mumbai and is presided over by Chef Masaharu Morimoto from New York's Nobu restaurant. Not surprisingly, the food is excellent. With Chilean sea bass, Oyster foie gras and superb sushi on the menu, dining at this swish restaurant doesn't come cheap. But once you've tasted the Wasabi crème brulée, you won't care what the bill comes to.
Taj Mahal Hotel, Apollo Bunder
Tel: (022) 6665 3366.
Website: www.tajhotels.com
Moderate
Gaylord
Excellent north-Indian dishes are served at the long-standing Gaylord restaurant that's as famous for its ostentatious dining room as it is its food. The décor is very much Raj-era pizzazz with additional flourishes such as the tuxedo-wearing waiters only adding to the over-the-top finish. There's an outdoor seating area, separated from the street traffic, and a quieter indoor air-conditioned section better suited for conversation.
79 Mayfair Building, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate
Tel: (022) 2282 1259.
Peshawri
Located in the ITC Maratha Hotel near the international airport, Peshawri has superbly prepared dishes from the northwest frontier. Tender kebabs, leg of lamb and their specialty dal bukhara (a thick black dhal) are all prepared in the glass-enclosed kitchen and served in a stylish dining area. It's best to book ahead as this restaurant is very popular.
Sahar Airport Road, Andheri
Tel: (022) 2830 3030.
Website: www.itcwelcomgroup.in/Hotels/ITCMaratha.aspx
Sheesha
For kicking back on a balmy city evening, Sheesha is hard to beat. This Middle-East-meets-Mumbai rooftop restaurant offers plenty of banquettes, lounges and cushions to help you truly relax. The menu is predominantly Indian but there are plenty of alternatives, such as kebabs, on offer and hookahs for desert.
Shopper's Stop, Linking Road, Bandra
Tel: (022) 6677 0555.
Trishna
Tucked away on a back street in the Fort area is what many local (and visiting) foodies promise is the best seafood restaurant in town. Trishna specializes in Mangalorean seafood dishes and its signature dish, butter pepper garlic king crab, is every bit as delicious as it sounds. Try also the pomfret hyderabadi and the (incredibly spicy) kolhapuri prawns. Trishna is popular with Mumbai's 'in' crowd so you can people-watch while you wait for your order.
Birla Mansion, Sai Baba Marg, Fort
Tel: (022) 2270 3213.
Cheap
Bade Miya
This may just be the most popular street-food stand in India. Every night, an army of staff prepare fresh and delicious grilled snacks, including spicy baida rolls filled with chicken, mutton or beef. It's only open for dinner and you can either grab your food to go or sit at one of the packed street-side tables.
Tulloch Road, Colaba
Tel: (022) 2284 8038.
Mahesh Lunch Home
A slightly downmarket version of Trishna, Mahesh Lunch Home is the place to come for excellent Mangalorean cuisine on a budget. The colorful menu is packed with tandoori pomfret, fish roe masalas and rawas tikka (marinated white salmon), all of which are delicious.
8B Cowasji Patel Street, Fort
Tel: (022) 2287 0938.
Website www.maheshlunchhome.com
Sabar
Near the Victorian splendor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Sabar has been serving Gujarati vegetarian food for more than a century. The table d'hôte offers dal, pulses, rice and chapatis cooked in various ways, but dhosas, idlis, uttappams and other staples of southern-Indian cookery are also available. The restaurant is basic but the food is simple, delicious and very cheap.
177 DN Road, Fort
Tel: (022) 2261 2604.
Swati Snacks
This small, bustling cafeteria-type restaurant receives rave reviews for its traditional Gujarati food. Some of their specialties include dal dhoki, a sweet Gujarati dal, and bhelpuri panki chatni, a savoury pancake steamed in a banana leaf. Just make sure to leave room for desert, as their homemade ice creams are fantastic. No bookings so be prepared to wait.
248 Karai Estate, Tardeo Road, Tardeo
Tel: (022) 6580 8405.
Nightlife
Mumbai is India's nightlife capital with enough bars and clubs to satisfy even the most hardened hedonist. Dress codes do apply in Mumbai and it pays to make an effort; after all you might well be rubbing shoulders with top Bollywood players. Some clubs operate a couples-only policy (for both members and non-members) and many charge an entrance fee. All the 5-star hotels have bars, where you can drink in air-conditioned and pricey seclusion.
The most popular drinks are beer and spirits (particularly whisky) rather than imported wine. Indian wine is readily available and fairly palatable. The legal minimum drinking age is 21. For listings, check out the fortnightly Time Out magazine and the daily English-language newspaper Mid-day (which also publishes List, a guide to what's on in the city).
Bars
Geoffrey's
Located in the Hotel Marine Plaza, Geoffrey's is Mumbai's quintessential English pub. It serves a good set-price lunch in addition to its malts and draft beer.
Hotel Marine Plaza, 29 Marine Drive
Tel: (022) 2285 1212.
Website: www.hotelmarineplaza.com/restaurants.htm
Indigo
Located down a narrow street in Colaba, Indigo was the original Mumbai bar-restaurant and, despite having spawned numerous imitators, its swish décor still attracts a smartly turned-out set. The bar is beautifully designed with deep-sea blue walls and leather armchairs, cocktails are excellent, and if you fancy a cigar, there's also a cosy cigar bar upstairs.
4 Mandlik Road, Colaba
Tel: (022) 6636 8999.
Website: www.foodindigo.com
Leopold's Café & Bar
This pub and café is something of an institution in Mumbai. Hugely popular with backpackers - and not just for the cheap beer, Leo's serves cocktails, shots and pipe-shaped beer towers.
Colaba Causeway, near Regal
Tel: (022) 2282 8185.
Website: www.leopoldcafe.com
Clubs
Ra
In the heart of the Phoenix Mills shopping complex, Ra is a top-notch nightclub with glass roof always packed with the city's beautiful people. The DJ plays a mash of hip hop, Hindi pop, trance and retro.
Phoenix Mills Compound, Lower Parel
Tel: (022) 6661 4343.
Red Light
Red Light is a popular student venue, especially on Wednesday hip hop nights. It plays different music every night - R&B, house, pop - and is always packed but has a really good vibe.
145 MG Road, Fort
Tel: (022) 6634 6247.
Voodoo Pub
For something a little grungier, try the Voodoo Pub, which hosts an unofficial gay-friendly night on Saturdays after 2300.
2/5 Kamal Mansion, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba
Tel: (022) 2284 1959.
Live Music
Not Just Jazz by the Bay
South Mumbai's best - and only - live music venue. In addition to jazz, there are live rock, blues, pop and even karaoke evenings.
143 Marine Drive, Churchgate
Tel: (022) 2285 1876.
