OoruBest places to eat in Mumbai
A khau galli is a food lane, and Mumbai is full of them. This guide maps how the city eats, by kind of food rather than star ratings: Irani cafés, street food, Maharashtrian and Malvani cooking, coastal seafood, South Indian and Gujarati classics, and the kebab and sweet shops of Mohammed Ali Road. Each place lists what to order and a local tip.
Irani Cafés
Britannia & Co
Ballard Estate, Fort · est. 1923 · Non-veg · Mid
Order: Berry pulao, salli boti, raspberry drink
Mostly a lunch place with limited days, so check the timings before you go.
Kyani & Co
Marine Lines · est. 1904 · Mixed · Budget
Order: Bun maska, akuri, mawa cake, Irani chai
One of the oldest Irani cafés still running. Come for breakfast.
Yazdani Bakery
Fort · est. 1950s · Veg · Budget
Order: Brun maska, apple pie, Irani chai
A bakery café in an old Fort lane. Go in the morning, when the bread is fresh from the oven.
Sassanian Restaurant & Bakery
Marine Lines · est. 1913 · Mixed · Budget
Order: Mawa cake, dhansak, bun maska
Pick up a mawa cake on your way out.
Cafe Military
Fort, near Kala Ghoda · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Kheema pav, chicken salli, raspberry soda
A small Irani café with old-school interiors.
Ideal Corner
Fort · est. 1985 · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Patra ni macchi, dhansak, caramel custard
Parsi home-style lunches in a small Fort café.
Street Food
Ashok Vada Pav
Near Kirti College, Dadar · Veg · Budget
Order: Vada pav, chura pav
The most famous vada pav stall in the city. Expect a queue at lunchtime.
Aaram Vada Pav
Near CSMT · Veg · Budget
Order: Vada pav
One of the oldest vada pav joints, right by the station.
Sardar Pav Bhaji
Tardeo · Veg · Budget
Order: Butter pav bhaji
Known for pav bhaji loaded with butter. Busy late into the evening.
Cannon Pav Bhaji
Opposite CSMT · Veg · Budget
Order: Pav bhaji
A quick, reliable stop near CSMT station.
Elco
Hill Road, Bandra · Veg · Budget
Order: Pani puri, chaat
A Bandra favourite for pani puri and chaat.
Bademiya
Colaba · est. 1946 · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Seekh kebab, chicken tikka roll
A late-night institution in the lane behind the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
Girgaum and Juhu Chowpatty
Marine Drive and Juhu · Veg · Budget
Order: Bhel puri, pav bhaji, gola
Beach snacking at sunset is a Mumbai ritual.
Maharashtrian & Malvani
Aaswad
Dadar · Veg · Budget
Order: Misal pav, thalipeeth, piyush
A Dadar institution for Maharashtrian snacks.
Mama Kane
Dadar · est. 1910 · Veg · Budget
Order: Batata vada, Maharashtrian thali
More than a century old and still busy at lunch.
Prakash Shakahari Upahar
Dadar · Veg · Budget
Order: Sabudana vada, piyush
Classic Maharashtrian snacks in a simple room.
Vinay Health Home
Girgaon · est. 1940 · Veg · Budget
Order: Misal, batata vada
Known for a Puneri-style misal.
Diva Maharashtracha
Mahim · Mixed · Mid
Order: Maharashtrian and Malvani thalis
A sit-down option for a full Maharashtrian meal, vegetarian or with fish.
Seafood
Mahesh Lunch Home
Fort & branches · est. 1977 · Non-veg · Mid to upper
Order: Butter garlic crab, prawn gassi, rawa fried fish
Mangalorean seafood in South Mumbai. Ask what is fresh that day.
Trishna
Kala Ghoda, Fort · Non-veg · Upper
Order: Butter pepper garlic crab
Book ahead; crab is priced by size.
Gajalee
Vile Parle & branches · Non-veg · Mid to upper
Order: Bombil fry, prawn masala, sol kadhi
Malvani coastal cooking. The bombil (Bombay duck) fry is the classic.
Highway Gomantak
Bandra East · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Fish thali, bombil fry, clams
Good-value Goan and Malvani fish thalis.
Matunga & Gujarati Classics
Cafe Madras
Matunga · est. 1940 · Veg · Budget
Order: Ragi dosa, Mysore masala dosa, filter coffee
Weekend mornings bring a queue out of the door.
Ram Ashraya
Matunga · Veg · Budget
Order: Pineapple sheera, upma, dosa
Busiest at breakfast, a few steps from Matunga station.
Swati Snacks
Tardeo · est. 1963 · Veg · Mid
Order: Panki, handvo, sev puri
Gujarati snacks done with care. Expect a wait at lunch.
Shree Thaker Bhojanalay
Kalbadevi · est. 1945 · Veg · Mid
Order: Gujarati thali
An unlimited Gujarati thali, so come hungry.
Mohammed Ali Road & Sweets
Noor Mohammadi Hotel
Bhendi Bazaar · est. 1923 · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Chicken Sanju Baba, nalli nihari
Its Chicken Sanju Baba is named after the actor Sanjay Dutt.
Suleman Usman Mithaiwala
Minara Masjid, Mohammed Ali Road · est. 1936 · Mixed · Budget
Order: Malpua (in Ramzan), phirni
The malpua is fried only during Ramzan.
Badshah Cold Drink House
Opposite Crawford Market · Veg · Budget
Order: Royal falooda, kulfi
A falooda stop after shopping at Crawford Market.
Parsi Dairy Farm
Marine Lines · est. 1916 · Veg · Budget
Order: Kulfi, milk sweets, lassi
Famous for its milk sweets and kulfi.
K Rustom & Co
Churchgate · est. 1953 · Veg · Budget
Order: Ice cream sandwich
A slab of ice cream between two wafers, best eaten on the walk to Marine Drive.
Haji Ali Juice Centre
Haji Ali · Veg · Budget
Order: Fruit cream, custard apple cream, juices
A cool stop after visiting Haji Ali Dargah.
Questions people ask
Where can I eat the best vada pav in Mumbai?
Ashok Vada Pav near Kirti College in Dadar is the most famous stall, and Aaram near CSMT is one of the oldest. Every neighbourhood has its own favourite, usually close to a railway station.
What are Irani cafés?
Cafés started by Iranian immigrants, many of them Zoroastrian, from the late 1800s onwards, known for bun maska, Irani chai, berry pulao and old interiors. Kyani & Co (1904) and Britannia & Co (1923) are two of the best known still open.
Where should I eat seafood in Mumbai?
Mahesh Lunch Home (since 1977) and Trishna in Fort are known for Mangalorean-style crab and fish, while Gajalee and Highway Gomantak are favourites for Malvani food and bombil (Bombay duck) fry.
What is misal pav and where can I try it in Mumbai?
Misal is a spicy curry of sprouted beans topped with farsan and onion, eaten with pav. Aaswad in Dadar and Vinay Health Home in Girgaon are classic places to try it.
What is Mohammed Ali Road famous for?
The lanes around Minara Masjid are famous for kebabs, nalli nihari and sweets, and during Ramzan they turn into a night-long food market. Suleman Usman Mithaiwala, selling sweets there since 1936, fries its malpua only in Ramzan.
More in our guides: our Mumbai city guide, everyday Marathi phrases and events in Mumbai this weekend.