Mumbai might be an all-guns-blazing, million-miles-per-hour kind of place, but making time for food here is a must. And trust us, the food here is really, really worth savouring. From street food and Michelin-starred restaurants to Portuguese-Goan delights and Parsi community cafés, Mumbai’s food scene makes the absolute most the city’s mish-mash of cultures, boundless flavours and countless styles of cooking. Here’s where to start.
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This romantic, bi-level, upscale eatery is a pioneer of Mumbai’s farm-to-table revolution, adopting international culinary trends and applying them to a local context. It serves fresh produce from its own farm in Alibaug. Draped with wispy curtains stretched across the walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and named after the 20-foot long Burma teak community dining table near its bar, The Table is an absolute go-to spot if you’re craving a magnificently special meal.
Price: Pricey
One of Mumbai’s best kept secrets, this vegetarian Gujarati eatery offers an “eat until you drop” experience. To sample the very best, opt for the thaali: a round platter that includes six rotis, six curries, two papad variants, buttermilk, curd, three kinds of desserts, chaat, vegetable roll and more.
Price: Bargain
In addition to delectable food, this award-winning traditional Japanese restaurant offers the best views in town of the Gateway of India. The fiery red interiors complete with installations depicting cherry blossoms and traditional wooden Japanese joinery walls will transport you to Japan, especially when paired with the ingredients flown in from Tokyo weekly and the multicultural cooking techniques used by the staff. Make sure to try the rare sakes. Bonus points: the restaurant also serves vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan meals.
Price: Pricey
In the historic setting of an old colonial bungalow, the Bombay Canteen boasts its own important history, too. By providing modern twists on Indian regional dishes, TBC changed the way an entire city eats. It’s also simply a lovely place to have a munch – ideally for having a pleasant time with friends or family.
Price: Average
Located in the genteel precinct of Mumbai’s Ballard Estate, Britannia & Co. is a vintage, heritage eatery and perhaps one of the oldest symbols of the locally dying Parsi cuisine. Opened in the 19th century by Zoroastrians from Iran, Britannia & Co. is a magnificent time capsule of Mumbai’s past. Try the berry pulao with some dhansak along with the creme caramel, the most famous dish here.
Price: Average
The Clearing House is found in a relatively quiet area, rendering the restaurant an oasis in the middle of Mumbai’s maddening but historic quarters. The eatery is split into two sections: a sunlit foyer that is ideal for Sunday brunch and a more sombre chamber for the evenings. You’ll eat contemporary western cuisine with an eastern treatment: think a touch of kimchi, a sprinkle of edamame or teriyaki sauce in your dishes.
Price: Pricey
Head to this slick restaurant and bar to experience authentic Goan cuisine in just as genuine a setting. Sample the Portuguese-inspired dish poee (house-baked sourdough) and wash it down with one of the many signature cocktails—we’re partial to the Pedro G&T. Sit back, relax and settle into a beach-like state of mind without having to take a trip to the neighbouring state.
Price: Average
An Instagram worthy two-floor restaurant boasting a nautical theme is the pet project of the very savvy chef Kelvin Cheung. Trivia fact: the eatery gets its name from the all-knowing crab Sebastian of Disney’s Little Mermaid fame. An Asian-inspired alternative spot to Mumbai’s run of the mill seafood restaurants, Bastian is a favourite of the city’s hipsters and Bollywood A-listers. Try the famous lobster roll, butter-poached lobster and the black-pepper crab. You might want to consider getting your hands dirty with the snapper carpaccio, made with high-quality seasonal ingredients sourced locally.
Price: Pricey
Dim sum might not be the first thing you think about when you think of Mumbai’s foodie scene, but believe us – it most certainly should. Nowhere in the city does dim sum quite like Hakkasan, which’ll let you either have a five-course lunch with fruit drink or choose from the à la carte menu. If it’s down to use, we go for the chicken shumai, grilled shanghai and edamame dumplings, then wash it down with a cup of tea and the dark choccie mousse.
Price: Bargain
Found in Kings Circle, this is Mumbai’s most cherished South Indian restaurant. If you’re bored of all the fine dining and expensive food joints around town, the unassuming interiors at Cafe Madras will surely please you. Beware, though: the eatery is perpetually crowded with college students, senior citizens and young workers. May we suggest striking a conversation with one of them while digging into peppery rasam, airy medu wadas, crunchy dosas and a cup of coffee?
Price: Bargain
Mumbai’s food scene—made up of a mix of high-end restaurants, cheap eats, street food and more—is shaped by a fusion of cultures, including an indigenous fishing community and the secrets from the home kitchens of century-old migrants (the Muslim sultans! Jews! Portuguese and British colonialists!).
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