Mumbai Food Guide — Street Food & Best Restaurants
Mumbai's food scene is relentless. From ₹20 vada pav to ₹5,000 tasting menus, the city feeds you at every turn. Here's where to eat.
Essential Street Food
Vada Pav
The Mumbai burger. Spiced potato fritter in soft pav bread with chutneys. Available at every corner. ₹15-30.
Best spots:
- Ashok Vada Pav (Dadar, multiple locations)
- Anand Stall (Vile Parle station)
- Any busy stall near suburban train stations
Pav Bhaji
Buttered mashed vegetables served with toasted pav. A meal in itself. ₹80-150.
Best spots:
- Sardar's Pav Bhaji (Tardeo) — the original since 1965
- Cannon Pav Bhaji (CSMT area)
- Amar Juice Centre (Juhu)
- Juhu Beach stalls (evening)
Bhel Puri / Pani Puri
Beach snacks. Puffed rice with chutneys and vegetables (bhel). Crispy shells with spiced water (pani puri).
Best spots:
- Juhu Beach (multiple vendors)
- Chowpatty Beach
- Elco Market (Bandra)
Bombay Sandwich
Layers of vegetables, cheese, chutney between bread, toasted and grilled. ₹30-60.
Available: Outside train stations, markets, everywhere
Cutting Chai
Half-glass of milky, sweet tea. The Mumbai ritual. ₹10-20.
Everywhere — especially outside train stations
Keema Pav
Spiced minced meat with buttered bread. The non-veg counterpart to pav bhaji.
Best at: Olympia Coffee House (Colaba), Cafe Military (Fort)
Street Food Areas
Juhu Beach
Mumbai's street food epicentre. Evening stalls serve bhel, pav bhaji, pani puri, chana, kulfi. Atmosphere as good as the food.
Chowpatty Beach
More local, less touristy than Juhu. Same snacks, different vibe.
Mohammed Ali Road
Ramadan food mecca, excellent year-round. Kebabs, nihari, malpua. Best after dark.
Crawford Market Area
Surrounding streets have snacks, fruit vendors, juice stalls.
Carter Road (Bandra)
Upscale beach promenade with food trucks and stalls.
Classic Mumbai Restaurants
Britannia & Co.
Cuisine: Parsi Order: Berry pulao (with sweet berries), dhansak Location: Ballard Estate Cost: ₹400-700 Note: Run by 98-year-old Mr. Kohinoor. Still at it every day.
Trishna
Cuisine: Seafood, Coastal Indian Order: Butter garlic crab, prawns Location: Fort Cost: ₹1,500-2,500 Note: Book ahead. One of India's best seafood restaurants.
Leopold Cafe
Cuisine: Continental, Indian Vibe: Historic, atmospheric, tourist favourite Location: Colaba Cost: ₹500-800 Note: Site of 2008 attacks — scars preserved intentionally
Cafe Mondegar
Cuisine: Continental, burgers Vibe: Art on walls, cold beer, casual Location: Colaba Cost: ₹400-700
Olympia Coffee House
Cuisine: Irani, Mughlai Order: Keema pav, bun maska, chai Location: Colaba Cost: ₹200-400 Note: Old-world Irani cafe atmosphere
Fine Dining
Indian Accent Mumbai
Modern Indian with creative techniques. ₹4,000-6,000. BKC. Tasting menus.
Masala Library
Molecular gastronomy meets Indian cuisine. ₹3,000-5,000. BKC.
Peshawri (ITC Maratha)
Northwest frontier cuisine. Famous dal bukhara. ₹3,000-5,000. Andheri.
Wasabi (Taj Mahal Palace)
Japanese, Nobu-affiliated. Stunning views. ₹5,000+.
Table
Modern global. One of Mumbai's most creative kitchens. ₹2,500-4,000. Colaba.
By Neighbourhood
Colaba
- Leopold Cafe (atmosphere, history)
- Cafe Mondegar (casual, beer)
- Olympia Coffee House (Irani)
- Theobroma (bakery, desserts)
- Bademiya (late-night kebabs)
Fort / Kala Ghoda
- Trishna (seafood)
- Britannia (Parsi)
- Cafe Samovar (was in museum)
- Ideal Corner (Parsi)
Bandra
- Lucky's (Irani cafe, breakfast)
- O Pedro (Goan, contemporary)
- Pali Village Cafe (brunch)
- Elco (pani puri, chaat)
- The Pantry (European)
Juhu
- Prithvi Cafe (theatre crowd)
- Juhu Beach stalls (street food)
- JW Marriott restaurants (upscale)
Vegetarian Options
Mumbai is very vegetarian-friendly.
Pure veg restaurants:
- Swati Snacks (modern Gujarati) — Tardeo
- Soam (Gujarati) — Chowpatty
- Shree Thaker Bhojanalay (unlimited thali) — Kalbadevi
Street food: Most is vegetarian — pav bhaji, bhel, vada pav
Best Thali
For Experience
Shree Thaker Bhojanalay Unlimited Gujarati thali since 1945. Sit at long tables, servers keep refilling. ₹400-600. Kalbadevi.
For Quality
Soam Modern Gujarati. Beautiful plating, quality ingredients. ₹800-1,200. Near Chowpatty.
Food Tours
What to Expect
Walking tours through neighbourhoods with 8-12 tastings. Usually 3-4 hours.
Recommended
Street food tours:
- Mohammed Ali Road after dark
- Colaba heritage + food
- Juhu Beach tour
Book through: Reality Tours (runs Dharavi tour too), Viator, Airbnb Experiences
Cost: ₹2,000-5,000
Late Night Eating
Mumbai eats late. Options after midnight:
Bademiya (Colaba) — Kebab stall, open until 4 AM Highway Gomantak (Bandra) — Seafood, open late Hotel Deluxe (Mohammed Ali Road) — Until 1-2 AM Various Colaba cafes — Some 24/7
Tips
Budget meal: Vada pav + cutting chai = ₹40 Good meal: Pav bhaji + bhel = ₹200 Restaurant dinner: ₹800-1,500 Fine dining: ₹3,000-6,000
Reservations: Essential for Trishna, Indian Accent, fine dining
Best food times:
- Street food: Evening (5-10 PM)
- Restaurants: Lunch 12-3, dinner 8-11
- Late night: After 11 PM for kebabs
For safety tips on street food, see our safety guide.