India GOWhere to eat in Mumbai
Mumbai's most famous meals are rarely its most expensive: a vada pav from a pavement stall in Dadar, a berry pulav at a 1923 Parsi cafe, an unlimited Gujarati thali in Kalbadevi. The city also has one of India's most acclaimed tasting menus and Mangalorean-style coastal seafood. The list below mixes all of it; here is how to choose by the kind of meal you want, where to find it and what to know before you sit down.
How to choose: six kinds of meal
Price marks run from ₹ at the snack houses and stalls to ₹₹₹ at the seafood rooms and tasting menus; the most famous plates sit at the cheap end.
Udupi and Maharashtrian breakfast (₹)
Matunga is Mumbai's South Indian quarter: Ramashray (since 1939) for rasam vada and pineapple sheera, Cafe Madras for rava masala dosa and its own filter coffee. For Maharashtrian snacks go to Dadar and Girgaum: misal pav at Aaswad, batata vada and piyush (a saffron yoghurt drink) at Prakash, sabudana vada and thalipeeth at Panshikar, a four-generation snack house.
Parsi and Irani cafes (₹₹)
Britannia & Co. in Ballard Estate (1923) is the home of berry pulav, rice with tart Iranian barberries. Jimmy Boy near Horniman Circle lays out the Parsi wedding feast, lagan nu bhonu, on a banana leaf on request; Ideal Corner in Fort changes its home-style board daily. Parsi cooking is meat-led, so vegetarians should ask what is on the day's menu.
Unlimited thali (₹–₹₹)
Shree Thaker Bhojanalay in Kalbadevi (1945) refills every katori (small bowl) of its Gujarati thali the moment it empties. Chetana in Kala Ghoda serves Rajasthani and Gujarati thalis with dahi gatta and ker sangri. Rama Nayak Udupi Shri Krishna Boarding near Matunga station serves a South Indian banana-leaf meal known for its rasam. All three are vegetarian. More on thalis in Mumbai.
Coastal seafood (₹₹₹)
Trishna in Kala Ghoda is famous for butter pepper garlic crab; Mahesh Lunch Home (since 1977, in Fort and Juhu) for Mangalorean prawns gassi and fried surmai or pomfret. Seafood is the whole point at both: Trishna does the butter-pepper-garlic treatment on vegetables and paneer, Mahesh has neer dosa and a vegetable gassi.
Street food and chaat (₹)
Ashok Vada Pav outside Kirti College in Dadar is the city's benchmark vada pav, with fiery dry garlic chutney. Sardar near Tardeo (since 1966) crowns its pav bhaji with butter. Ghatkopar Khau Galli is an all-vegetarian evening lane; Bademiya behind the Taj grills over charcoal late into the night. For chaat at a table, Elco Market in Bandra uses filtered water, and Kailash Parbat in Colaba (1952) is a pure-veg Sindhi chaat house. More on street food.
Modern Indian and fine dining (₹₹₹)
Masque in a converted Mahalaxmi mill runs a farm-to-table tasting menu; The Bombay Canteen in Kamala Mills reinvents regional Indian cooking with the seasons. Masque has been ranked on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Wasabi by Morimoto at the Taj and Yauatcha in BKC cover Japanese and dim sum. More on fine dining in Mumbai.
Where to go for what
Fort, Kala Ghoda, Ballard Estate and Colaba in the south hold the Parsi cafes (Britannia, Jimmy Boy, Ideal Corner), the seafood rooms (Trishna, Mahesh), Chetana, Kailash Parbat, Bademiya and Wasabi. One walk covers several.
Kalbadevi, Bhendi Bazaar and Mohammed Ali Road in the old bazaar quarter have Shree Thaker's thali and Noor Mohammadi Hotel (1923), a meat-first Mughlai kitchen; during Ramadan the lane outside is the main event, and there a vegetarian eats well too.
Matunga and Dadar are the morning neighbourhoods: Udupi canteens around King's Circle, Maharashtrian snack houses near Shivaji Park and Ashok Vada Pav. They are best known for breakfast.
Tardeo has Swati Snacks and Sardar Pav Bhaji; Lower Parel and Mahalaxmi the mill-compound restaurants (Masque, The Bombay Canteen); Bandra Elco Market and Candies; Ghatkopar East the vegetarian khau galli in the evening.
Good to know before you go
A few habits of the city's food scene save time and surprises.
- Book the famous tables — Masque needs a reservation well in advance; book Trishna ahead too. At Sardar expect a wait and a shared table; Cafe Madras and Ramashray are known for queues at breakfast and at weekends.
- Vegetarian is easy, Jain too — The Udupi and Maharashtrian houses, the thali places, Swati Snacks, Kailash Parbat, Elco Market and Ghatkopar Khau Galli are vegetarian; Swati, Kailash Parbat, Elco, Chetana and Shree Thaker also cook Jain. More on vegetarian food.
- Know which kitchens are meat-led — Parsi cafes, Noor Mohammadi and Bademiya are meat-first; Trishna and Mahesh are seafood houses. Most have a few vegetarian dishes, but they are not why people come; at Noor Mohammadi the vegetarian option is the Ramadan street outside.
- Ask about spice — Aaswad's misal pav and Ashok's garlic chutney are hot; Swati Snacks, Cafe Madras and the Parsi kitchens are gentle.
- Choose busy stalls — For street food, pick stalls that cook to order and have a crowd; Elco Market uses filtered water if you want chaat with less risk.
FAQ
Which is the number one restaurant in Mumbai?
There is no single answer. For a tasting menu, Masque, ranked on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants; for modern regional Indian, The Bombay Canteen; for classic Mumbai food, Britannia & Co., Trishna and Shree Thaker Bhojanalay are the names locals cite.
What is famous to eat in Mumbai?
Vada pav, pav bhaji, misal pav, chaat such as pani puri and sev puri, Parsi berry pulav and dhansak, and coastal seafood. More on what to eat in Mumbai.
Which restaurants do celebrities go to in Mumbai?
Swati Snacks has fed the city's who's who since 1963, Bollywood names queue at Ashok Vada Pav, and Noor Mohammadi Hotel named a chicken dish after actor Sanjay Dutt.
What are the best affordable restaurants in Mumbai?
The Matunga Udupi canteens (Ramashray, Cafe Madras), the Dadar snack houses (Aaswad, Prakash), Panshikar in Girgaum, Rama Nayak's banana-leaf meal and the street-food stalls are all in the cheapest price band.
Where should a family eat in Mumbai?
Places with mild food and room to sit suit families: Swati Snacks, Cafe Madras, Kailash Parbat or an unlimited thali at Shree Thaker or Chetana.
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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