Give the spicy, jazzed-up street food a chance with these meals that you gotta try when in Mumbai. Savor these local, revamped delicacies.
7 Meals You Gotta Try When in Mumbai
1. LOCAL/STREET FOOD
The street food of Mumbai has a distinctively different flavor from that of the street food from other parts of the country. Or for a few dishes, you could say it is a more ‘masaledar’ version. Like, the sev puri is just a more spicy and flavourful version of the typical UP chaat.
The street food ranges from pani puri, sev puri, dahi puri, pav bhaji, vada pav, dabeli, missal pav, ragda patties, falooda, tawa pulav to Bombay sandwiches, frankies, desi pizzas, dosas, idlis, chicken or mutton baida roti.
If you are in the suburbs, these are the places you could check out for delicious street food: Anand stall opposite Mithibai College (Vile Parle), Bholenath sev puri (6th road, JVPD Scheme, Juhu), Juhu Chowpatty, Nice fast food corner (Santacruz) for chicken /mutton baida rotis and kebabs.
When in South Mumbai: Girgaum Chowpatty, Haji Ali juice center for juices, and pizzas, Sardar for pav bhaji, Gurukrupa ( Sion ).
2. A TYPICAL MAHARASHTRIAN MEAL
The best Maharashtrian vegetarian meal can be tracked down in the streets of Dadar.
The attractions that draw people towards these restaurants are Kande pohe, sabuddana vada, missal pav, Kothimbir vadi and how can one forget the amazing aamras (mango puree) that’s available during the mango season and is a must-try !!
The restaurants that serve these authentic Maharashtrian dishes are Aaswad (Dadar) and Prakash (Dadar).
3. A SOUTH INDIAN MEAL
Idli-dosa and basically all other South Indian dishes are very popular in Mumbai.
They are often the go-to meals for the hungry working class as well as students.
The thing that has made these South Indian dishes so famous is the ‘innovation’ that has come along with it~ the regular masala dosa is not what you will see most people having, it is the new age dosas that have attracted the young public. The pizza dosa, pasta dosa, and Gini dosa are some of the must-haves.
One of my favorite things about a South Indian meal has to be filtered coffee.
Check out these amazing places for some of the best South Indian dishes in town
Anand stall opposite Mithibai College( recommend the pizza dosa and gini dosa here), Café Madras (Matunga– recommend the idli podi, appam, and all the dosas), Ramashray ( head to this place for delicious idlis, and vadas), Amar juice center (Vile parle- recommend the idli sambhar).
4. A PARSI MEAL AT AN IRANI CAFÉ
By the end of the 19th century, a tiny bit of Iran started to mushroom in the streets of south Mumbai as cafes and bakeries. Iranis were the second batch of Zoroastrians that came to India from Persia.
Irani cafes today offer a menu of signature Parsi dishes including Salli boti( which is a mutton gravy dish), Mutton Dhansak, Kheema ghotala all to be accompanied by some raspberry soda and finished with custard.
Some Irani cafes you should head to for the best Parsi meal: Britannia( recommend the berry pulao there), Kyani, Yazdani Bakery.
5. A MANGALOREAN MEAL
There are a number of options for seafood lovers, considering that they aren’t a minority in the town.
Most of the seafood restaurants are generally a mishmash of Chinese, Mangalorean, South Indian, and North Indian but I would suggest you prioritize only seafood at these chains.
Look out for these restaurants for a fulfilling Mangalorean meal: Trishna (fort), Mahesh Lunch Home, Gajalee (Vile parle).
6. AN AMERICAN MEAL
A trip to Mumbai would be incomplete without paying a visit to the very trendy, hyped up, and upcoming deli cafes/restaurants whose trend was started by Indigo Deli which remains one of the best in this category.
These modern deli-style cafes include a range of sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas, layered salads, burgers, handmade jams, and flavored oils.
Indigo Deli is spread throughout the city. While restaurants like Indigo Deli and Suzzette ( Bandra) lie on the pricier side, restaurants like Imbiss (Khar) and Between the Breads (Bandra) lie on the pocket-friendly side, both of them catering to the same needs.
Autumn (Andheri) also serves some of the best salads and pizzas ( recommend the pili chicken pizza, onion rings, and watermelon and feta salad)
7. A MEAL AT THE OLD SCHOOL MUMBAI CAFES
Your experience in Mumbai would be incomplete without having visited its old-age charms or cafes, as you may call them.
Mumbai has a lot of international cuisines to offer. The food is a mix of continental, north Indian, and Chinese.
While Café Mondegar is famous for its murals painted by Mario Miranda, Café Leopold is famous for being there in the town since 1871 and it also happened to be one of the crime scenes during the horrific attacks of 26/11 in Mumbai.
All these old-school charms are located in Colaba.
