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We’ve been going to Mumbai since we were children. We both hold treasured memories of being towed through Crawford Market by our grandmother en route to haggle joyfully with her favourite fruit seller and of enjoying the ocean breeze at dusk at Nariman Point with our grandparents. Now our good fortune is that the city is part of our work lives. We travel there a few times a year, hosting colleagues (making them eat, drink and see too much) or just wandering for inspiration. Mumbai is a delicious city.
A great joy of Mumbai is how rooted it is in the past, and yet how excitedly it looks to the future. Be sure to combine these contrasting tendencies in your itinerary. They work beautifully together, especially when it comes to food.
Breakfast
Rise with the sun to venture down Colaba Causeway to Sassoon Dock, which is South Mumbai’s main fish market. The city is almost peaceful in the early morning, but the docks heave with activity. The fishermen go out on boats, and the women sell the catch. It’s a spectacle that must be experienced. Whatever you can imagine swimming in the sea is sold here. Don’t get in anyone’s way, and wear some shoes that won’t mind the dirt.
Then walk back up Colaba Causeway to Olympia Coffee House for breakfast. It’s a cool refuge from the already honking traffic (admittedly, the ceiling fans stir the warm air more than cool it). Order keema per eedu (mince mutton with a fried egg on top) and chai. This may be the best keema (and breakfast) in Mumbai. Sit here and people-watch. You may have to share a table, but a day started like this is a good day.
Lunch
Two of our favourite spots for lunch are Gujarati (as we are), vegetarian and hugely popular. Be patient — you may have to wait for a table.
Swati Snacks in Tardeo is very popular with families. Do as they do — order many dishes and share them. All of it is great. Swati Snacks originally became famous for its homestyle cooking and chaats, but please don’t miss out on the excellent panki (rice pancake steamed in banana leaf).
Shree Thaker Bhojanalay in Kalbadevi serves a perfect version of a thali. It’s too good. They change what they serve according to what is most delicious at any particular time of year. The family who run the place are wonderful hosts, and the barefoot waiters will refill your thali until you can’t eat any more.
Perfect bites
In Mumbai, you are never far from a perfect bite. We have several that we love and won’t miss them if we’re close.
Ashok Vada Pav near Kirti College in Dadar may be the best mouthful in the city of vada pav eaters. The seller here has been making this (and nothing else) for decades. It’s a potato patty hot from the fryer served in a bun. This has exactly the right spice levels, lip-smackingly tasty chutneys, soft pav and crunchy scraps from the fryer. Heat and chilli combine for an addictive hit. We challenge you to stop at one!
Sardar Pav Bhaji in Tardeo are masters of the famous dish pav bhaji (mashed up vegetables with a bun). Their bhaji is buttery rich, spicy and moreish and their pav pillowy. Order with extra butter or with cheese, but no matter what you choose, delight follows. It’s worth travelling for.
You’ll find some of the tastiest food in Mumbai on Mohammed Ali Road after nightfall, but it gets overwhelmingly busy and it can be hard to know where to eat. A sure bet is Noor Mohammedi. Order a plate of their chicken shami kebabs with butter naan (the best in the city) and sit outside watching and listening as the world goes by. It’s even more magical during Ramadan.
Dinner
Depending on company and mood, these two places are highly recommended for dinner and a satisfying contrast to more traditional food.
For a fancy Indian meal, head to Trèsind in the BKC business district. They serve an innovative tasting menu that takes classical Indian flavours and treats them with a combination of surprising techniques and deep respect. You will go on a wonderful journey.
For a catch up with a friend, go to Ekaa in the Fort area. You’ll walk into a simple, beautiful room with a minimalist aesthetic, housed in a historic 19th-century building. Chef Niyati Rao (whose CV includes Noma) produces wonderful food and cocktails that bring together seasonal ingredients and technical cookery.
Drinks
We have a real fondness for Mumbai’s old “permit rooms”. In theory, you still need a medical permit to consume alcohol at bars here — hence the name. Sunlight in Dhobi Talao is a great spot. Chicken lollipops, chilli chicken and masala peanuts perfectly match cold beer (or something stronger). The waiters take pride in pouring your spirits and mixers, and the place has a rough-and-ready charm. If you are lucky, you will end up there on a night when people are singing karaoke upstairs.
Shamil Thakrar and Kavi Thakrar are the founders of Dishoom, the popular chain of Mumbai-inspired restaurants. They recently opened Permit Room Portobello, an all day café and bar with rooms in London’s Notting Hill
Tell us about your favourite Mumbai restaurants and bars in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter for the latest stories first
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