The best restaurants in Bandra, Mumbai

The northern Mumbai suburb of Bandra is an eclectic and charming mishmash of personalities, home to the city’s most revered celebrities, entrepreneurial expats and long-term residents who couldn’t imagine moving anywhere else. The neighbourhood’s easygoing and unassuming vibe is what makes it a clear favourite, as is its central location. Looking for a bite in Bandra? Whether it’s traditional Indian street food, healthy cafes or sushi spots propped up by Bollywood stars, there’s a whole raft of restaurants to choose from, alongside many of Mumbai’s hotly recommended bars. Asian cuisine is a clear favourite, but the options don’t end there – here’s your essential list of the best places to eat in Bandra.

Bandra Born

Best for: caramel custard desserts in a grungy setting
Address: Rose Minar, 87, Chapel Rd, Annexe, Reclamation, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Price: Dishes starting at 170 INR / 2.05 USD

Bandra foodies shed a tear when beloved Salt Water Cafe closed, but Chef Gresham Fernandes rechristened the space into Bandra Born. It began as a 12-week pop-up but will now be a permanent spot in the city’s restaurant scene. The food is not cuisine specific, but is fresh and creative, designed to capture the feel of the neighbourhood, just as the name suggests. The King Cabbage is a hit, as is the Beets Meat salad and the burrata pasta. Food aside, the graffiti-covered walls and grungy vibe promise a mood that is entirely its own – electric and always buzzing. Go for the caramel custard, stay for the hip-hop beats. If you’re lucky, you might catch Fernandes himself spinning some tunes after hours.

Veronica’s

Best for: a sandwich fix
Address: Waroda Rd, Ranwar, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Price: Dishes starting at 140 INR / 1.70 USD

It’s not often that the hype around a restaurant translates to a satisfying meal but Veronica’s manages to do both, with flair. A new entrant to the neighbourhood, this sandwich shop by the people behind award-winning Bombay Canteen and O Pedro already has a steady stream of patrons queuing outside even on a weekday. Their sandwiches, of course, are the main draw. The Italian Job with mortadella, smoked ham and buffalo mozzarella in a crunchy ciabatta is a winner, as is the Mushroom Melt in Dutch Crunch bread with sun-dried tomatoes, confit garlic and shrooms topped with truffle cream or the Mumbai Chilli Cheese Melt with a drizzle of naga hot honey. But that’s not all: the breakfast menu, salads, burgers and bagels hit the spot just as well.

La Loca Maria

Best for: Dinner with a dash of glamour
Address: Fatima villa, 29th Rd, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Price: Dishes starting at 350 INR / 4.20 USD

Ever since it opened, this award-winning restaurant boasts the hottest tables in town, so book well in advance. La Loca Maria fills the void of a great Spanish tapas haunt in the city, and does it well. Chef Manuel Olveira Seller plays with Spanish and Mediterranean flavours and tweaks them with a hint of Indian influences to create a menu of robust delights. Don’t miss the house bestseller, their signature deconstructed tiramisu. And whether you’re there for a meal or just a glass of wine, do it dressed in your best.

Los Cavos

Best for: Latin American flavours
Address: Ground floor, Kiran Kunj, 24th road, Off Linking Rd, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052
Price: Dishes starting at 350 INR / 4.20 USD

Inside this dimly lit, mural-painted restaurant with many enchanting corners, you’ll find a menu filled with Peruvian-inspired dishes with Japanese, Spanish and Italian influences. Rafael Estremadoyro García gives Latin American cuisine a twist with flavours he has found to be popular with the Indian palate. Try the mushroom ceviche with avocado cream, dill and coconut or the classic Peruvian seafood rice bake with clams, prawns, scallops, bell peppers, green peas, bisque sauce, aioli and sarza criolla, accompanied with a spicy picante or pisco sour cocktail. The creamy cheesecake and churros with the dark chocolate dip are the perfect sweet ending to a meal here.

Mizu

Best for: A sushi night, celebrity sightings
Address: Ground Floor, Ganga Jamuna Building 14th Road Pali, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052
Price: Dishes starting at 290 INR / 3.60 USD

One of Mumbai’s trendiest restaurants, Mizu is the place to find celebrities being papped outside on the regular – but this isn’t the only reason to visit, as the food is just as famous. This izakaya-style Bandra restaurant by Vedant Malik and chef Lakhan Jethani feeds the city’s current love affair with Japanese cuisine. The menu comprises everything from sushi, gyozas and baos to yakitori and hot pots. The team even flies in fish from Japan to make their famous hamachi smoke ponzi, while the hazelnut cacao single-origin chocolate mousse with salted caramel is the sweetest treat to finish.

Joshi House

Best for: Dinner in ornate interiors
Address: 602, Ambedkar Road, Pali Naka, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Price: Dishes from 330 INR / 4.15 USD

When Suren Joshi’s restaurant Joshi House replaced Bandra’s iconic Pali Village Cafe last year, tastemakers across the city were clamouring for a table, with the waiting list fully booked for weeks. Renowned architect Ashiesh Shah turned the spot into a contemporary Rajasthan-inspired mansion in the heart of bustling Bandra, replete with five dining sections each with its own distinct mood. Instagram-worthy interiors aside, the menu is a mix of North and South Indian cuisine, along with Italian, European and American fare; whether you’re craving chaat, kachoris, tacos or risotto, you’ll find a little bit of everything to sate your appetite. Variety, clearly, is the spice of life here.

Blue’s Kitchen by Loima

Best for: Mingling with the chef, Japanese and Thai cuisine
Address: 16th Road, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052
Price: Plates from 250 INR

This intimate Japanese and Thai restaurant is often considered Bandra’s best-kept secret. Go early enough and chef Kanokwan Loima will whip up something special for you herself, be it something off the menu or even a half portion so you can try more dishes. You may be tempted to order one of everything and we wouldn’t blame you. But for a shortlist, consider the sushi, katsu curry, special blue fried rice, and crunchy prawn tempura.

Izumi

Best for: Satisfying your ramen cravings
Address: Ground Floor, Sunrise Cooperative Society, Rd Number 24, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Price: Plates from 300 INR / 3.15 USD

When Izumi first opened as a small 15-seater eatery back in 2018, the ramen was so coveted that hopeful diners queued outside for hours. It’s since moved to a much bigger space in Bandra, where crowds continue to flock to slurp up their specialty noodles. Many self-professed foodies claim Izumi offers the best ramen in Mumbai, and they aren’t off the mark. After all, chef Nooresha Kably trained at the International Ramen School in Yokohama, before bringing her flair to Bandra’s tables. Ramen aside, the menu is also teeming with meticulously prepared sushi, sashimi, salads, rice bowls, gyoza and small plates.

Tanjore Tiffin Room

Best for: Tamilian comfort food
Address: 12, Union Park, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052
Price: Starters from 275 INR / 3.5 USD

If it’s home-style soul food you’re after, this is where you’ll find it. This traditional Tamilian bistro serves dishes from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in a homely courtyard setting. The menu is centred around heirloom recipes passed down in the family. The crispy yam cutlets are a favourite, as are the mini gunpowder idlis and the gin-based cocktails.

Tamak

Best for: A fine dining menu in a casual neighbourhood setting
Address: 6, Ahiya Apartment, Plot No-53, Junction of 16th Road and, Main Ave, Santacruz West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400054
Price: Dishes from 135 INR / 1.70 USD

At just six tables, this Bandra restaurant may be small, but in this case, size doesn’t really matter. For locals, it’s the go-to neighbourhood haunt for North Indian food. The casual fine dining restaurant by chef Vikram Arora opened their doors in 2018. Arora, who has worked across India, Singapore and Hong Kong in the past, calls this a “micro restaurant”. Start with the chaats, move on to the kebabs (the chicken shammi kebab is a favourite), and then dip into the black dal with some melt-in-your-mouth cheese kulchas.

Olive Bar & Kitchen

Best for: A glamorous night out
Address: 14, Nargis Dutt Rd, Union Park, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052
Price: Plates from 500 INR / 6.30 USD

Behind the iconic blue door and whitewashed walls of this Bandra institution lies a charming haven. A real oldie but goodie. The two-decade-old hotspot is as famous for its fare as it is for its nightlife (the Thursday bar nights are as popular today as when they were first introduced). The global Mediterranean fare is made with local, seasonal ingredients, best enjoyed outside in their rustic courtyard. We’d definitely order the pizzas from the all-day menu, with a cheese platter and cocktail for company.

Bastian

Best for: Sunday brunch
Address: Kamal Building, B/1, New, Linking Rd, next to Burger King, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Price: Dishes from 150 INR / 1.90 USD

When Bastian first opened in Bandra in 2016, helmed by celebrity chef Kelvin Cheung, the restaurant quickly gained a reputation for its comfort and unrivalled seafood. So much so that the place was packed with celebrities every single night, and was even more rammed during the decadent Sunday brunches. Ever since, the chef’s hat has changed heads, and the newer outpost in Worli has become the partygoer’s hub, but the OG Bandra spot still retains its popularity among regulars. There’s mac’n’cheese, vegan bagels, kimchi fried rice, chicken teriyaki bowls and so much more to pick from. The dessert menu always hits the sweet spot, especially the signature Bastian cake, which is a permanent fixture at many a birthday celebration in the city.

The Lovefools

Best for: A romantic date
Address: C14, 525, Ranwar, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Price: Four-course meal for 2210 INR / 28 USD

Housed in a heritage bungalow in Bandra, this hidden gem by chef Sarita Sera is as much about the gourmet offerings as it is about the overall experience. Sera first introduced the concept as a special private dining venue, only to then move to this current five-room bungalow in the heart of Ranwar village that is high on vintage appeal. Now, you can book a table for a curated, experimental multicourse meal bursting with global flavours and ingredients. Additionally, the Love Crumbs bakery (housed within the premises itself) is the perfect breakfast date spot.

Gustoso

Best for: A slice of Italy
Address: Jharna Apartments, 2, 3, 4, Dr Ambedkar Rd, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052
Price: Dishes from 295 INR / 3.70 USD

No plans to travel to Italy? No problem. Gustoso brings ‘the soul of Italy’ to Mumbai with a versatile menu of woodfired pizzas. A firm favourite is the Indianapoli pizza, made with mozzarella, tomato sauce, sauteéd onions, Kalamata olives, mushrooms, jalapeños and bell peppers, a concoction created by consultant pizza chef Giulio Adriani. Another must-try is their signature Tagliolini Bombay, brought to life in a cheese wheel right at your table. It helps that they have a sophisticated selection of wine to wolf down your meal with, too. If you fancy a break from Asian cuisine, you can’t go far wrong with Gustoso.

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