Restaurants in Mumbai that master the city’s bold flavour

For a complete Mumbai experience, your trip should encompass everything from street food (more on that in our dedicated guide) to five-star restaurants (many of which can be found in the city’s array of gorgeous hotels). The best restaurants in Mumbai offer great food at every price point, and you should sample a range of what’s on offer – whether it’s an authentic pav bhaji on Juhu Beach or a modern interpretation of a classic Indian dish. A wave of casual dining has erupted across Mumbai, with chefs returning from stints in New York, London and Copenhagen to put down stakes at home, setting up restaurants that excel at bringing together familiar flavours with elevated techniques.

Where to eat in Mumbai

While the Colaba neighbourhood has established favourites and Bandra is known for its hip hangouts, it’s in Lower Parel and beyond where the most interesting new restaurants and bars are opening. It’s imperative to try a renowned vada pav (a spiced mashed potato fritter in a soft ‘pav’ bun) and Bombay sandwich (filled with sliced boiled potato, cucumber, beetroot, tomato and mint chutney), while restaurants such as Ekaa and Masque interpret local ingredients in new ways.

Explore our comprehensive guide to keep you well fed while in Mumbai, from neighbourhood cafes to all-you-can-eat vegetarian feasts and fine dining.

Fort

Ekaa

Best for: A modern interpretation of Indian fine dining
Address: Kitab Mahal, D Sukhadwala Road, Azad Maidan, Fort, Mumbai 400001
Price: £££

Mumbai has Covid to thank for the return of Chef Niyati Rao. With Noma closing in Copenhagen in March 2020, Rao moved back home and launched Ekaa, a modern restaurant with a focus on quality ingredients served in a minimal, considered space. Choose between a tasting menu or a la carte, with a selection of plates that are big on flavour, all while championing local ingredients. Stand out dishes include the pumpkin, lettuce and Bombay duck, while the cocktails are as inventive as the food. Mumbai co-working space, Ministry of New, sits above the restaurant. For other restaurants in Fort and Colaba, see our guide to the two neighbourhoods here.

Britannia & Co.

Best for: A longstanding no-frills neighbourhood cafe 
Address: Wakefield House, 11 Sprott Road, Ballard Estate, Mumbai 400038
Price: £

Only open for lunch, Britannia & Co is a must-visit for anyone seeking a uniquely Bombay experience. Showcasing Parsi cuisine, its berries still come from Iran and its menu hasn’t changed since opening in 1923. As a result, there’s a sense of faded glory at the restaurant, which serves up Iranian Parsi favourites – the berry pulao, salli boti, fried Bombay duck, and mutton dhansak (a dish made by cooking mutton or goat with lentils and vegetables) are established favourites – but it’s the faded interiors, the bow-tie wearing staff and friendly owners that have won over visitors and locals alike for almost a century. The casual restaurant is in Ballard Estate, a district noted for its photogenic colonial architecture.

Matunga

Cafe Madras

Best for: Quick and easy authentic South Indian cuisine
Address: Kamakashi Building, 391/B Bhaudaji Road, Matunga, Mumbai 400019
Price: £

This quick-turnaround cafe doesn’t encourage you to linger, and strangers often share tables to reduce wait times. It’s in the heart of Matuga, an area known for its South Indian population, who swear by the vadas (a fried fritter), idlis (a savoury rice cake) and dosas (a thin crispy crepe) . Waiters move in a well-coordinated manner about the cafe, and you’re politely encouraged to order quickly. The kitchen’s crunchy rava dosa crepes, peppery rasam vada (a South Indian soup with fritters) and pesarattu (a dosa with a batter of mung beans) are particular standouts, but anything on the menu is worth trying. It’s only when you step out full to bursting that you’ll realise you had an entirely meat-free meal.

Kala Ghoda

Chetana

Best for: All-you-can-eat vegetarian feasts
Address: 34 K Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai 400001
Price: £

There’s a lot on the menu at Chetana, but almost everyone’s there for the all-you-can-eat thali. The all-vegetarian feast sees a procession of dishes that encompass everything from pickles and yoghurt, to seasonal vegetables, pulses and legumes – all served on a large metal tray. The dishes are prepared to ensure a variety of tastes and textures for a complete and varied meal: you’ll have crunchy papadams, cooling raita, fresh roti or puri bread, an assortment of vegetables, and a dal or curry. Located in the heart of the hip Kala Ghoda neighbourhood, it’s close to the ornate Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya museum and some hip shopping, but you’ll probably be stuffed to the gills after eating, so plan a nap instead.

Bandra

Izumi

Best for: Ramen and sushi in Bandra West
Address: Sunrise Cooperative Society, Road Number 24, Khar (W), Mumbai 400050
Price: £

Chef Nooresha Kably spent time in Japan learning at both the Tokyo Sushi Academy and International Ramen School before opening her ramen restaurant in Bandra West. You’ll also find authentic sushi, yakitori and agemono (Japanese-style deep-fried delicacies). The space is bright and accented with wood and Japanese textiles, but it’s the food that will have you coming back, whether it’s the hamaachi truffle ponzu with wasabi jelly or vegetable gyozas. It’s no wonder that a Goa outpost followed in 2023.

Bandra Born

Best for: Bold flavour from one of the city’s most inventive chefs
Address: Rose Minar, 87, Chapel Road, Annexe, Reclamation, Bandra (W)
Price: ££

What started as a 12-week pop-up has morphed into a beloved Bandra favourite. Chef Gresham Fernandes grew up in the area, hence the name, and he brings his own spin (and lots of technique) to dishes that are comforting and flavour forward. We’re suckers for the plant-based beets meat, smoked carrots, posh Hersch puff (an homage to Bandra’s OG Hearsch Bakery) and duck Stroopwafel. Wash it down with Nimble Girl, a specially brewed beer by Great State Aleworks or one of the cocktails made using locally distilled mahua liquor.

Kari Apla

Best for: Coastal food with heart
Address: Shop No. 5, Mangal Bhavna, Khar Pali Rd, Khar (W)
Price: £

Kari Apla serves up coastal Indian food in a fuss-free, casual setting. Husband-and-wife duo Matthew Varghese and Ebaani Tewari honed their skills in some of the country’s top hotels and kitchens before opening their own space in the affluent Khar suburb. The 20-seater restaurant fills up quickly on weekends, drawing crowds for Madhurai mutton cutlets, Kadala curry hummus and the prawn ghee roast. While there’s no alcohol licence, refreshing homemade sodas make the perfect antidote to Mumbai’s humidity.

O Pedro

Best for: Goan cuisine with live music and cocktails
Address: Unit No 2, Godrej BKC, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai 400051
Price: £

O Pedro’s menu takes inspiration from Goa, and the food is consistently excellent. Whether it’s the seafood (don’t miss O Pedro’s ceviche) or the spicy fennel mustard curry, assertive flavours abound. The bar is no slouch either, with drinks like Kokum Stings (made with lip-puckering kokum-infused rum) and the Vasco Sour – a Goan twist on a Pisco sour – transporting you straight to the beach. On weekends, there’s live music, but no matter when you visit, O Pedro is an excellent showcase for the city’s evolving dining scene. Bandra is noted for its hip hangouts, check out our dedicated Bandra restaurant guide for more recommendations.

Lower Parel

Masque

Best for: Impressive interiors, Indian tasting menu 
Address: Unit G3, Laxmi Woollen Mills, Shakti Mills Lane, Off Dr E Moses Road, Mahalakshmi, Mumbai 400011
Price: ££

The tasting menu at Masque changes often, but what stays the same is the inspiration each dish takes from culinary traditions around the country. Ingredients are sourced from different corners of India and put together inventively; currently on the menu is a blackened Jerusalem artichoke dish, served with patudi, a chickpea flour pancake from Uttarakhand. The restaurant is housed in a former textile mill and the cavernous, industrial space is an oasis in a sometimes overwhelming city, with high ceilings and a sense of quiet luxury. For private dinners or a special experience, ask to book the 12-seater Masque Lab, a distinct dining room that serves the most inventive dishes the kitchen can muster. The cocktail bar at Masque is also considered one of the best in the city.

Grant Road

Soam

Best for: All-vegetarian street food, a stand-out mango lassi
Address: Sadguru Sadan, Babulnath Road, Grant Road, Mumbai 400007
Price: £

This all-vegetarian restaurant will change your perception of plant-based food. Before it was a trend, Soam’s seasonal menu showcased the best of regional food, mainly from the neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It’s one of few places in Mumbai that serve a proper mango lassi, which is best paired with the dal dhokla – a dal made with split pigeon peas and wheat flour. The aam paana, a raw mango cooler, is also an excellent order, and in the winter, undhiyo – a vegetarian dish cooked in an earthen pot – is a must-have. If you’re visiting at the weekend, make sure to factor in enough time for the queue to get in.

Colaba

The Table

Best for: Globally inspired fine dining with a farm-to-table philosophy
Address: Kalpesi Trust Building, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Mumbai 400039
Price: ££££

This Colaba stalwart has been around for 11 years and is one of the principal forerunners in Mumbai’s small-plate dining scene. Its salads are well loved and very popular at lunchtime, and the vegetables for the Soho Salad are sourced from the restaurant’s farm in Alibaug, a coastal town just outside Mumbai. Perennial favourites include the boneless chicken wings, shrimp dumplings and courgette ‘spaghetti,’ but the diverse menu has something for everyone. The downstairs area is great for people-watching, and if you’re booking ahead, try and snag the communal table, which is positioned right beside the bar.

Cuffe Parade

Thai Pavilion

Best for: Long‑standing Thai fine‑dining in the President hotel
Address: President, Mumbai – IHCL Selections, 90 Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400005
Price: ££

At Thai Pavilion, the city’s oldest Thai restaurant, classics are served in a moody, luxurious setting. Before the current trend of chefs travelling the world, Thai Pavilion’s former head chef spent months in Thailand learning from local families; twenty-odd years later, the food has stayed true to those traditional recipes. Whether you order the som tam or pad thai, chicken satay or silky bean curd in black bean sauce, you won’t be disappointed. Book ahead though, because the restaurant is a favourite with families that live in the area.

Looking for a pre-dinner aperitif? Beeline for these Mumbai bars, as recommended by a local writer. If you are bedding down for the night, consult our guide to the city’s best hotels, brimming with character.