01MustBallard Estate
Britannia & Company
ORDER
Berry pulav
The berry pulav is the whole reason: sweet-tart barberries over spiced mutton. Cash only, lunch only, shut Sundays.
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A local's guide to eating out in Bombay
17 spots · Mumbai
Parsi
2 spots02Fort
Ideal Corner
ORDER
Sali boti (dhansak on weekends)
Parsi home food without the home. Dhansak only on weekends, sali boti any day. Tiny, always full, worth the wait.
Irani Cafe
1 spot01Marine Lines
Kyani & Co.
ORDER
Bun maska and Irani chai
One of the last real Irani cafes. Bun maska dunked in sweet chai, keema if you're hungry. Come to sit, not to rush.
Street
3 spots01MustDadar
Ashok Vada Pav
ORDER
Vada pav, extra dry garlic chutney
The vada pav every other one is measured against. That dry garlic chutney, eaten standing by Kirti College. The one.
02Vile Parle
Anand Stall
ORDER
Vada pav or the toasted sandwich
The suburbs' answer to Ashok, right by Mithibai. Vada pav or the toasted sandwich, both do the job. A Parle classic.
03Tardeo
Sardar Pav Bhaji
ORDER
Pav bhaji, extra butter
Pav bhaji under more butter than you'll admit to, since 1966. Ask for extra amul and watch them not blink.
Breakfast
1 spot01Matunga
Cafe Madras
ORDER
Filter coffee and the rava dosa
Matunga's South Indian anchor. The filter coffee alone earns the trip, the rava dosa seals it. Weekend queues are real.
Seafood
3 spots01MustVile Parle
Gajalee
ORDER
Bombay duck fry, the crab
Ask a Mumbaikar where to eat fish, this is the first word out. The Bombay duck fry is a religious thing. Go hungry.
02Kala Ghoda
Trishna
ORDER
Butter garlic crab
Cramped Fort bylane, worth every elbow. The butter garlic crab is what people fly in for. Book ahead, wear the bib.
03Bandra East
Highway Gomantak
ORDER
The fish thali
No view, no vibe, just honest Goan-Malvani seafood off the highway. The fish thali, solkadhi and all. Cheap and real.
Mughlai
1 spot01Bhendi Bazaar
Noor Mohammadi
ORDER
Nalli nihari, Chicken Sanju Baba
Since 1923, and the nalli nihari is why. Slow-cooked mutton shank, soft roti, the Chicken Sanju Baba if you're brave.
Kebabs
1 spot01MustColaba
Bademiya
ORDER
Seekh kebab roll, past midnight
The 1am answer behind the Taj. Smoky seekh kebab rolls out of a lane stall, to a crowd that never thins. Essential.
Thali
1 spot01MustKalbadevi
Shree Thaker Bhojanalay
ORDER
The unlimited Gujarati thali
The Gujarati thali all others are judged against, since 1945. Endless refills, undhiyu in season. Come starving.
Maharashtrian
1 spot01Dadar
Aaswad
ORDER
Misal and cold piyush
Award-winning misal that earns the fuss, plus the puran poli aunties queue for. Chase it with a cold piyush.
Sweets
2 spots01MustChurchgate
K. Rustom
ORDER
The ice cream sandwich
An ice cream slab pressed between two thin wafers, over a counter unchanged in decades. Pure Bombay childhood.
02Chowpatty
Bachelorr's
ORDER
Falooda or a fresh fruit cream, late
The Marine Drive counter that runs past midnight. Falooda on the seafront wall while Bombay refuses to sleep.
Bar
1 spot01Colaba
Gokul
ORDER
Cheap drinks, the Mangalorean plates
The great Colaba dive, dim and cheap and come-as-you-are, behind the Taj. The Mangalorean plates hold up.
That's vouch's taste. Yours is worth a home too.
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