Mumbai doesn’t have the same reputation as a food city compared to Delhi or Kolkata. But the city is full of great meals — you just need to know where to look. Around the Fort and Colaba area, the oldest part of Mumbai at the southern tip, you’ll find a bunch of the marquee, century-old establishments that have survived the test of time where you can dive into berry pulao, bun maska, and cups of Irani chai. For a more contemporary look at dining, head to Bandra, the cosmopolitan neighborhood in the central part of the city. To sample the best of Maharashtrian food, the cuisine of the state surrounding Mumbai, head to Dadar, where you can find khanavals (family-owned canteens that serve no-nonsense, homestyle food) and feast on sabudana vadas, thalipeeth, vada pav, and semolina-crusted fish.
It is impossible to talk about food in Mumbai without a mention of the wealth gap in the city. Over 10 million people live in the slums, while the city also hosts the country’s largest number of billionaires. The dining culture in the city reflects this disparity; while most restaurants are quick and affordable for the average Mumbaikar, over the past decade, the city has welcomed several restaurants catering to the super rich (which tend to have a shelf life of under two years, when they inevitably get replaced by trendier options). Social media has also brought in food trends from the West that are aspirational to Indians for whom foreign travel is not a possibility.
Most of the restaurants on this list have maintained their quality and fanbases for years, proof that the city respects consistency more than fads. Though you might have to spend a little effort to try a few of Mumbai’s best meals, India’s city of dreams rewards struggle.
Sumedh Natu is a director, producer, and writer who created the food show Menu Please on the Netflix India YouTube channel. He has lived in Mumbai for a decade and documented food all over India.
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