Food · Mumbai · India
What to eat in Mumbai
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Mumbai, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rutiknatekar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Vada pav, Pav bhaji and Bhel puri. Sit at marble-topped tables under old photographs in one of South Mumbai's surviving Irani cafés and order bun maska, akuri and chai. Choose busy street stalls with high turnover and food cooked fresh, and avoid uncooked chutneys if your stomach is sensitive.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Vada pav
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Tip about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, round up for taxis and app…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Street food · Vegetarian
1.Vada pav
Mumbai's signature snack: a spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with garlic, green and tamarind chutneys and a fried chilli. Cheap, fast and eaten everywhere.
Where: Stalls outside railway stations, especially around Dadar and CSMT, and roadside carts across the city.
Street food · Vegetarian
2.Pav bhaji
A buttery, spiced mash of vegetables cooked on a large griddle and served with toasted, buttered buns, chopped onion and lime.
Where: Stalls at Juhu Beach and Girgaon Chowpatty, and long-established pav bhaji restaurants in Tardeo.
Snack · Vegetarian
3.Bhel puri
Puffed rice tossed with sev, onion, potato, tomato and sweet and spicy chutneys, eaten from a paper cone. Sev puri and pani puri are its close relatives.
Where: Beach stalls at Chowpatty and Juhu, and chaat counters in every neighbourhood.
Street food · Vegetarian
4.Bombay sandwich
White bread layered with green chutney, boiled potato, cucumber, tomato, onion and beetroot, often grilled with cheese and sprinkled with masala.
Where: Sandwich carts near offices and colleges, particularly in Fort and around Churchgate.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
5.Misal pav
A fiery Maharashtrian curry of sprouted moth beans topped with crunchy farsan, onion and coriander, served with pav buns.
Where: Maharashtrian eateries in Dadar, Girgaon and Thane, mostly at breakfast and lunch.
Dish
6.Bombil fry (Bombay duck)
Despite its English name, Bombay duck is a soft lizardfish, butterflied, coated in rava (semolina) and spices and fried until crisp outside.
Where: Malvani and Konkani seafood restaurants in Fort, Dadar and Bandra.
Dish
7.Malvani seafood thali
A coastal Maharashtrian meal of fish curry thickened with coconut, fried fish or prawns, rice, bhakri flatbread and a glass of pink sol kadhi made with kokum and coconut milk.
Where: Coastal seafood restaurants in Fort, Dadar and the western suburbs.
Dish
8.Berry pulao
A Parsi-Irani rice dish layered with spiced chicken or mutton, fried onions and tart barberries imported from Iran.
Where: Britannia & Co. in Ballard Estate, open since 1923, and other Irani restaurants in South Mumbai.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
9.Bun maska and Irani chai
A soft bun sliced and spread thickly with butter, dunked into strong, milky Irani chai. Akuri, Parsi spiced scrambled eggs, is the heartier option.
Where: Irani cafés such as Kyani & Co. near Metro Cinema, open since 1904.
Dish
10.Keema pav
Spiced minced mutton or chicken, sometimes topped with a fried egg, scooped up with soft pav; a classic Irani café and Mohammed Ali Road dish.
Where: Irani cafés in South Mumbai and eateries along Mohammed Ali Road.
Dessert · Vegetarian
11.Falooda
A layered dessert drink of rose syrup, vermicelli, basil seeds, milk and ice cream, often topped with kulfi.
Where: Badshah near Crawford Market and dessert shops across the city.
Food experiences
Irani café breakfast
Sit at marble-topped tables under old photographs in one of South Mumbai's surviving Irani cafés and order bun maska, akuri and chai.
Mohammed Ali Road food street
During Ramadan evenings this road near Minara Masjid becomes a huge night food market of kebabs, nalli nihari and malpua; outside Ramadan its restaurants still serve classic Mughlai dishes.
Sunset snacks on Chowpatty
Walk Marine Drive at sunset and end at Girgaon Chowpatty's stalls for pav bhaji, bhel puri and kulfi.
Coastal seafood lunch
Order a Malvani or Konkani thali, butter-garlic crab or bombil fry at one of the city's seafood specialists in Fort or Bandra.
Quick bites and street food
- Vada pav — Stalls outside railway stations, especially around Dadar and CSMT, and roadside carts across the city.
- Pav bhaji — Stalls at Juhu Beach and Girgaon Chowpatty, and long-established pav bhaji restaurants in Tardeo.
- Bhel puri — Beach stalls at Chowpatty and Juhu, and chaat counters in every neighbourhood.
- Bombay sandwich — Sandwich carts near offices and colleges, particularly in Fort and around Churchgate.
- Misal pav — Maharashtrian eateries in Dadar, Girgaon and Thane, mostly at breakfast and lunch.
- Bun maska and Irani chai — Irani cafés such as Kyani & Co. near Metro Cinema, open since 1904.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: Vada pav, Pav bhaji, Bhel puri, Bombay sandwich, Misal pav, Bun maska and Irani chai and Falooda. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Choose busy street stalls with high turnover and food cooked fresh, and avoid uncooked chutneys if your stomach is sensitive.
- Drink bottled or filtered water and be cautious with ice and cut fruit from carts.
- Many restaurants offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus; Gujarati and Jain places are strictly vegetarian.
- Seafood is best outside the monsoon; fishing is restricted during the breeding season in June and July.
- Tip about 10% in restaurants if no service charge has been added.
Tipping
Tip about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, round up for taxis and app rides, and tip guides and drivers at the end of a day.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Namaskar | Hello (Marathi) |
| Dhanyavaad | Thank you |
| Kitne ka hai? | How much is it? (Hindi) |
| Bas | Enough / stop here |
| Ek cutting | A half glass of tea |
| Chalo | Let's go |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Mumbai famous for?
Vada pav, Pav bhaji, Bhel puri and Bombay sandwich. Mumbai's signature snack: a spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with garlic, green and tamarind chutneys and a fried chilli.
+Is Mumbai good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Vada pav, Pav bhaji and Bhel puri.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Mumbai?
Tip about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, round up for taxis and app rides, and tip guides and drivers at the end of a day.