Mumbai Restaurants

1. Elco Restaurant

For decades the food stalls in front of Elco Market have been serving some of the best—and cleanest—vegetarian street food Mumbai has to offer, and they were doing so well that the owners were able to open this two-floor restaurant inside the market, offering essentially the same food. One of Mumbai's most iconic experiences is standing by the pani puri vendor, as he stuffs boiled potato, sprouts, mint-fresh water, and sweet chutney into an eggshell-thin sphere of fried flour and hands it to you in a plate woven together with leaves.

2. Gajalee

3. Gajalee

Suburbanites love this quaint seafood joint near Juhu Beach, which compares favorably with the best coastal restaurants Fort has to offer. The Phoenix Mall branch is sleek and modern, while the original Vile Parle location is a bit tacky and dated but better regarded (as most originals are). There are other branches across India, including one at the High Street Phoenix Mall, so those staying down south don't have to travel too far to enjoy the fish.

4. Hakkasan

A Mumbai outpost of the Michelin-starred London original, this Bandra haunt is worth a visit for those who absolutely must have a fancy Chinese dinner. Even then, it's likely only worth dining here if you're in Bandra already. Known for: really good dim sum; local celebrity spotting; chic interiors

5. Pali Village Café

Quality European bistro food—and the possibility of seeing a Bollywood star or two—draws suburbanites as well as townies on date night to this converted one-story restaurant in Bandra, but it's the romantic, old-school charm of its interior that keeps them coming back for more. While the rest of Mumbai runs headlong into the future, this place harks back to Bombay's bungalow roots with simple wooden tables, wrought-iron railings, and exposed brick.

6. Salt Water Café

This unpretentious restaurant in Bandra Reclamation—a scenic, walkable section of Bandra—has a classic nouvelle cuisine menu and a simple rooftop terrace. It gets crowded on weekends, so be sure to make a reservation, preferably for the terrace, where the cover of giant palm trees somehow blocks out the cacophony from noisy Chapel Road below.