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Lots have been written, shot, and said about the food in Mumbai. Be it Mumbai’s street food, its khau gallis, its old cafes, or its continental restaurants, nothing ever misses the radar of a foodie. Just like the bustling city, the restaurants in Mumbai never sleep, many of them are often open way beyond midnight!
But we aren’t talking about only the city today, we’re talking about its suburbs. Mumbai’s suburbs stretch from Bandra to Dahisar and from Kurla to Mulund. The 2011 census of India says that the Mumbai suburban district is the fifth most populous district in India. Like you imagined, there are enough eateries to feed the suburban population of 9,356,962! From gorgeous kebabs to giant sandwiches, here are the top things to eat in Mumbai’s suburbs:
1. Shawarma At Carter Road Khau Galli, Bandra
2. Baahubali Sandwich At Bipin Big Sandwich, Borivali
3. Banana Leaf Special Thali At Banana Leaf Restaurant, Andheri
4. Tandoori Crabs At Gajalee, Vile Parle
5. Vada Pav At Pipasa, Borivali
6. Cheese Burst Dosa At Ghatkopar Khau Galli, Ghatkopar
7. Alcohol infused ice-creams At Icrekraft, Andheri
8. Seekh Paratha At Nawab Seekh Corner, Kurla
9. Pav Bhaji At Juhu Chowpatty, Juhu
10. Mutton Berry Pulao At SodaBottleOpenerWala, Bandra
If you’re a noobie to Shawarma, here’s a crash course. Shawarma is an Arab cuisine that’s meat infused with spices and cut into thin slices. You can see the meat roasting slowly in a vertical cone-like shape. This is then wrapped in bread and seasoned with mouth-watering sauces and chutneys.
The Shawarma you find at Carter Road in Bandra transports you to food heaven. One place that serves Shawarma way after midnight is Carter’s Blue. You should try the Lebanese Shawarma, the tender meat wrapped in soft Pita bread will give you a taste of the hype Shawarma is all about! Oh, and did we mention the variety of sauces you can choose from? Mint, mayo, or cheesy, pick your sin we say!
You can explore the Carter Road Khau Gali after this to devour some chat, kebabs, or milkshakes. If you’re out on a food tour with a vegan friend, head to the GoodDO Vegan eatery to try their vegan kheema pav. Funny of us talking about vegan food right after eating that Shawarma, anyways!
Every corner and gully of Mumbai has a sandwich stall, but this one tops it all. The three-layered Baahubali Sandwich isn’t something for the faint-hearted, or should we say, tiny-bellied (if that’s even a word). Four slices of bread, delicious chutneys, tons of veggies, and heaps of cheese go into making this huge snack.
The stuffing here isn’t your normal veggies mind you, there’s corn, jalapeno, olives, pineapples, and raw mango. Dig into it and you’ll feel the fiery red chutney balanced perfectly with the herbs in the green chutney. There’s a special masala too that goes into this concoction, the secret to which we’ll never know.
Served with dollops of cheese on top and crunchy potato chips on the side, there’s no question as to why this sandwich is a mass favorite! If you’ve space in your tummy after that wholesome dish, try the chocolate sandwich. It acts as a perfect dessert after the heavy Bahubali sandwich. If you think the Bahubali sandwich is the mightiest of all, try the Hulk Sandwich at Om Snacks in Andheri!
Mumbai’s suburbs are a mixed bag of cultures that provide great content for history books and great cuisines for food lovers. If you’re craving South Indian food, you shouldn’t let go of the opportunity to eat an elaborate thali at the Banana Leaf Restaurant. The Banana Leaf Special Thali is filled with all kinds of Keralite delicacies.
But hold on a minute, don’t begin your thali before you’ve eaten the Surmai fish fry for starters. It’s seasoned with pepper and literally melts into your mouth. Coming to the main dish, the meal is served in a Banana leaf to give you that authentic taste. Chuck your spoons and forks aside and dive right into the avail, sambhar, rasam, and brown rice with your bare fingers. The side dishes are as delicious, there’s the Pachadi which is beetroot raita, and the spicy ginger pickle.
There can be no better dessert to this scrumptious meal than Payasam. But hold on, we aren’t done yet, not before you gulp down the cool buttermilk they serve along with the thali. This is the best place to eat an Onam Sadhya in Mumbai, or you can visit whenever cravings strike!
Also Read: Experiencing The Food In Kerala
We’re talking about a city that sits by the coast and not including seafood will be a crime. Chicken tandoori makes it to your plate every now and then, but have you ever tried tandoori crabs? You get the best ones at Gajalee in Vile Parle. Gajalee has 5 locations spread across Mumbai, but the one in Vile Parle is their flagship restaurant. The specialty of Gajalee is seafood thalis, bombil fry, and crabs.
The tandoori crabs are huge, some almost weighing 1 kg, and are crammed with chunks of meat. You can taste the Arabian sea in the crab meat that’s perfectly juicy and has just the right amount of spices. The tandoori marinate is drool-worthy but never overpowers the flavor of the crab. The taste is slightly on the sweeter side which is balanced with the punch of ginger-garlic. Use the tools to forage for the crab meat hiding inside the claws, leave none behind!
We also mentioned Bombil Fry or Bombay duck that’s another seafood starter served here. Its seasoning is humble and its outer coating is crisp because of the rice batter. For the main course, try the Surmai curry with ghavane (a type of bread made of rice flour). The curry’s main ingredients are coconut, kokum, and onion which stand out. Don’t miss this one!
Mumbaikars absolutely love their Vada Pav and the snack has been a local favorite ever since it was invented in 1966. Vada Pav was historically a cheap and filling snack eaten by the mill workers and soon spread all over Mumbai. It’s a deep-fried mashed potato dumpling served inside a piece of bread.
It’s hard to keep a finger as to where you’ll find the best vada pav in Mumbai, but the one you eat at Pipasa will stay on your tastebud’s memory forever! The star in Pipasa vada pav is the red garlic-peanut chutney which adds the extra spicy punch to the snack. Drink a fresh lassi along with it and you’ll realize that a perfect combo never existed!
The place is right opposite Borivali Railway Station and is frequented by many locals every day. Pipasa is always full beyond its capacity but there’s a thrill in standing and eating that savory snack! You should also try their samosa pav and Dahi samosa after relishing the vada pav.
Who doesn’t love dosas? The delicacy traveled all over the world from its humble southern home. When it did meet the world, dishes like Chinese Dosa, Italian Dosa, Continental Dosa, and fusion dosa were born. If you want to try different kinds of dosas, you must visit the Ghatkopar Khau Galli. Call it a passage to heaven for vegetarians since the lane is crowded with stalls that sell pav bhaji, frankie, sandwich, chat, dabeli, and so on!
A star attraction on this food street is the variety of dosas, 40 varieties in all! There’s the remix dosa, thousand island dosa, Manchurian pasta dosa, cheese burst dosa, and even ice cream dosa! A dish called Cheese Burst Dosa wins every time, it’s loaded with lots of veggies and ofcourse, heaps of cheese. The stuffing is topped with grated cheese and then with melted cheese. The dosa is then rolled and topped with, you guessed it right, more cheese!
The amount of cheese ends up making the dosa soggy if you wait too long, so stop clicking pictures and eat right away! Then burn all those calories by walking around the khau galli, its interesting to see people making dosas on giant tawas. End your food tour with the malai gola found here!
Also Read: Exploring The Street Food Scene In Delhi
While we’re talking about malai gola, let us tell you about the icecreams that give you a high. Walk over to Icekraft in Andheri that serves the yummiest ice creams, pasta, burgers, waffles, and pancakes. This is a modern ice cream parlor cafe that’s a popular hangout spot for families and youngsters alike. The specialty here is the rolled ice creams that you can see prepared live.
Icekraft has a range of alcohol-infused ice creams called ‘Boozekraft’. These icecreams are infused with rum, whisky, or whatever your favorite liquor! We suggest going for the Black Rum and Raisins ice cream. The base of this ice cream is charcoal base and Nutella, which is infused with rum and then topped with dark chocolate flakes, rum-soaked raisins, and oreo. This ice cream tastes exotic and warm as it slides down your throat. The amount of rum added won’t make you drunk, but it’ll surely get you tipsy!
Another sin to try is the Drunken Fudgy Mess which has a walnut chocolate fudge base and oreo, choco chips, and Nutella as toppings. The best part about the ice cream? It’s infused with rum and whiskey. If you’re a dessert lover who also enjoys a good drink, the ice creams here are the perfect mix for you. Go check em out!
The Seekh Paratha at Nawab Seekh Corner is not your regular seekh kebab, it’s a complete experience in itself! The seekh is served with piping hot paratha and green chutney. The seekh kebab is juicy and spicy, dig into it with the paratha and dip it in the chutney before you relish it. The combination is an absolute hit and will leave you wanting for more, don’t worry because they’ve stacks of parathas and lots of seekh enough to satisfy the appetite of an entire town.
Unlike in other restaurants that serve you onions and tomatoes as salad, Nawab Seekh Corner serves you fresh pudina leaves to go with the seekh paratha. This side dish hits the right chords and is something only an expert chef could think of. Oh, and did we tell you about the Chicken Tandoori they serve? It’s marinated perfectly and roasted slowly to heighten your experience!
People come from all over Mumbai and beyond just to try the Seekh Paratha here. The restaurant has been around since 1996 and is a branch of the main Nawab Seekh Corner in Masjid Bandar. It’s undoubtedly one of the best seekh kebab restaurants in Mumbai’s suburbs.
The beach isn’t the only reason why people visit Juhu Chowpatty, it’s the food! The beach is no less than a food street with the variety of street food it offers. There are numerous stalls of chat, falooda, sandwiches, gola, and pav bhaji. The fun part is not the eating, but watching the chefs in their full splendor.
The chefs make pav bhaji in full view on raised platforms and the experience is no less than witnessing a performance. As evening falls on Juhu Chowpatty, crowds throb to the Pav Bhaji stalls. You can see pav bhaji made on huge tawas with generous amounts of cheese and butter. The chefs don’t shy away from showing off their culinary skills which are a treat to both your sight and appetite!
You should try the cheese pav bhaji, the spicy Kolhapuri pav bhaji, or the Punjabi pav bhaji. There’s an option for your Jain friends too, the Jain pav bhaji found here is lip-smacking! Before you call it a day, try the malai falooda or the fusion gola after you’ve had your fill of the pav bhaji!
Also Read: 6 Of The Best Offbeat Beaches In India
There’s a rich Irani cafe culture in Mumbai, and a trip to such cafes is incomplete without trying their tea and bun maska. There are Parsi restaurants too that give you the authentic taste of Iranian food. But most Irani cafes and restaurants are clustered around the fort area of Mumbai. Well, the suburbs aren’t behind because you’ll find a SodaBottleOpenerWala outlet almost anywhere!
Almost every piece of content floating around the internet that talks about Parsi food mentions the Mutton Berry Pulao. The one you find at SodaBottleOpenerWala stays up to the expectations, or should we say, exceeds it! Let’s start with the berries that are used to garnish the pulao, they are imported right from Iran! Coming to the star cast, the mutton is unsurprisingly soft and flavourful. It stands out in the dish and balances the spicy tinge!
Wash that berry pulao down with some Cold Brew, it’s a kind of coffee drink that’s brewed for 12-15 hours! Trust us, this will be your greatest experience so far with Parsi food in Mumbai’s suburbs!
If you’re a true Mumbaikar or just visiting as a tourist, you’ll love the food that Mumbai’s suburbs has in store for you. You can dine a 5-course meal sitting in a restaurant or a 10-course meal walking through a khau gali, upto you! In the end, you’ll keep returning to the suburbs for the great food and feel!
Also Read: 12 Things You Can’t Miss Out On When In Mumbai
Which Are The Best Restaurants In Mumbai?
Namak, The Earth Plate, Bombay High, Kebabs and Kurries, etc are some of the best fine dining restaurants in Mumbai. Ram Ashraya, Cafe Madras, Bagdadi Restaurant, etc are some of the best local restaurants in Mumbai.
What Is A Khau Galli?
A Khau Galli is a Marathi word that translates to ‘ Food Alley’. Khau Gallis are lanes clustered with street food vendors, carts, and food stalls that serve a variety of street food. Such Khau Gallis are located near colleges, offices, and railway stations and witness great footfall every day.
What To See In Mumbai?
Gateway of India, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Haji Ali Dargah, Elephanta Caves, ISKCON Temple, and Girgaon Chowpatty are some of the best places to see in Mumbai.
How’s The Nightlife In Mumbai?
Mumbai’s nightlife is thriving and there are many pubs around Marine Drive, Juhu Beach, Colaba, and Bandra. You can go club-hopping with your friends and experience Mumbai’s nightlife even on weekdays. There’s more hustle and bustle on the weekends because of live shows and performances.
What To Shop For In Mumbai?
It’s hard to keep a finger on one particular thing to shop in Mumbai because there are tons of items to shop for from different places. You can shop for clothes, decor items, jewelry, art, precious stones, bags, footwear, etc. The best places to go shopping in Mumbai are Colaba Causeway, Heera Panna Market, Lalbaug Market, Linking Road, Hill Road, and Crawford Market.
What Is Mumbai's Famous Dish?
One of the popular dishes in Mumbai is the scrumptious vada pav. But there are many other dishes Mumbai is famous for, like shawarma at Carter road Khau Galli, Baahubali sandwich at Bipin Big Sandwich, and Cheese Burst Dosa at Ghatkopar Khau Galli are only a few of the many popular dishes to try here.
What Sweet Is Famous In Mumbai?
Mumbai's sweets are definitely something to drool over. Some of the most popular sweets are shankarpali, kaju katli, shrikhand, doodhpak, basundi, anarsa, and modak.
Which Are The Local Snacks Of Mumbai?
Other than the famous vada pav, some of the go-to snacks of the locals of Mumbai are sev puri, bhel puri, pani puri, and many other dishes.
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