6 Best Restaurants in Mumbai, India

In spite of wincing prices, teatime at Taj Mahal hotel's Sea Lounge is an iconic Mumbai icon meal and a hop, skip, and jump from Colaba Causeway. For your money, you get a blithe gentleman or lady plunking away sprightly, old-fashioned airs on a piano, an unparalleled view of the Gateway of India, five-star service, and a pageant of teatime treats---think demure cucumber sandwiches, scones crowned with jam and clotted cream, along with a retinue of pastry. Or you could choose to go further afield with Sea Lounge's extended high tea, which includes a bacchanal of Indian, Western, and South East Asian dishes. 

Serving a whimsical, excellently executed menu of dishes inspired by the Catholic-dominated state of Goa, O'Pedro simultaneously pays homage to its Portuguese antecedents. Go at dinnertime to avoid the clatter of the patrons who descend upon the restaurant for their lunch break from the nearby offices and to enjoy seeing the wood-fired oven lit up.

Araku's food is fashionably cuisine-agnostic and made from organic and regenerative local farms, but we'd recommend stopping by for its excellent coffee. Its sleek coffee bar sits at the head of the restaurant and offers everything from cortado and espresso, to cool, fizzy caffeine brews served with lots of ice.

This very popular vegetarian restaurant, begun in 1958 and now part of a chain, is a convenient address in the city for delicious chana bhatura: the piping-hot, football-size puris made from white flour and yeast are served with spicy chickpeas and raw onions and lemons. The cheesy nachos and deep-fried corn cheese balls are good snack options, especially when washed down with their popular ice cream soda. It's so popular on weekends that the staff have initiated curbside pickup for the hungry hordes left waiting on the road for a seat in the restaurant.

Classic no-frills North Indian food draws many Middle Eastern vacationers to this eatery; it also has outlets throughout the United Arab Emirates, though this one's the flagship. It's loud and bustling—not the place for a romantic dinner—but the real reason to come is the top-quality chicken and mutton.

At this airy cafe full of sunlight, you can find comforting breads and French baked goods, as well as an assortment of savory breakfast items. There are branches in Lower Parel and Bandra.