Expatriate Forums in India

Mumbai info · Guest Home Country: countryx

Dining in Mumbai / Bombay Guide (Cuisines, places, etc...)

For Mumbaikars, dining out is synonymous with sophistication. At weekends, when restaurants are packed, it is a good idea to make a booking. Women dining alone do not feel out of place at hotel outlets. The average cost of a dinner at a five-star hotel restaurant, without tax, drinks and tips, is between 1,300 and 3,000 rupees (about $30-$70) per person; at a medium-priced restaurant, 650-1,200 rupees; and at inexpensive cafes 300 rupees. At hotel restaurants, add taxes of about 30%. Beer and spirits are available at top and mid-range restaurants and smoking is permitted at most places. Credit cards are widely accepted.
Worldroom's Picks for the Business Traveler

Our recommendations feature restaurants located close to main hotels in the business district that offer high quality food, top service and an environment conducive to business discussions.

Ankur
Meadow House
Tamarind Lane
Fort
Tel: 265-4194
Open: noon-3:30 p.m., 6:30-midnight; dinner only on Sunday
vOnce an ordinary fish restaurant, Ankur has evolved into a hugely popular place for Mangalorean and Konkan seafood with bowtie service -- plus the option of Mughlai and Chinese food. The seafood dishes like peppered clams, tandoori crabs and fried prawns go well with rice pancakes (neer dosa). It also does a mean kori rootti, which is chicken curry in fiery spiked coconut milk served with crispy roti.

Apoorva
Noble Chambers
S. A. Brelvi Road
Horniman Circle
Fort
Tel: 287-0335
King crabs, jumbo prawns and fresh fish are cooked the Mangalorean way, along with Punjabi and Chinese food, at this popular, well-appointed restaurant. Apart from the excellent fish and prawn curries, Apoorva also serves special Kerala appams with chicken stew, which is available only for dinner. This is also a good place to try Bombay duck.

Bayview
Hotel Marine Plaza
29, Marine Drive
Churchgate, Mumbai 400020
Tel: +91-22 285-1212; 285-5061
Accepts major credit cards
Open 24 hours
Reservations not required
This restaurant, just walking distance from the business district and Hotel Oberoi Towers, overlooks the Arabian Sea. It offers an excellent view of Marine Drive, also known as the Queen's Necklace. The interior, made to look like a ship's, is complete with portholes, Italian marble, etc. The restaurant offers excellent buffets for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even for a midnight feast (from midnight to 3:30 a.m.). Click here to see the map.

Blue Cilantro
Blue Cilantro Restaurant
Behind Kuber Building,Off New Link Road
Andheri (West)
Mumbai-400053
Tel: 2673 3333/26731010
Spread over 8250 sq. feet of area at Dreams Square in the heart of Mumbai suburbs at Andheri (West), Blue Cilantro promises to provide an ultimate experience making dining a celebration. The world cuisine includes food from Europe, Mediterranean, Far East and ofcourse India.
The design gives a feel of an ultra-modern silio with a stunning effect of space and volume making the restaurant stand out. The decor using new age materials such as brushed steel and glass is understated and the minimal use of colours add an contemporary international flavour and a perfect backdrop for the exquisite cuisine.

Boulevard
The Orchid
17 Nehru Rd.
Vile Parle East
Tel: 616-4040 O
pen: 24/7
The coffee shop of the eco-friendly Orchid Hotel prepares a huge lunch buffet and a more limited midnight spread, plus a la carte selections for dinner. Although the menu includes some international favorites like Thai curry and Malaysian satay, there are also several Indian specialties including a reinterpretation of Bombay duck that comes with a prawn filling. It also has more than 20 kinds of coffee, including spiked varieties.

Cafe Churchill
103_B Colaba Causeway
Colaba
Tel: 284-4689
Open: 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
There are more items on the menu than there are tables at this 26-seat restaurant. Diners can choose from sandwiches and pizzas to more substantial meals like steaks and chicken casserole. Pasta selection is large (it has six kinds of lasagna alone), and there are old reliables like fish 'n' chips, and what it calls skillet dishes for which the café is popular. Prepare to queue for lunch, or better yet call for delivery. Cash only.

Café Royal
166, M. G. Road
(Opposite Regal Cinema)
Colaba, Mumbai 400005
Tel: +91-22 202-0560; 288-3982
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 12:00 noon to midnight
Reservations not required
This 140-seater bright, bustling, and cheerful restaurant with its huge mirrored walls reflects the cosmopolitan crowd it caters to. An ideal place to pop into for a burger, sizzler or sandwich. Walking distance from the Taj Mahal Hotel and business district. Click here to see the map.

Caravan Sterling Movie Hall Building
Hazarimal Somani Marg
Fort, Mumbai 400001
Tel: +91-22 207-2492
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 11:00 a.m. to 12 midnight
Reservations not required
This restaurant offers the regular Indian fare of curries, sizzlers, kababs, and snacks. They have a candlelight dinner every Saturday. Walking distance from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus (previously known as Victoria Terminus). Click here to see the map.

Casa Mexicana
Hotel Oberoi Towers
Nariman Point
Tel: 202-4343
Open: 12:30-2:45 p.m., 7:45-11:45 p.m.
The adobe decor enhances the experience at this cheery restaurant where the fajitas, salsa dips and creative tequila-based cocktails are the big draw. For something more substantial, dine on grilled lobster or blackened chicken while enjoying views of both the swimming pool and the Arabian Sea. Buffet lunch also available. Reservations advised.

Chetana
Kala Ghoda
Fort
Tel: 284-4968/282-2514
The place to go for meticulously prepared vegetarian cuisine in intricate Rajasthani decor. The traditional Gujarati or Rajasthani thali set meal here is an interesting, ethnic experience. Dals (lentils), vegetables and desserts are served in small bowls on a metal platter, to enjoy with rice or chappatis. Reservations advised for dinner.

Chopsticks
90-A, Veer Nariman Road
Churchgate, Mumbai 400020
Tel: +91-22 204-9284; 283-2308
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 12:00 noon to 3:30 p.m.; 7:00 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Reservations not required
This famous Chinese restaurant has Chinese artwork and panels all over. Its specialities are prawns, chilly crabs, and dragon fish. Walking distance from Hotel Oberoi Towers and the central business district. Click here to see the map.

Copper Chimney
K. Dubash Marg
Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400023
Tel: +91-22 284-4468; 204-1661
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; 7:30 p.m. to midnight
Reservations not required
An excellent place to try Indian and Moghlai cuisine. It serves some excellent kababs like prawn nisha, panner tikka, and malai chicken kabab. Walking distance from the Taj Mahal Hotel and the central business district. Click here to see the map.

El Mexicano
Taj President Hotel
90 Cuffe Parade
Colaba
Tel: 215-0808
Open: 12:30-2:45 p.m., 7-11:45 p.m.
Highly recommended for authentic Mexican food, beers, frozen margaritas and tequilas in an elegant hacienda setting. Despite the festive image of Mexican dining, serious foodies can have a swell time sampling exotic stuff like cactus soup and the intriguing chicken breast with dark chocolate and chili sauce. There's a small listing for Tex-Mex dishes, but El Mexicano is the real enchilada.

Fiorella
Leela Hotel
Sahar
Tel: 836-3636
Open: 7:30 p.m.-midnight
Near the international airport, this grand, Italian-style restaurant has a lofty menu of caviar, antipasti, grilled T-bone and salmon steaks with Chianti and other wines.

Gaylord
Mayfair, Veer Nariman Road
Churchgate, Mumbai 400020
Tel: +91-22 282-1259; 204-4693
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Reservations not required
With a luxurious mirrored interior, Gaylord also has an open air section where one can watch the rest of Mumbai pass by. It specializes in Indian and Continental cuisine, with its chicken chasseure, and roast lamb with mint as crowd favorites. Walking distance from Hotel Oberoi Towers and the business district. Click here to see the map.

Golden Dragon
Taj Mahal Hotel
Apollo Bunder
Colaba
vTel: 202-3366
Open: noon-2:45 p.m., 7-11:45 p.m.
This Chinese restaurant has an extensive menu of mostly Szechwan dishes with a couple of standards like Peking duck and lemon chicken. It has a long list of seafood specialties, including the very popular golden fried jumbo prawns. Chef specials include several vegetarian dimsum like winter melon and corn dumplings, as well as steamed chicken breast.

Golden Gate
B/1, Amarchand Mansion
Madame Cama Road
Mumbai 400039
Tel: +91-22 202-6306
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Reservations not required
The two-leveled Golden Gate offers an excellent salad buffet serving two soups, 11 salads (cooked and uncooked) like chicken gado gado, Italian fish salad, walnut cabbage, besides breads and dessert. Also offered is an ala carte Indian menu with specialties like chicken hazari kabab and chicken hariyali kabab. Walking distance from Hotel Taj Mahal and the business district. Click here to see the map.

Indian Summer
80, Veer Nariman Road
Churchgate, Mumbai 400021
Tel: +91-22 283-5445
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 12:00 noon to 3:30 p.m.; 7:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Reservations not required
At Indian Summer, light and color play through glass and sandblasted mirror to create a feeling of space. One cannot go wrong with kababs here. Walking distance from The Oberoi Hotel and the business district. Click here to see the map.

Indigo
Mandalik Rd. Colaba
Tel: 285-6316, 202-3592
Open: 12:30-3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
A recent upmarket addition to the dining scene, this highly acclaimed restaurant -- considered by many the best in Mumbai -- offers an Indo-European fusion menu in a smart, minimalist setting for trendy diners. Think lobster bisque with crispy okra, or the wonderful potato-crusted rawa (salmon) with mango curry. There are also more straight ahead Western classics like duck confit, vegetable ravioli and the coriander-crusted tuna steak. Sunday brunch available.

Jewel of India
Nehru Center Dr. Annie Besant Rd.
Worli
Tel: 494-9435
Open: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 7-11:30 p.m.
One of the popular lunch spots for executives at Worli, Mumbai's rising new business district. Its vast lunchtime buffet not only features the restaurant's authentic North Indian specialties but also has some Chinese and Continental items. Dinner is a la carte and among the signature dishes is the Jewel of India Chicken, which is shredded chicken meat in tomato sauce with cashew. Despite the rather rustic character of the Indian dishes, the atmosphere is spacious and upscale with marble and glass, plus leather seats.

Jimmy Boy Cafe
Vikas Bldg. 11 Bank St.
Fort
Tel: 270-0880
Mumbaikars agree that the best Parsi food can be had at weddings. Next best is to have a meal at this restaurant. The house special is lagan nu bhonu, a lavish dish served on plantain leaves which includes fish, fowl and meat, eggs and other specialties. Unfortunately it is served only for dinner.

Kamling
82 Veer Nariman Rd.
Churchgate
Tel: 285-3137
Open: noon-11:30 p.m.
One of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Mumbai, Kamling is favored by wealthier locals as well as Asian visitors for its wide selection of mostly Cantonese dishes. The menu also lists several international Chinese specialties like American chopsuey and fooyong, even Singapore-style chili crab. The Chimney Soup is among the chef's best, and there are also special steamed pork and rice dishes.

Kandahar
The Oberoi Nariman Point
Tel: 202-4343 ext 6111
Open: 12:30-3 p.m., 7:30-midnight
Watch the ocean or the chefs at work behind a glass-fronted kitchen where Mughlai food is given the five-star treatment. A quick lunch choice would be the salmon tikka, or the ki khaas seekh, a sausage-like dish made of minced chicken and stuffed with crab and shrimp mousse. The lamp chop is also excellently flavored as it is slow-braised with an assortment of Indian spices like cloves and cardamon. Vegetarian dishes also available.

Khyber
145 M G Rd. Kala Ghoda
Fort
Tel: 267-3227
Open: 12:30-4 p.m., 7:30-midnight
This popular North Indian restaurant, opulently designed with murals by Indian artists and carved stone pillars, attracts celebrities and other devotees of rich Mughlai food such as paneer (cottage cheese) shashlik, and mutton kababs. Order the meticulously prepared Kyber raan (leg of lamb) way ahead, while leave room for the famous chicken makhanwallah. Function rooms for corporate events available. Reservations required.

Konkan Café
Hotel Taj President
90 Cuffe Parade
Colaba
Tel: 215-0808
Once delegated to hole-in-the-wall eateries, Konkan seafood gets a luxurious make over at this hotel restaurant but retaining all the strong flavors. With an elegant ambiance attuned to international travelers, this is a perfect place for those seeking a refined Indian coastal cooking experience. Lowly fish dishes like bangda (mackerel) make a surprise appearance on the menu, as do more elaborate ones like a steamed pomfret wrapped in turmeric leaf and stuffed with green masala and other spices. The mutton chops are so succulent you'd be forgiven if you use your hands.

Ling's Pavilion
19/21 Mahakavi Bhushan Marg
(Behind Regal Cinema)
Mumbai 400039
Tel: +91-22 285-0023; 282-4535
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 12:00 noon to 11:30 p.m.
Reservations not required
Jade roll, pot rice, and steamed fish are the chef's picks here. Done up on two levels like a pavilion, the high ceiling, painted like the sky, the small bridge leading to the lower level, and the pond with live fish all add to the charm of this Chinese eatery. This seems to be the place for Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese homesick for the authentic stuff. Walking distance from The Taj Hotel and the business district. Click here to see the map.

Lite House
Fatima Villa 29th Rd.
Bandra West
Tel: 655-2638
Open: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 7:30-11:30 p.m.
One of the more modern restaurants in Mumbai, this Continental eatery focuses on healthy cuisine, hence the name. Seafood and chicken dominate the menu that also features juices and low-fat, low-calorie desserts. Yet don't expect bland flavors. The chicken pancake has a good deal of chili, while the prawn chowder is thick and full. Alcohol is not allowed.

Little Italy
18B Juhu Tara Rd.
Juhu
Tel: 617-8815, 617-8816
Open: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 7-11:30 p.m.
With a real Italian chef at the helm, no wonder Mumbai's Italian residents take a trip to the suburbs just to eat at this restaurant. But you are reminded that you are still in India as this is a vegetarian restaurant. The Bolognese, for instance, uses soya. Still, the variety of options more than makes up for the meatless menu from the mushroom risottos to the potato gnocchi. There are 25 kinds of pizzas, including some with Indian toppings. The tiramisu is rated among the best in town.

Mahesh Lunch Home
8B Cavasji Patel St.
Fort
Tel: 287-0938
Open: 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 6 p.m.- midnight
While the name does not inspire, the food, prices and ambience (upstairs) are good reasons to dine in Mumbai's original Mangalore seafood restaurant. Downstairs is largely blue collar with no air conditioning, but this didn't deter locals from office workers to cricket players who have been patronizing this restaurant for more than 20 years. Among the seafood favorites here are the pomfret curry and the salt-and-pepper crabs, although one should not miss the chicken roti, available only on Sundays.

Mirch Masala
Hotel New Castle
355 Linking Rd.
Khar West
Tel: 648-0483, 649-0276
Open: 24/7
Pure visual kitsch, inspired by European castles, but this restaurant is unlikely to get snickers. The owners' food empire covers the whole country, and extends to London. Mirch Masala is the showpiece and is the place for lamb eaters. The leg of lamb or raan is marinated overnight in a mixture of various Indian spices notably cardamon, then slow-cooked the following day. The lamb kheemas are also recommended. It also has a large chicken menu, highlighted by the chicken saagwalla which is essentially garlic chicken with Indian spices.

New Yorker
27 Sea Face Rd.
Chowpatty
Tel: 364-3232, 363-2923
Prepare to queue at this American-style restaurant known for its thin_crust pizzas and lively atmosphere. Diners can choose their own toppings, as well as order combo-style. Mexican dishes are also available as well as sandwiches, baked potato and hot fudge sundaes. The burgers are vegetarian.

Oriental Blossom
Marine Plaza Hotel
19 Marine Dr.
Churchgate
Tel: 285-1212
Open: 12:30-2:45 p.m., 7:30-11:45 p.m.
Most Chinese restaurants in Mumbai lean towards the spicy Szechuan style, but this hotel outlet went for the delicate flavors of Cantonese cuisine instead. This well-designed space has large windows and none of the gold-leaf trimmings common to Chinese outlets, complemented by sharp service. The dim sum is excellent and it serves pork dishes, which is a bit unusual for Mumbai. Not very restaurant, but has private dining rooms.

Palkhi
15 Walton Rd. Colaba
Tel: 284-0232
Open: noon-3 p.m., 7 p.m.-midnight
Urns, plants and a painted ceiling provide a fine setting for contemporary and unusual North Indian cooking by chefs who use a light hand with oil and spices. Kababs are the specialty, particularly the spinach Cordon Bleu and the chicken with cashew nuts, although best to order the kabab platter. Even the traditional milk balls get fired up, as it is transformed into a flambe dessert.

The Palms
The Oberoi Towers
Nariman Point
Tel: 202-4343
Open: 24/7
This popular coffee shop has a varied menu of Indian and international favorites, including American, Italian, Mexican and Thai dishes. It has a wide selection of vegetarian specials including veggie burgers and Italian vegetable fritata. Diners can also make their own pizza (with choice of vegetarian and meat toppings).

Pearl of the Orient
Ambassador Hotel
Veer Nariman Rd.
Churchgate
Tel: 204-1131
Open: 12:30-2:45 p.m., 7:30-11:45 p.m.
The city view enhances the dining experience at this revolving Asian restaurant that serves mainly Chinese food. However limited the Japanese selection may be, this is probably the best Japanese meal one can have in Mumbai. The sushis in particular are top-notch.

Rotisserie & Sea Grill
The Oberoi
Nariman Point
Tel: 202-4343
Open: 12:30-3 p.m., 7-11 p.m.
French-style wining and dining in an elegant, sumptuous setting within a five-star hotel. Although prime U.S. Angus beef is the specialty, the restaurant is quite conscious of vegetarian diets, with separate listings for non-meat dishes. Large seafood selection from halibut to Dover sole can be had pan-fried, steamed, grilled or baked. Fine wine list has bottles from France, the U.S., Australia, and South Africa, including pricey champagnes.

Sampan
Holiday Inn
Juhu
Tel: 620-4444
Open: 12:30-2:45 p.m., 7:30-11:45 p.m.
Szechwan food in a luxurious modern Chinese setting is the selling point of this spacious restaurant, which attracts high-profile diners, mostly Bollywood stars. Definitely the best Chinese food you'd find in the suburbs, Sampan has excellent several excellent specialties notably the prawns in garlic sauce, the pepper chicken, and the ginger pork. The dimsum is also recommended.

Sanuk Thai
30 K. Dubash
Marg
Kala Ghoda
Fort
Tel: 204-4233
Open: 12:30-3 p.m., 8-11:45 p.m.
Authentic and tasty Thai food is served in this regal restaurant, inspired by the opulent Buddhist temples in the kingdom. Although India has its own style of curry, the Thai versions at this restaurant have certainly made a good impression and earned the respect of the locals. The chili prawns are also ace.

Sea Lounge
Taj Mahal Hotel
Apollo Bunder
Tel: 202-3366
This hotel outlet is an unlikely romantic place to enjoy a sandwich or Indian street snacks with a view of boats in the harbor. Mumbai's high society come here for hygienic street food, such as the city's famous bhel-puri, a crunchy concoction of puffed rice and puris (crisps) mixed with chopped onions, boiled potatoes and various chutneys. (If you really want to dine like a local, flock to the brightly lit beach stalls on Chowpatty for this favorite snack).

Shamiana
Taj Mahal Hotel
Apollo Bunder
Tel: 202-3366
Open: 24/7
The first coffee shop in Mumbai to open around the clock, Shamiana bustles with late-night revelers and actually does more business with locals than hotel guests. Night or day, guests feast on steaks and pizzas and even local snacks and mutton burgers under genuine shamiana tents. It also has a popular curry wagon that offers a speedy lunch of six curries -- three are vegetarian -- served with rice and naan.

Sidewok
NCPA Bldg.
Nariman Point
Tel: 281-8132
Wok cuisine is the attraction at this recently opened restaurant at the National Center for the Performing Arts. Diners select ingredients at an Asian Wok Market Bar for chefs to season and stir fry according to guest specifications. Run by the Taj Group, this cheerful restaurant has a 50-foot-long open kitchen where guests can watch chefs whip up dishes of pan-Asian origin from Lebanon to Thailand. The waiters even break into song-and-dance once in a while. Signature dishes include lemon grass pomfret and the salmon tandoor. Complemented with various Asian beers. Reservations advised.

Starters and More
Eros Theatre Bldg.
Churchgate
Tel: 281-4124
Open: 12:30-2:30 p.m., 7:30-11:30 p.m.
This modern looking restaurant is popular with locals for power lunch, as well as for dinner with high-tech music. The executive set lunch includes main course, and a choice of several soups, 15 salads, five desserts, coffee and soda. The selection is international ranging from Mediterranean style light dishes to Oriental favorites. Apart from an open kitchen, it has a long bar with a hefty drinks menu. Huge glass panels provide an airy atmosphere.

Sundance Café
Eros Building
Churchgate, Mumbai 400020
Tel: +91-22 282-1286; 202-3583
Open from 8:00 a.m. to midnight
Reservations not required
An extremely popular and bustling eatery, this restaurant is well known for its generous servings of sizzlers, burgers, sandwiches, and rolls. Recommended are their chilly beef sandwich, warm apple pie, sizzlers, breakfast, and iced tea. Walking distance from The Hotel Oberoi and the business district. Click here to see the map.

Tanjore
Taj Mahal Hotel
Apollo Bunder
Tel: 202-3366 ext 3278
Open: 12:30-2:45 p.m., 7 p.m.-midnight
Indian food is showcased with music (and occasional dancing) in an exotic interior decorated with temple paintings. Claypot dishes from Rajasthan and an eight-course thali meal served on silver dishes are recommended.

Thackers
New Marine Lines
Tel: 205-3641
Open: 12:30-3 p.m., 7:30-11:30 p.m.
This vegetarian paradise has been upgraded in terms of ambience but the food remains the same. Which means if you're looking for Gujarati cuisine, this is the place to go. The thali set meals change twice a day but always an eat-all-you-can-affair. There are three vegetable dishes, rotis, various chutneys, sweets, and farsans. A la carte dishes are also available, including some Punjabi favorites and even vegetable au gratin. Specialties of the house are the dal, dahi kadhi and kofta potato dumplings. But don't leave without trying the undhiyu, a dry stew with yams, bananas and snowpeas

Thai Pavilion
Taj President Hotel
90 Cuffe Parade
Colaba
Tel: 215-0808
Open: 12:30-3 p.m., 7-11:30 p.m.
Authentic Thai cuisine with all the favorites (tom yum soup, papaya salad, steamed fish, etc) in a pleasant setting. The curry selection is especially strong, and for those who aren't sure what to order from the pretty large menu, there are non-vegetarian and vegetarian set meals. Cigars and Jamaican coffee are also available.

Tian Restaurant & Bar
48,Gulmohur Road,
Juhu,Mumbai 400049
Tel: 6914425
Considered as Mumbai's first Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian restaurant.
The prices ranges from rs.350-500 per head and they accept all major credit cards. They serve Teppanyaki, Sushi,Bulgogi and other Asian specialties.

Trattoria
Taj President Hotel
90 Cuffe Parade
Colaba
Tel: 215-0808
Open: 24/7
Typical upscale Italian restaurant has all the familiar dishes and even strolling musicians during dinner. Pasta selection tends to stick to the basics, but there's a lot to choose from when it comes to pizza. There's a few main courses for those looking for something more substantial, and if Italian really isn't your thing, you can just order a burger. Impressive wine selection includes Dom Perignon and Chateau Latour.

Trishna
7, Ropewalk Lane
(Next to Commerce House)
Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai 400023
Tel: +91-22 267-2176; 265-9644
Accepts major credit cards
Open from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.; 6:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Sundays: 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.; 7:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Literally crawling with foreigners from the five-star hotels and consulates, this is the place for crabs. First, you get to examine the live crabs. Then you tell the chef how you want them cooked. Walking distance from The Taj Mahal Hotel and the business district. Click here to see the map.

Woodland Garden Café Vaikuntlal Mehta Rd.
Juhu Scheme
Tel: 611-9119
Open: noon-11 p.m.
The most popular South Indian restaurant in Mumbai, this 550-seater with terrace dining has Brahmin-style elegance with waiters in Tamil uniforms. If you're not accustomed to Indian dining, bring along an Indian pal to help order. No chicken tikkas here. Specials include the 14 Idlis, which are cocktail-sized Indian snacks eaten with a variety of chutneys. There are also dosas, like the Mysore masala, as well as the uttapam sampler dubbed 7-Taste, and several rice dishes. If ordering gets too laborious, just ask for the special Regal thali set. Prepare to wait, particularly at weekends, although this isn't necessarily bad as the waiting area is a garden with a fountain and park benches.

Zodiac Grill
Taj Mahal Hotel
Apollo Bunder
Colaba
Tel: 202-3366
Open: 12:30-2:30 p.m., 7-11:30 p.m.; dinner only on Sunday
Top-of-the-line Continental restaurant for food with finesse -- grilled lobster, tenderloin and souffle -- presented with fine dining necessities from designer flatware, Christofle cutlery and Royal Doulton crockery to white-gloved waiters. The Camembert d'Ariole and Kahlua mousse are not to be missed at this exclusive and expensive venue for business meals. Jacket required. No children allowed. Reservations necessary.

Source: worldguide.com