The 7 best street food spots in Mumbai
As magical and captivating as Mumbai is, it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming – especially for first-time visitors. With a population that far exceeds 20 million, Mumbai is constantly moving – your best bet is to take it as it goes. And that rule applies to the street food, too.
Step outside Mumbai’s restaurants and you won’t be disappointed. The city’s food off the street is the result of an ever-increasing melting pot of communities and grows more diverse by the day. Needless to say, it’s worth celebrating – here are the best places to get a taste.
What's your favourite Mumbai's Dish?
Vada Pav
Misal pav
Pani Puri
Bun Muska
Crawford Market
Every evening, this area is teeming with people, like swarms of bees out on a mission. Check out the outstanding seafood dishes such as the pomfret fry and crab curry that food artists carve out for night revellers. It is worth your while to check out the food stalls on Nagdevi street opposite Crawford market every evening, turning out melt-in-your-mouth succulent seekhs and payas prepared in a giant steel furnace. Do try out the special nalli nihari and the harisa, which is the only available vegetarian dish.
Khau Galli
On any given day, locals eat like kings in the city’s Khau Gallis, which literally translates to food lanes. Khau gallis remain busy throughout the lunch hours into late at night with roadside carts offering a visual- and pocket-friendly gastronomic affair. Khau gallis are also often a great place to people watch: expect young working adults and elderly people devour shawarma and the grilled Bombay sandwich. The most popular Khau Galli stretches from SNDT College to Cross Maidan in South Mumbai.
Anand Stall
Have you even visited Mumbai, if you haven’t snacked on vada pav? A native dish to Mumbai, it is a deep-fried potato dumpling, stuffed into a pao with a generous portion of red and green chutneys. While it is available across stalls and sometimes even in high-end restaurants, for the best experience you’ll want to visit Anand Stall in Vile Parle or taste the original dish served at Vaidya’s stall on Platform No 1 on Dadar Station. Just a word of caution, though: never call it the Indian burger in front of the locals.
CST Station
Pav (pao or bread) originally came to India while under Portuguese rule. Since then, Mumbai’s love affair with pav continues unabated, usually accompanying a thick red curry of mashed vegetables, with copious amounts of butter, a squeeze of lemon and a dash of raw onion. While the dish can be found in dozens of kiosks and stalls across the city, visit the Cannon Pav Bhaji centre, next to the CST subway, for a satiating portion.
Haji Ali Juice Centre
Another spot you must visit is the Haji Ali Juice Centre, near the majestic Haji Ali Mosque at Worli Seaface. The roadside shop has earned a loyal following since its opening in the late 1930s, refreshing the faithful with healthy sandwiches and juices. Try out the most delicious custard, loaded with fruits, dry fruits and blended-in milk cream.
Zaveri Bazaar Street
Zaveri Bazaar, the city’s diamond hub, is bursting at the seams with shops owned by old-time jewellers and little food stalls. Watch a hawker toss dosa for traders and craftsmen. Gorge on vegetarian snacks such as kachoris, chaats and samosas. Try out the ingenious pudlas: a Gujarati snack made of gram flour or chickpea flour and tossed with vegetables at Mohanbhai Pudlawala’s at chai time. Do not leave without trying out the khichiya papad, a thin crisp disc made of gram flour with 56 spices.
Dadar Misal Pav
When in Mumbai, do as the Mumbaikars do. For a hearty breakfast meal, head to the popular local haunt Aaswad. Located in the central suburb of Dadar in Shivaji Nagar, the place has been around for more than three decades and is the city’s most visited vegetarian spot, serving regional Maharashtrian cuisine. A must-try dish here is the misal pav, a spicy moth bean curry.
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