Mumbai Halal Food Guide
A couple of months ago, BW and I visited his hometown – Mumbai – for three days. I’ve travelled to Mumbai several times before, but it’s always been for wedding clothes shopping. Delicious food + trying to squeeze into a sari = not a good look. Although this trip was short and sweet, we managed to squeeze in a crazy amount of great food, ranging from street food to fine dining establishments. So, here is my quick Mumbai Halal food guide!
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Haji Ali Juice Centre
What: One of Bombay’s classics, Haji Ali Juice Centre opened back in the 1960s as a stopover for all those who were visiting the Haji Ali mosque. I do not think a day went past this trip without me making a stop over here for one of their fantastic fruit creams or juices. Bonus, they even have a branch or two in Dubai!
Order this: Sitaphal cream, mango cream, strawberry cream, and a cheese pizza.
Where: Lala Lajpatrai Road
Avg price for two: 600RS so £7
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Sardars Cafe
What: Butter, butter and even more butter are the only words I can muster about Sardars. No, really. They make a mean pav bhaji, a classic dish of vegetable curry with a soft bun, and drop in half a stick of butter PER order. There’s no escaping the butter over here. I guess butter really does make everything taste better.
Order this: All you really to eat here is a pav bhaji with an extra order of buttery pav on the side.
Where: 166A and 166B Tardeo Road
Avg price for two: 250RS so £3 (yes, you read that right)
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Bademiya
What: When I first visited Mumbai in 2006, I was taken to this complete shack on the street with a few tables and chairs for seating. With a fear of food poisoning, this was the last place I wanted to be. However, things change upon tucking into their deliciously juicy seekh kebabs and smoky chicken tikka. Upon my return, the food was just as good and the place even had an upgrade!
Order this: Seekh kebab, lamb tikka, and chicken tikka roll. The brains are a MUST if you can stomach it!
Where: Tulloch Road, Apollo Bunder, Colaba
Avg price for two: 900RS so £10
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Swati Snacks
What: If you’re looking for that sweet spot between street food and a proper dining affair, head to Swati Snacks for a casual and quick bite. Having been around since the 1960s, Swati Snacks are known for their straightforward Gujarati snacks, especially the papdi chaat, pani puri, and the dosa too. Oh and don’t forget to buy some chocolate paan from that cute old paan vendor outside!
Order this: Chaat, pani puri , kadhi, and pizza.
Where: 248, Karai Estate, Tardeo Road
Avg price for two: 800RS so £9
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Trishna
What: Not to be mistaken with the one in London, Trishna in Mumbai has built up a reputation of serving up the best seafood in the country over the last 40 years. Some of the dishes were a little butter heavy for me to really enjoy the fish and perhaps the menu is a little too long, but I can see the appeal as to why people will flock here.
Order this: Garlic butter crab, garlic butter jumbo prawns, medium prawn koliwada and the chicken tikka
Where: Sai Baba Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Avg price for two: 2200RS so £25
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The Table
What: The Table is one of the more modern restaurants on the list, with several awards to their name including the “Best Restaurant in India”, one of “Top 500 Restaurants in Asia”, and “Best Chef in India”. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was the best but one of my top 5 in Mumbai, plus the European/Global cuisine is a breath of fresh air amongst all the Indian and Chinese restaurants.
Order this: Boneless chicken wings, lamb sliders, and the truffle tagliatelle
Where: Kalapesi Trust Building, Near Hotel Suba Palace, CS Maharishi Marg, Colaba
Avg price for two: 4000RS so £44
I’ve written about my dinner at The Table before, you can read about it here.
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Royal China
What: It’s odd to think that Chinese inspired dishes will make an appearance in almost every restaurant in Mumbai, and surprisingly, some of the best Chinese I’ve had, outside of China, has been in India! Royal China is a good example of this. The food is outstandingly good, halal (omg crispy duck for me please), and way better than their London counterparts.
Order this: Smoked shredded chicken, crispy aromatic duck, and the crispy prawn cheung fun.
Where: Near Sterling Cinema, Hazarimal Somani Marg, Fort
Avg Price for two: 2500RS so £28
And there you have it for my Mumbai Halal food guide. Of course, I didn’t cover everything (honourable mentions go to Elco market, China Garden, Cream Centre, and Bombay Sizzlers) but I’ve written about places that I think are worth a visit. Let me know if I’ve missed out any goodies in the comments below!
Did you like my Mumbai Halal Food Guide? You may like these posts below:
- The Table, Mumbai
