14 Best Restaurants in Mumbai, India

If you're searching for an authentic seafood "lunch home"—which implies unpretentious, tasty, and cheap—this old-school Kala Ghoda mainstay is spot on: slightly dingy, full of locals, with a too-cold a/c section that smells faintly of mothballs. Whichever main dish you choose, order an accompaniment of neer dosa---they are a little like rotis, but much lighter and fluffier, and made of rice; most Konkan restaurants have them, but none do them better than Apoorva.

At this old, dingy, and terribly atmospheric Irani restaurant, the nearly nonagarian and charming owner, Boman Kohinoor, has an obsession with the British royal family and thus pictures of royalty grace the restaurant's peeling walls. When he chants—and he will—"fresh lime soda sweet to beat the Mumbai heat!" you will order just that, but it's the chicken or mutton berry pulao, with rice, chicken, gravy, and dried fruit, that will keep you coming back (and perhaps Boman telling you and your companion that you resemble Prince William and Princess Kate).

Though they don't come cheap, the succulent kebabs at this hotel restaurant are perfect for those who don't want to risk Delhi belly (yes, even in Mumbai it's called that) at a hygienically challenged late-night spot. Elegant and subdued, with excellent waitstaff, the restaurant's only drawback is the minimum 25-minute wait for your food—but good things take time, and the chicken seekh kebabs (ground chicken and spices), Chilean sea bass served in a green hariyali (spinach and mint) masala, and the chicken pahadi kebab (chunks of saffron-tinged chicken topped with egg whites) are worth the wait.

Hands down the best upscale North Indian food in town for meat eaters, this restaurant in a beautifully designed building at the track makes the journey to the city center utterly worthwhile. Portions are big—as are the prices—and the food is heavy but sophisticated.

Rarely packed, even on Saturday night, because it's in an infrequently visited part of town, Oh! Calcutta serves the city's best (mustard-heavy) Bengali food in upscale surroundings of dark wood set off by simple black-and-white archival photos from the British Raj. The seafood is exquisite, and if it's all too unfamiliar, defer to the waiters—some of the best in the city—to choose something, based on your specifications.

This extremely popular restaurant is always likely to be packed with chattering families and friends, but the service is brisk and you'll soon get a seat amid the pale yellow walls, wooden benches, and loud aunties. Although most of the menu here is traditional Gujarati and Kathiawadi food, some dishes offer a modern take on the classics.

Sitting behind the Taj Mahal Hotel for generations, Mumbai's most famous kebab joint is always packed, always greasy, and always tasty. Even though there's a strictly vegetarian section of the menu, you'll probably want to check out mutton seekh roll (succulent minced mutton kebab folded into a roti), the chicken baida roti (a sort of Indian quesadilla, with chicken and egg), or the more adventurous bheja fry (fried goat brains in a spicy gravy).