[CPH]

I am planning to go to Mumbai for a short break and haver never been in India before despite the fact that I always wanted to spend time in your part of the world.

Therefore I would like to have some advise from you locals:

I personally hate tourist resorts and tourist attractions. I like to see the real stuff and the real food.

I would appreciate if anyone can give me some idea, which are the restaurants you guys would go to for real Indian food?

And some quite places.

Show me the places that I desperatedly want to come back.

Thanks

[Rehaan]

This should be a good starting point : A Team-BHP Guide to eating out in Mumbai (A Guide: Eating out in Mumbai)

Though that list might take a little filtering if you want the more authentic experience.

And ofcourse, if you want the "real stuff" you need to be prepared to have a run in with the Bombay Belly!

cya
R

EDIT - A mention of "performance tuning" and other things in your profile seem interesting! Do tell us more about the purpose of your visit if you can.

EDIT2 - Given the automotive interests, here's another one worth visiting. Might make sense to go on a day when they have the open market : Chor Bazaar

[Musaafir]

Welcome to Mumbai!


If you are adventurous and can tolerate Indian spicy food, then you must try the following in Mumbai.

- Vada Pav
- Bhel Puri
- Paani Puri
- Paav Bhaji

The places where you get best of these items are not upmarket restaurants, but the handcarts in and around beaches and small restaurants like Sardar in Tardeo (South Mumbai area).

If you want moderately spicy and more ‘hygienic’ food, you can get it in A grade restaurants. Typical ‘Irani’ restaurants in Mumbai serve some special food items too. If you prefer ‘tandoori’ dishes (like the ones you get in Indian ‘Curry’ restaurants in London), you can visit Delhi Darbar in Colaba (South Mumbai area). The handcart of "Bade Miyan” behing Taj Mahal hotel in Colaba is also famous for Tandoory Chicken items.

To see real Mumbai, you need to stay and roam in South Mumbai. You have harbours, beaches, British styled buildings, railway stations, museums, etc. in this part. Traveling around is easy with lots of cabs/private cars, and public transport like buses and trains. You have a big choice of accommodation - from 5 star hotels to budget accos.

[StarVegabond]

If you want to eat the real stuff, you must visit the Railway stations of Mumbai suburbs. or visit Matunga Railway station, there are few south India meal resturants e.g. Rama Nayak etc. they are must try.

street food in Mumbai is like a double cross act. it is one of the most delicious food, but at the same time for few it is most un-hygienic as well
hence i would suggest you to think twice before you really eat it.

if you really want to experience true mumbai,

1. take a train ride early morning or evening (rush hour) from CST till Virar or Dombivili or Panvel. or other way around.

2. visit the beaches of mumbai on a week end to understand how an avgerage mumbaikar entertains his family in a lowest possible cost.

3. visit Taj Mahal Hotel or Trident Hotel to dine there along with some of the richest in the world also expereince some of the brave common people who experienced terrorism and fought with all their might for over 2 days.

4. experience the horse cart ride in the night near Gateway of India

5. take a walk along the queen's necklace (=nariman point) in the evenings or jog with few richest indians during early morning hours.

there are more and different ways to experience mumbai.

[CPH]

Keep it coming guys. You are right up my street.

And thanks for the warm welcome.

Rehaan (I assume that this is your name) I am not afraid of the Bombay Belly syndrome. I have had to go to some places... well some of might have just eaten so I won'T go into it. lol

I love hot food.

I hope to meet you when I am out there and get to know the Indian performance scene to know.

Maybe we could do a intercontinental performance enthusiasts meet in Mumbai. Or we could call it a Eurasian performance enthusiast meet.

Q Rehaan again - Is it okay to tell more about my visit it in this thread?

Or should I start one in another section?

I ask because I am admin on a couple of forums and sometimes it is not accepted.

Anyway, I love to come to India.

[Rehaan]

Hi CPH,

You can let us know about the purpose of your visit in this thread - and if its worth a new thread the posts can then be moved there.

cya
R (yes, thats my name)

PS - heres another thread : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...eeing-day.html

Also check out : India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com

[CPH]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Hi CPH,

You can let us know about the purpose of your visit in this thread - and if its worth a new thread the posts can then be moved there.

cya
R (yes, thats my name)

PS - heres another thread : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...eeing-day.html

Also check out : India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com

Thanks Rehaan.

First I will tell you how it comes that I am going to visit India now.

My older brother recently visited me after I haven't seen him for quite a few years. He wants to spend a few days with me in a neutral place so to speak, which is not my home nor his. So he decided to invite me to a place of my choice: I think you can guess what my answer was.

Well, my brother was surprised and he thought more about Europe, but then he asked me - and India it is.

The reason for me to come to India. Well, as stated before I always wanted to come to India.

But of course, I have a hidden agenda.

I have a passion, which I am following now more so then ever, which is script writing. And my present occupation is performance tuning and development/engineering in the automotive field.

As I am fed up with Europe (declining culture, declining moral, declining values, declining family tradition, declining life style as matter of fact declining everything) I wouldn't mind to spend much more of my time in India.

What I want to do in India and even more so in Mumbai? Mumbai is the centre of the worlds biggest place in the film industries.

I am writing currently a script for a movie where I want to bring some performance into a movie. This script was inspired by Kajol. It is a bit of a nutty story.

I am also working on a thriller, which came to me because of Meghnaa Kothari (a much underrated actress), Sonali Kulkarni and the French actor Jean Reno.

At the same time I would like to see what the Indian performance tuning scene is about. The requirements are already within the different countries within Europe are quite different and therefor I assume that the preferences in your area different again.

[GTO]

Firstly, welcome aboard CPH!

Originally Posted by CPH

get to know the Indian performance scene to know.

This Directory is your new best friend . The most prominent Mod shops from Mumbai are AR Motosports, KS Motorsports, DC Design and Rio Design. The first two focus exclusively on performance, while the latter two are more inclined toward design.

I'd also highly recommend searching through the forum and viewing some threads on modified cars. You'll find everything you need to know on the Indian Mod Scene . Also, if you have a chance, you must plan a visit down south. The skill level amongst Tuners from there is regarded as amongst the best in India.

The others have pretty much covered what you need to see / eat in Mumbai. But I'll still add the Gateway of India to the list, as well as:

Some from this thread

AND

This one

Where you live is VERY important. Choose your hotel / guesthouse somewhere central (Dadar, Worli, Parel), down South or Bandra at the most. Travel time will eat into your fun time

Lots of stuff to see & do in Mumbai. How much ever time you are here, will seem a tad less at the end.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by CPH

I am also working on a thriller, which came to me because of Meghnaa Kothari (a much underrated actress), Sonali Kulkarni and the French actor Jean Reno.

That's really a interesting combination. Especially when you talk about Jean Reno. One of my all time favourite artist.

And oh, welcome to TBHP.

[CPH]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

That's really a interesting combination. Especially when you talk about Jean Reno. One of my all time favourite artist.

And oh, welcome to TBHP.

Thanks you for the welcome Rudra.

Unfortunately actors like Jean Reno don't get the recognition they deserve. There is some more very good actors from France that are not all that well known throughout the world because they neither make a big hoo haa about themselves unlike the American actors, where most of them are just about average.

What I like about Jean Reno even more is that he is in real life a very normal human being.

He lives in the country side near Arles in an old farm house and when he is not working he usually has a stroll into the village going to butchers ,where he has a chat, followec by the bakers and ending up in the bistro having a beer or two discussing with the landlord whatever comes to mind.

You have a lot of very good actors and actresses in India to that have not really gotten the recognition they deserve.

@ GTO - Thanks for the links. I am going to study it all and getting more excited by the hour.

[CPH]

My brother came to visit me finally last night. And it looks like that the trip is now early May. I hope that this is not the beginning of the Monsoon. But then with my luck I might hit rain anyway.

My brother asked me whether there is any vaccination you would advise.

[krazydriver84]

Hey guys,

Am visiting mumbai and would appreciate if some of you could advice me the places to visit around here also would love to meet up with the TBHP gang here.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by CPH

....This script was inspired by Kajol. ...

I think her husband owns one of the first few E46 M3s in Bombay.

Originally Posted by CPH

....At the same time I would like to see what the Indian performance tuning scene is about. The requirements are already within the different countries within Europe are quite different and therefor I assume that the preferences in your area different again.

"Performance tuning" in the commercial sense is still very new and unstructured here, especially so in cities which aren't closely linked with motorsports etc (ie no place to actually prove/see how good the job done is).

Originally Posted by CPH

...I hope that this is not the beginning of the Monsoon. ...

Its not. But when you get here in May you will start to wish that it was the monsoon!

Originally Posted by krazydriver84

Am visiting mumbai and would appreciate if some of you could advice me the places to visit around here also would love to meet up with the TBHP gang here.

Check out the few links already posted in this thread, and also keep an eye on the TBHP Meets section.

cya
R

[ampere]

Originally Posted by CPH

Thanks you for the welcome Rudra.

Unfortunately actors like Jean Reno don't get the recognition they deserve. There is some more very good actors from France that are not all that well known throughout the world because they neither make a big hoo haa about themselves unlike the American actors, where most of them are just about average.

What I like about Jean Reno even more is that he is in real life a very normal human being.

+1 to that. One of the most under rated actors who never gets his due. May it be Ronins or Pink-Panthers, or any other movie, he is always overshadowed by some bigger names.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by CPH

My brother asked me whether there is any vaccination you would advise.

No vaccinations for india. However, your doctor can put you on a preventive dose of anti-malarials.