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Old 28th September 2006, 11:37   #1
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A Guide: Eating out in Mumbai

I know there are a lot of foodies out there who know all about the best restaurants in Mumbai. Im one . So I guess ittl be good if we can share reviews about the best places to get something to eat.

It would be nice if you could post it in some sort of format like

Name/Location:

Average Cost

Food:

Service:

Ambience:

Conclusion:

Last edited by khanak : 28th September 2006 at 11:39.
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Old 28th September 2006, 11:54   #2
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Grand Central

Name/Location: Grand Central - Chembur

Average Cost:
Around 150-200 a dish

Food:
Iv been eating at Grand Central since I was a kid infact my whole family loves food from GC(including my dog) When the doctor asks us to eat home food we order food from here. This place is extremely popular with people from Chembur who love GC ka BC(butter chicken). We usually stick to Mughlai food when we come here such as Butter Chicken(of course!!) Shah-e-Chicken nd Badami Chicken. The naans here are good too. They also serve Chinese food which isnt bad but there are better places to get Chinese. There are some veg dishes too though iv never tried them. Overall the food quality is good though some might find some dishes like the butter chicken a bit too oily or spicy though most people will love it. Servings are enough for two people and even a third person can share if you control yourself

Service: The service is above average. Most waiters have been working here for some time and know the menu and their regular customers well. Incase their is some mistake in the order they replace your order without any fuss. The service is pretty fast too though it does get a bit slower on weekends when this place is packed

Ambience:
The ambience is nothing extrodinary though it isnt bad either. The restaurant has two levels both of which are air conditioned. The seats are comfortable and the whole restaurant is clean though I wish they had a bigger bathroom. There is a Baskin Robbins, Paanwaala nd Cafe Coffee Day attatched to it so thats a plus. They also have a terrace nd a private room which can be rented out to anyone who wants it. Overall its quite a nice place especially when you consider how much you pay for a meal here

Conclusion:
I LOVE this place. No one can make butterchicken like GC. However I guess my love for this place also has sometihng to do with the fact that Iv been eating here since I was a kid. Iv taken a lot of my friends to this place nd theyv loved it though they didnt really understand my obsession with this place. I guess this is a nice place to go nd chill if your kinda low on money but still eat properly. Very Good VFM
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:02   #3
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Oh god, where does one begin.... lol toooo many places.....

OK looks like I'm gonna post here often.... I think i'll start with 2 places.

Place: Five.
This place is situated on SV road, Santacruz. If you know the famous Yoko Sizzlers, this place is quite close to it.
Not very large, I think they have 12 to 15 tables.

Food: It's likeable nouvelle cuisine. A menu that will feature mainly continental and slightly mediterranean influences and carefully presented food. They have some interesting soups du jour, like chicken sugarcane soup and tomato/potato soup. Food is intersting, chicken tossed in a nice sauce on a bed of couscous etc.
Salads are fresh,well tossed, excellent dressing and some of their bread is excellent. I've tried a few desserts and was not disappointed.

Ambience: This is a nice place to go with a lady. They have soft lights, buddha bar music and scented candles on each table. The service can be better but the manager is delightful, do call him to the table to appreciate the place if you liked it. They might knock in a free dessert

Cost: Without drinks, expect the bill to be about 1500/- for 2 people. This of course means you ordered soups, salads and a main course Drinks are about 200 a glass.

Last edited by Sam Kapasi : 28th September 2006 at 12:04.
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:10   #4
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Daffodils

Name/Location: Daffodils, Powai

Average Cost:
100-150 a dish

Food:
When I shifted to Powai I needed to find a place that would be something like GC nd so after a lot of looking around I finally found this place. The actual name of this place is Daffodils Chinese Corner. Their Chinese here is good. I have the Garlic Chicken if im having chinese which isnt bad though not many people like its sweet taste. The Chilly Chicken here is good too. They also serve Mughlai which I usually have. Try the Afghani Chicken which is non spicy nd based in a whitish chicken or a Lahori Chicken which is more spicy nd less whitish compared to their Afghani Chicken. Their maindishes are allright though the best thing about this place is its Kababs. Try the Chicken Malai Kabab here for sure. The only one problem with this place is its consistency. Sometimes the kababs will be the best kababs uv ever had nd on other occasions theyl arrive cold. .

Service:
Most of the service here is limited to delivery since eating at the restaurant isnt the best idea. Some of the waiters have a very dodjy look nd look like the escaped from jail nd came to work here.Having said that theyr pretty quick nd arent usually late. Theyre also never rude its just that they dont look decent enough. Go there nd ull know wht I mean However I guess you shouldnt expect much from this place considering its prices.

Ambience:
Ambience hahahahha this place has NO ambience. If your smart the ambience will be your house. However if you chose to eat here you will be sitting on the road (literally) They used to have tables inside before but now the whole inside is the kitchen. The tandoor is outside so you can smell the kababs even when you walk past this place. At night theyl put tables out in front of the other shops next to it which have closed. This however isnt really a problem cos none of the regulars ever eat there

Conclusion:
This is one of the best places to eat in Powai. Daffodils faces a lot of competition from Garys Menu nd Great Punjab though I like Daffodils the best. Overall these places are probably the only places where you can get a good meal here besides the fast food joints. Saffron Spice which is more expensive than this place just doesnt have any good food nd if you want some place nice to go around Powai I would suggest you drive down to the Rennaissance. However if you want a decent meal just call Daffodils
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:17   #5
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My wife is an absolute foodie, so we eat out pretty often. But I dont like having a dinner outside without my whiskey so we generally go to places with a bar only.

Heres our top 10 list:

1. Souk at the Taj : Expensive
2. Olive at Bandra : Well priced. Great ambience.
3. Indigo at Colaba : Well priced. Great ambience.
4. Kalpana : At worli Naka. Cheap. Best punjabi to date.
5. Celini at Grand Hyatt. Expensive but best italian in Bombay.
6. Mezzo Mezzo at JW Marriot. Not too expensive.
7. Bade Miya behind Taj. Cheap. Best kebabs in town.
8. India Jones @ Oberoi. Expensive but SUPERB food.
9. Waffle Place @ Kemps Corner. Cheap and DELICIOUS waffles.
10. Karma @ Opera House. Decent price. Good ambience and music (This is also where we met the first time).
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:19   #6
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I know some of you visit this place often, but the review is for either tourists or people that haven't tried this one yet.

Place: Saltwater Grill
Location: Chowpatty, H2O

Run by the people that own Mocha, this is perhaps the only classy beach restaurant in Mumbai. Think of it like a Goa shack on steroids. The funny thing is that it's not pretentious. You will find people in cocktail dresses and in jeans. It's more like a Miami beach restaurant. Tables are not easily available and I would recommend calling 2 hours before arriving.

Ambience: Totally relaxed. Children are allowed but not encouraged around the beachfront areas, where people are generally lounging in chairs or hammocks. It's romantic and fun too. You could take a girl there, all dressed up and ask her to marry you, or go with a bunch of friends and enjoy the chilled atmosphere and music. You could even go down to the beach for a long smooch (with the girl, not your friends) and take your drink with you. Lovely.
For the family and kids types, they have a few cabanas, unfortunately a little away from the waterfront, but still fun, with lots of areas for kids to run around, hammocks etc etc.

Service: Not impeccable, but very very friendly. Waiters speak well, understand what you order and smile a lot.

Food: Viraf is the exec chef and takes great pride in his food. Especially seafood.
Often I find that not asking for a menu and placing yourself in Viraf's hands, works out for the best. The wine list is impressive and the drinks are interesting.

The cuisine is again very medi and conti sea foody, but viraf can add a very factor to food if he likes you. Ask viraf to make the calamari with lemon and red chilly the way his grandma used to make it. That I would recommend as it tastes fantastic and of course the chef will be in splits.

Though the place is great for dinner, they do some mad brunches and fun on sundays, lasting till 4pm 5pm.

Cost: SWG is not on my list of budget restaurants. A bottle of wine will cost about 1300/- A bottle of Sula Brut about a 1000/- (I recommend this for a chick evening, as it's heady, fun, bubbly and not expensive and yet classy, with the fult and the ice bucket et al)

Food should be about 1500/- to 2000/- for a full meal for 2. Again i mean various courses, starters, entreés etc.

Last edited by Sam Kapasi : 28th September 2006 at 12:24.
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:22   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO
5. Celini at Grand Hyatt. Expensive but best italian in Bombay.

7. Bade Miya behind Taj. Cheap. Best kebabs in town.

9. Waffle Place @ Kemps Corner. Cheap and DELICIOUS waffles.
.
5. Couldn't agree more

7. Not any more, IMHO, their kebab quality is consistently going down.

9. I think you mean wafflles. They've opened a branch at Kemps corner and at Bandra Pali Naka.

Incredibly good waffles. Truly incredible.
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:26   #8
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Brittania

Name/Location: Brittania - Ballard Estate

Average Cost:
around 200 a dish

Food:
Brittania is famous among the office crowd nd old parsi uncles. This place is famous for its Berry Pulao. I heard somewhere that the berries are imported from Iran though im not sure of this. Their chicken berry pulao is jsut amazing nd is like nothing iv ever had before I lovve parsi food nd havent been able to find a berry pulao at any place except this one. Its a normal pulao with berries for garnish. Im not sure how they make it but its the best Their chicken cutlets are good too though the gravy with it is more of a tomato puree. I havent tried too many other dishes here cos I always end up ordering the same thing.Another thing you should have here is a drink called Rogers(I think) which is a raspberry flavoured drink nd a good change from the usual pepsi

Service:
I tihnk there are only two or three waiters for the entire restaurant but they somehow manage to handle all the customers. An old parsi gentleman will great you at the door and tell you where to sit. I tihnk his sons also sit at the counter sometimes though a part of the charm of this place is the old man running his restaurant. Service is fast nd I tihnk it takes about ten minutes for you to be served. The waiters here know the menu nd I tihnk some of them have been working here for a long time. Theyre polite though they dont always give u too much bhaav.

Ambience:
This is the one place where this restaurant really needs to improve. The paint is peeling off the walls the furniture is rickity nd the place has a very shabby look to it. I wish they would do something about it nd restore the place as it would be really ncie to see all the old furniture being used. I must warn you though. This place is strictly for foodies. If you are one of those people who need a good ambience this place is definitly not for you.

Conclusion:
Overall a nice place though I wish theyd become more competitive. Renovation is definitly due. as is extending their hours. Currently this place is only open for lunch nd tht too not on all days .However their food is so good that people keep comming here and you will always find this place full nd might even have to wait for a table
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:28   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

9. I think you mean wafflles. They've opened a branch at Kemps corner and at Bandra Pali Naka.
.
youll are talking about the one in the lane right? the one behind the optician? They have some really good waffles. Try the Chicken Tikka on waffles. I never knew you could combine them theyre pretty good

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Not any more, IMHO, their kebab quality is consistently going down.
Yea your right. Ayubs is the new Bade Miya

Last edited by adya33 : 28th September 2006 at 14:45.
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:34   #10
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OK I am going to STOP looking at this thread as its making me BLOODY HUNGRY!!
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:36   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi
I know some of you visit this place often, but the review is for either tourists or people that haven't tried this one yet.

Place: Saltwater Grill
Location: Chowpatty, H2O

Run by the people that own Mocha, this is perhaps the only classy beach restaurant in Mumbai. ........................
Cost: SWG is not on my list of budget restaurants. A bottle of wine will cost about 1300/- A bottle of Sula Brut about a 1000/- (I recommend this for a chick evening, as it's heady, fun, bubbly and not expensive and yet classy, with the fult and the ice bucket et al)

Food should be about 1500/- to 2000/- for a full meal for 2. Again i mean various courses, starters, entreés etc.
I had a grilled chicken here which was excellent. a bit expensive but excellent. This is not an everday eating joint I guess nd more for special occassions. I really like the places tht Riyaaz Amlani started like Mocha, Donut Co. nd Saltwater Grille. Hes started a bikers club in Mocha called MBA(Mocha Bikers Assosciation) I tihnk he has some BMW bike. im sorry i dont know much about bikes

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2L8uLoose
OK I am going to STOP looking at this thread as its making me BLOODY HUNGRY!!
dude think of me im not gonna be able to eat any of this stuff for another 3 months dammit

Last edited by adya33 : 28th September 2006 at 14:46.
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:45   #12
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@ Sam - For vegetarians, Bade Miyan is the best place for kebabs. Yeah yeah I know...how can a greenies boy go to Bade Miyan!

Yup, the Salt Water grill has a one of its kind ambience. Too bad it shuts early.
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Old 28th September 2006, 12:52   #13
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Cafe Basilico

Name/Location: Cafe Basilico, Colaba/Bandra

Average Cost:
Around 350 a dish, 100 a drink nd 150 for desert

Food:
The head chef used to be the famous Chef Moshe who has now gone on to start his own restaurant.The place is owned by the same guy who owns Koyla. The menu here has recently changed nd I wasnt too happy about that until I ate here again. I used to have a Cilantro Chicken which was basically a grilled chicken in cilantro sauce with mashed potatoes. When I requested the chef to make the same thing again he reccomended something else. Im not too sure about the name but it had mozerella. I highly reccomend this dish. The place is open for breakfast too but iv never been able to get up early enough. I tihnk its open from 7 . The cuisine here is mostly mediterranean. Their deserts are good too. They used to have the most amazing Baileys Cream Cake though theyv stopped it. I reccomend the Oreo Cheese Cake which has a layer of Crushed Oreos in the middle of other layers of chocolate. Their Blueberry Cheesecake is good too . The deserts here are so good that some people come nd only order deserts. In drinks id reccomend the Peachy Cheek which is just sprite nd peach flavour though its really good.

Service:
The service here is good. The waiters are polite nd helpful nd the chef comes to help you out in case ur confused. the waiters sometimes have problems telling you about the food though theyre very patient about it. The food doesnt come that fast though nd u might be waiting a good 20 mins before u get fed.

Ambience:
I quite like the ambience here though the chairs do tend to get uncomfortable after a while. The floor is made out of railway sleepers nd is quite cool to look at. The best part about the place is the tall windows through which you can look out onto the street. gives the place a real charming touch. The only problem though is its quite cramped nd u can sometimes here what people on the other table are saying

Conclusion:
I definilty reccomend this place. especially the deserts. nd now after theyve opened their new branch in Bandra i tihnk more nd more people are beggining to love this place. a good place thats not too expensive yet not too cheap.
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Old 28th September 2006, 13:27   #14
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Hi,

Here's a list of my most favourites. Me being veg can only comment on the same.

1> Shatranj Napoli - Italian
2> China Gate - Chinese
3> China White - Chinese
4> Sheetal Bukhara - Punjabi
5> Khyber - Punjabi
6> Sun - Punjabi
7> Only Paratha's - Need I Say
8> Bukhara - ITC
9> Fiorella - Italian (Leela )
10> Moshe's
11> Cream Centre - Chaat
12> Mangi Ferra - Italian
13> Ayubs

Will add more later. AM not a 5 star hotel kind of guy and love to eat anywhere as long as the food is good road side or restaurant.

Viper
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Old 29th September 2006, 12:08   #15
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Cafe Churchill

Name/Location: Cafe Churchill, Colaba

Average Cost:
around 200 bucks a dish

Food:
The food here is mostly contienental. They have a lot of meat nd some stuff with bacon which is good. they have some really nice pastas which are definitly worth a try. besides their normal menu on the wall they also keep having specials which are good too nd really allow you to experiment. the food is rich and the servings are quite large. They also have some good deserts nd i come here to have baileys cream cake after basilico discontinued it.

Service:
The waiters are polite though the food does take some time to come. its a pity they dont accept credit or debit cards though.

Ambience:
The place has pictures of winston churchill hanging everywhere. The place is cramped. They definitly need to expand. The decor isnt anything great though ur not uncomfortable either. Churchill is extremely popular nd due to the small space inside you often have to wait for a seat. Lets hope they decide to expand soon

Conclusion:
This place is very popular amongst youngsters because of its food. Its a nice place to chill in Colabaa though it would become a lot mroe comfy if they expanded.
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