Mumbaikars love to eat, and Mumbai has an excellent range of choices when it comes to restaurants.
There are, naturally, many places serving Indian food. Distinctions are made between southern and northern Indian, Gujarati, Goan, or Parsi cuisine. Chinese restaurants are very common, and there are a handful of Thai eateries. In five star hotels, you will find the best places to seek western style food, including some excellent Italian restaurants. What is more difficult to track down is good Japanese sushi; the few restaurants serving sushi do so at a high price. Overall, you should have no trouble finding a great place to eat out in Mumbai, no matter what food you’re craving.
The best neighborhoods for restaurants are Colaba, Bandra, and Juhu. The hotels in Andheri have some good choices, too.
Dinner usually starts at 7:00 pm, and a lot of locations stay open until midnight. Restaurants serving lunch open at 10:00 or 11:00 am, close around 3:00, and may re-open for dinner at 6:00 or 7:00 pm.
Reservations should be made for popular restaurants, particularly if you plan to dine out on the weekend. Otherwise, reservations are not normally required. Call in advance to check the dress code for fancier establishments.
If you like your server, a ten percent tip is considered generous.
The Time’s of India publishes the Times Food Guide (available in print for Rs. 75 from bookstores like Crossword) which lists reviews for just about every restaurant in Mumbai. Time Out Mumbai magazine and website is a great resource for the latest restaurant reviews and openings.
