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Food tours in Mumbai: what to eat and which tour to book
Mumbai eats on the move. The city runs on vada pav (a spiced potato fritter in a bread roll), pav bhaji, bhel puri on the beach at Chowpatty and the Bombay sandwich from a street cart, all cheap enough for millions of commuters. Its old Irani cafés serve bun maska, keema pav and chai; Parsi restaurants serve dhansak and berry pulao; the coastal Malvani and Konkani kitchens serve fried pomfret, bombil (Bombay duck) and fish curry with rice. Mohammed Ali Road is the centre for kebabs and Mughlai food, especially during Ramadan nights. South Mumbai (Fort, Colaba, Kala Ghoda), Girgaum, Dadar and Bandra are where to eat.
Use this page to decide what to order and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when to go. The tours are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Mumbai
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vada pav वडा पाव (vada pav) | A spiced mashed-potato fritter in a soft bread roll (pav) with garlic chutney, green chutney and a fried green chilli. Mumbai's cheapest and most typical snack. | Stalls outside railway stations (Dadar, CSMT, Churchgate) and on every busy street. | roughly ₹20–50 each (well under €1) |
| Pav bhaji पाव भाजी (pav bhaji) | A thick, buttery mash of vegetables and spices cooked on a large griddle, served with butter-toasted pav, onion and lemon. | Girgaum Chowpatty, Juhu Beach and pav bhaji restaurants in Tardeo and Kalbadevi. | roughly ₹120–250 a plate |
| Bhel puri and sev puri भेल पुरी / सेव पुरी | Puffed rice, sev (crisp gram-flour noodles), onion, potato and tangy chutneys tossed together (bhel), or the same on flat crisp puris (sev puri). Light, sweet-sour beach snacks. | Girgaum Chowpatty and Juhu Beach stalls; chaat shops across the city. | roughly ₹60–120 a plate |
| Irani café breakfast bun maska, keema pav, Irani chai | Soft buns with butter, spiced minced-meat curry with pav, and sweet milky chai, served in the old Irani cafés with bentwood chairs and marble tables. | Remaining Irani cafés in Fort, Colaba, Byculla and Grant Road; their number has dropped a lot, so check that a café is still open. | roughly ₹50–250 per item |
| Coastal fish fry and curry bombil fry, pomfret fry, Malvani fish curry | Bombil (Bombay duck, a soft local fish) and pomfret coated in semolina and spices and shallow-fried, and coconut-based Malvani or Konkani fish curry with rice or rice bhakri. | Malvani and Konkani restaurants in Fort, Dadar and Bandra; the cheaper 'lunch homes' in Fort and Girgaum. | roughly ₹250–700 depending on the fish (pomfret is priced by size) |
| Parsi dishes dhansak, berry pulao, patra ni machhi | Dhansak is lentils cooked with meat and vegetables, served with caramelised rice; berry pulao is a rice dish with barberries; patra ni machhi is fish steamed in banana leaf with green chutney. | Parsi restaurants and Irani cafés in Fort and Ballard Estate; dhansak is traditionally a Sunday lunch. | roughly ₹400–900 a main |
| Kebabs and Mughlai food seekh kebab, nalli nihari, malpua | Minced-meat kebabs grilled on the street, slow-cooked bone-marrow nihari, and malpua — fried sweet pancakes, a Ramadan speciality. | Mohammed Ali Road and Bhendi Bazaar near Minara Masjid; also the lanes behind the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Colaba for late-night kebab rolls. | roughly ₹100–400 per item |
| Falooda and kulfi फालूदा / कुल्फी | Falooda is a cold dessert drink of rose syrup, milk, vermicelli, basil seeds and ice cream; kulfi is dense frozen milk dessert. | Long-established falooda shops in Mohammed Ali Road, Dadar and Chowpatty. | roughly ₹100–250 |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Girgaum Chowpatty
The city beach at the north end of Marine Drive, with rows of stalls selling pav bhaji, bhel, sev puri, kulfi and gola (shaved ice). Busy with families in the evening.
Mohammed Ali Road and Bhendi Bazaar
Busy street in the old Muslim quarter around Minara Masjid, with kebabs, nihari, biryani and sweets. During Ramadan it becomes one of the city's biggest night food markets.
Crawford Market (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai)
Colonial-era market hall near CSMT station selling fruit, vegetables, dry fruit, spices and household goods, with the wholesale streets of Kalbadevi beyond it.
Fort and Kala Ghoda
South Mumbai's business district, with Irani and Parsi cafés, seafood lunch homes and the khau galli (food lane) stalls that feed office workers at lunchtime.
Dadar
Middle-class Marathi neighbourhood around the station and Shivaji Park, known for Maharashtrian snacks (misal pav, sabudana vada, vada pav) and Malvani seafood restaurants. Dadar flower market is nearby.
Bandra
Suburb with East Indian Catholic heritage, old bakeries, seafood restaurants and the city's newer cafés and restaurants along Hill Road, Pali Hill and Carter Road.
Food tours in Mumbai compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai: Indian Cooking Class & Cultural Delights | 3 hours | from €23 per person | max 6 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Discover Mumbai's street & beach with Vegetarian food tour | 2 - 3 hours | from €14 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Bombay Express Mumbai Food Tour with 15+ Tastings | 4 hours | from €40 per person | max 8 | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Private Mumbai Street Food Tasting Tour | 2 - 5 hours | from €10 per person | — | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
Mumbai: Indian Cooking Class & Cultural Delights
On GetYourGuide · run by Amaze Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €23 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 67 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 6
- Included
- Authentic Maharashtrian cooking class Market visit Cultural activities Multi-course meal preparation Transportation to and from the location Personal expenses
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Wait at the entrance of Star Anise patisserie
Discover Mumbai's street & beach with Vegetarian food tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Amaze Tours
- Length
- 2 - 3 hours
- Price
- from €14 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 49 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Transportation during the tour Dedicated Tour guide during the tour Food tasting during the tour Tour guide Gluten free not available
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Outside Burger king
Bombay Express Mumbai Food Tour with 15+ Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by A Chef's Tour
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €40 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 41 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Included
- Expert foodie guide Ride a commuter train All food and drink tastings Bottled water Train tickets and entrance fees Alcoholic drinks Pick-up and drop off at your hotel
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- We'll meet at Chaayos Cafe at Churchgate, next to Churchgate train station, close to the popular Fort district. Address: Chaayos Cafe at Churchgate चायोस कैफे एट चर्चगेट, Express Building, Shop No. 1, Ground Floor, Part B, 14, IMC Marg, opposite Govt. Law College, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400020
Private Mumbai Street Food Tasting Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by BOMBAY INSIDER TOURS
- Length
- 2 - 5 hours
- Price
- from €10 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 3 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Street food dishes Professional English guide Bottled water Local Taxes (if option selected)
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
- Starts
- Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is the heart of Mumbai: vada pav, pav bhaji, bhel, sandwiches, kebab rolls and chai, sold from stalls and carts at every station and junction. It is cheap and quick. Choose stalls with long queues and food cooked hot in front of you.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down eating covers Irani cafés, Parsi restaurants, coastal seafood lunch homes, Gujarati and Maharashtrian thali restaurants and modern Indian kitchens. Lunch homes in Fort are fast and inexpensive. Dinner is often from 20:00 or later. Bills include GST, and some restaurants add a service charge, which should be optional.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Mumbai are usually in family homes and cover home-style Maharashtrian, Parsi, Gujarati or coastal dishes, sometimes with a market visit. Expect to cook a dal, a vegetable or fish curry and rotis, followed by the meal.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | about ₹600–1,000 / €6–10 (street food, Irani café, lunch home) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | about ₹2,000–3,500 / €20–35 (two sit-down meals in good restaurants) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | ₹7,000+ / €70+ (a high-end restaurant or hotel dining with drinks) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Very easy. Many Gujarati, Jain and Udupi (South Indian) restaurants are fully vegetarian, and most street snacks are meat-free. Jain food excludes onion, garlic and root vegetables, and Jain versions of many street dishes are available. Vegans should watch for butter in pav bhaji and ghee in sweets.
Halal: Easy around Mohammed Ali Road, Bhendi Bazaar, Byculla and other Muslim neighbourhoods, and in many Mughlai and kebab restaurants. Elsewhere ask; many restaurants don't specify. Pork appears mainly in Goan and East Indian dishes and some international restaurants.
Gluten-free: Breads (pav, roti) are central to Mumbai street food, so it is harder there. Rice-based thalis, dosa, idli, fish curry with rice and grilled seafood are good options. Asafoetida often contains wheat flour, and fryers are shared, so awareness is low in small places.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Taxi drivers who refuse the meter or take long routes to a restaurant, especially from Colaba and the airport. Use app-based taxis or insist on the meter; the black-and-yellow taxis must use one.
- Touts and 'guides' near the Gateway of India who steer you to a restaurant or shop for a commission. Choose your own place and decline unsolicited help.
- Seafood restaurants pricing fish like pomfret or lobster 'by size' without telling you the price. Ask the price of the specific fish before it is cooked.
Top tours & activities in Mumbai
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Is street food in Mumbai safe?
Generally yes if you choose busy stalls and hot, freshly cooked food like vada pav and pav bhaji. Be more careful with uncooked chutneys, cut fruit, ice and pani puri water in your first days. Drink bottled or filtered water. During the monsoon (June–September) take extra care with street food.
When is the best time to eat at Chowpatty?
Evening, from about 18:00, when the stalls are fully running and families walk on the beach. Weekends are busiest. In the monsoon season the beach can be wet and windy, and some stalls are quieter. Juhu Beach in the north of the city has a similar set of stalls.
What should I eat first in Mumbai?
Start with vada pav from a busy stall, pav bhaji and bhel at Chowpatty, a bun maska and chai in an Irani café, and a fish thali in a coastal lunch home. If you visit during Ramadan, go to Mohammed Ali Road after sunset.
Do I need to tip in Mumbai?
In sit-down restaurants, about 10% is usual if there is no service charge on the bill. A service charge should be optional, so you can ask for it to be removed. Street stalls don't expect tips. Food tour guides are commonly tipped roughly ₹300–500 per person.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Eating street food, Irani cafés and lunch homes, roughly ₹600–1,000 (€6–10) a day is enough. Two good sit-down meals are roughly ₹2,000–3,500 (€20–35). High-end restaurants in Colaba, Lower Parel or Bandra cost ₹4,000–8,000 per person or more with drinks.
How do I pay for street food?
UPI (QR-code payments) is accepted almost everywhere, but usually requires an Indian bank account or a tourist wallet. Carry small cash notes for stalls and tea, since vendors often can't change large notes. Cards are accepted in most restaurants.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.