Big city, big dreams, big appetite. It’s not hard to find restaurants in Mumbai that offer quality fare but it’s tough to know what to choose. As a new spot mushrooms in the city every month, is it really worth going there? Or should you stick to the classics? The answer to these questions is this list. At The Lab Mag, we eat and scour the city to give you trustworthy recommendations. It’s not an unknown fact that our team loves to eat and explore.
We’re simply putting our best recommendations forward here. Some are spots that we are regulars at, and some others are our latest finds.
Restaurants in Mumbai to check out
Border Bean Barbecue
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Nestled in the cosy lane across ONGC society in Bandra Reclamation, Border Bean Barbecue is a tiny spot dishing out American barbecue classics. With two-three group tables, this space dishes out everything from pork ribs to a brisket in minutes. It’s all of course marinated overnight to be on your plate in minutes. With very few vegetarian options like their 15-layer stacked potato, to be honest, this is a restaurant for hardcore meat eaters. There are a few chicken and lamb options but pork and buff rule the roost. Border Bean Barbecue serves up delicious pork ribs, a brisket sandwich, and easily one of the best Cubano sandwich we have eaten in the city yet.
Meal for two: Rs 1,400
Manju Dosa Center
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An unassuming place in Khar, Manju Dosa Center is not a restaurant in Mumbai. But it’s a much-loved dosa center dishing out the street-style dosas that the city loves instead of staple South Indian style of dosas. At Manju, you’ll find all the fan favourites: Schezwan dosa, Chopsuey dosa, Spring dosa, Gini dosa – and everything in between. Our team’s go-to is the Onion and Cheese dosa, which is simple but packed with flavour. Without being a gimmick, it manages to offer exactly what you would expect a street dosa to be: Masaledaar, cheesy, and crisp.
Meal for two: Rs 300
Mag St.
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Mag St. Cafe has been making progress through the city. It started off in Colaba, came to Lower Parel, and now has opened in Bandra. But as it enters the ‘queen of the suburbs’, it’s transformed into a restaurant. The menu is now peppered with their classics and some new dishes that you will only ever find at this location. While we love the usuals like the Mag St. Reuben, the Vanilla Custard Cruffin, and their Truffle Fries; this new space has opened up our appetites for their Spaghetti and Meatballs. You can trust Mag St. to dish out European classics like these almost heroically, packed with flavour and comfort, this restaurant’s Spaghetti and Meatballs has now become our go-to on bad days.
Meal for two: Rs 1500
Foo
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The pan-Asian restaurant Foo is growing to become a pan-India brand but we love that the quality remains. Everyone has their favourites at Foo, and rightly so because the chain has managed to win everyone’s hearts. Whether it’s the signature Blue Pea rice or the Cheung Fun, Foo dishes our Asian classics and does them really well. This month, we’re loving the Foo Sticky Rice and Lotus Leaf, an Asian staple that makes every dinner feel a little more comforting and filling.
Meal for two: Rs 2,000
Gaylord Bakery
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An old-school bakery that’s housed outside the Gaylord Restaurant, this space is packed with history. One of the earliest fine-dine restaurants in the city, Gaylord has always served great food. But it’s the bakery outside that gets the most traction. From office-goers to college students, cricket fans, tourists, and everyone in between, this bakery gets so much foot traffic that we are always worried about missing out on our favourites. You can pick up snacks and sit in the restaurant’s al fresco area or pack the baked goods to go. If you’re at Gaylord, you should definitely get the Mushroom Basket, which is like the many puff pastries you get around the city. And, their Chocolate Mousse, a classic that’s creamy and not-too-sweet here.
Meal for two: Rs 500
Tanjore Tiffin Room
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There are several restaurants in Mumbai for quality South Indian food, but we love dining at the Tanjore Tiffin Room. The restaurant pairs delicious classics with even more delicious cocktails, and we absolutely love the mood-lighting at their restaurants. As they have recently opened in Goa too, we thought the Mumbai outlet deserves some love for all the good food they have been serving us all these years. The Anglo-Indian-style Madras Railway Curry with the Malabar Parotta is a curry we love diving into, and recommend you try it too.
Meal for two: Rs 1,800
