Mumbai is full of tastes that show how people have lived for hundreds of years. The city’s food scene isn’t just high-end restaurants and bars that look good on Instagram. Maharashtra’s real charm can be found in family-run restaurants in the middle of busy areas. Dishes are passed down from one generation to the next.
To find real Marathi food, you have to leave eating at the rooms of hotels and step out. Guests staying at places like Hotel Parle International or The Orchid Hotel Mumbai Vile Parle should go out and try the real taste of the local way of life through its best form: happily served homestyle food.
The Dadar Food Circuit: Where Tradition Lives
1. Aaswad
Aaswad stands as a temple of Maharashtrian vegetarian cuisine. Their misal pav won international awards, and one bite explains why. The sprouted moth beans swim in spicy gravy, topped with crunchy farsan and is served alongside soft pav. Unlike many places that have modernized beyond recognition, Aaswad expanded thoughtfully. They added air conditioning and clean bathrooms without changing the soul of their food. The thalipeeth here tastes just like the kind a grandmother would make at home.
2. Prakash Shakahari Upahar Kendra
Prakash Shakahari Upahar Kendra operates with almost stubborn authenticity. The owners once refused to serve pav with certain dishes because bread was never part of traditional Marathi meals. They have softened slightly over time, but this rigidity comes from genuine respect for culinary heritage. Their puri with sukha alu bhaji represents perfection in simplicity. The restaurant relocated to a smaller space due to building renovation and is now hidden behind metro construction. Only devoted food lovers make the effort to find it, which means you eat alongside locals rather than tourists.
3. Gypsy Corner
Gypsy Corner brings modern creativity to traditional recipes. Their thalipeeth pizza sounds bizarre until you taste how well it works. The kharvas, a treat made with newborn milk, is not often found on restaurant plates. I feel like I’ve found a hidden prize when I get here.
Coastal Treasures: Where the Sea Meets the Plate
4. Chaitanya
Many people think that Chaitanya’s Malvani food is the best in Mumbai. The founder, Surekha Tamble, moved from Malwan when her children came to study in Mumbai. After being astounded by what the neighbourhood places referred to as Malvani food, she made the decision to demonstrate to the city how it ought to taste. Along with the pomfret thali, you’ll find perfectly cooked fish, rice, sol kadhi, and vegetable plates that balance out the rich sweetness of the shellfish. Even people who are living in hotels in Mumbai that are far from Prabhadevi come here.
5. Maaslli Seafood Restaurant
Gaud Saraswat Brahmin fare, which is rare in restaurants, is served to customers at Maaslli Seafood Restaurant. Compared to usual seaside preparations, the dish uses less spice, which highlights the quality of the fish. Regulars who come back every week are drawn to their seafood pulao and stuffed crab.
6. Fresh Catch by Francis
Fresh Catch by Francis in Bandra carries a touching story. The late Francis Fernandes quit his job at a hotel to follow his love for cooking fresh fish. Ankita and Adit, his children, respected their father by carrying on his memory after he died during the pandemic. Photos of well-known customers, including cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, are posted on the restaurant’s walls, but the fish curry—which tastes like home food improved by careful preparation—remains the major draw.
Beyond Vegetarian: Meat Done Right
7. The Olympia Coffee House
Generations of Mumbaikars have enjoyed kheema pav at the Olympia Coffee House in Colaba. The lower area, which feels more real than the air-conditioned top floor, is busy in the morning. Richly roasted and carefully mixed with buffalo meat, the kheema has a unique taste. Paired with soft pav, it provides the kind of breakfast that powers you through the entire day.
8. Noor Mohammadi Hotel
Noor Mohammadi Hotel recently completed one hundred years in business. Their nalli nihari must be cooked slowly for hours until the meat comes off the bone into a complexly spicy stew. The Yakhni pulao serves as an example of how rice can be used as more than just a side food. The owners still have the picture that artist M.F. Hussain originally made and gave them.
9. MH09 Shetkari
MH09 Shetkari in Thane offers real Kolhapuri cuisine, in contrast to the other places in Mumbai that just name their food as “Kolhapuri” even though it has nothing to do with the actual thing. Recipes are sourced by owner Suraj Sankpal from his family’s well-known Kolhapur eatery. The pandara rassa and mutton masala taste just right and burn pleasantly on the tongue.
Make time to eat where the locals dine, whether you’re staying at Sahara Star or Niranta Airport Transit Hotel and Lounge Terminal 2 Arrivals. The best Marathi food can be found in tiny places where the owners continue to use their grandmother’s recipes and take care in each dish.
