The Best of Mumbai's High-end Restaurants

Kandahar

This classy, well-appointed restaurant, located in The Oberoi, is a great place to sample the traditionally rich cuisine of the Northwest Frontier as well as lighter, home-style dishes. The restaurant has a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea to one side and a glass fronted kitchen on the other which provides a view of the tandoors and charcoal grill as the chef readies the guest’s gourmet experience. Strains of gentle live instrumental Indian classical music serve as a soothing backdrop for dinners.

Kebabs are a specialty here, and the robust Kabuli raan (soft, fragrant, and utterly delicious, prepared a day in advance to enable the meat to stew in its own juices and assorted spices) in particular has long been hailed the best in the city. Home-style dishes include dahiwali bhindi (okra cooked in yogurt) and lasuni palak (delicately flavored garlicky spinach); the latter, especially, is a perfect complement to the heavier meat dishes. Mop up the butter-soaked, sinfully rich Kandahari or Kaali dal (black dal) with pudina paratha (mint bread) or zaafraani naan cooked with saffron and poppy seeds. Kandahar hosts regular food festivals; if you're around, don't miss one -- you're sure to sample some unrivaled delights.
Cuisine: Afghani, Indian
Location:The Oberoi,
Nariman Point,
Tel. +91 22 66325757/56325757
www.oberoimumbai.com

Dakshin

Like the other three award-winning restaurants at the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton, Dakshin dazzles. The focus here is on South Indian food, with vegetarian and fish dishes from across the region, from Kerala to Karnataka. Dakshin offers a full formal banquet of Chettinad dishes, the historical cuisine of the region. The décor is ornate and live Carnatic music after 8pm adds to the ambience. Meals are served in a dining room that conjures up the steamy exoticism of the south, complete with brass idols and flower garlands. A place to bring guests you want to impress. The seafood and the renowned Chettinad spicy chicken are recommended.

Cuisine: South Indian (specialty), Indian
Location: ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton,
Sahar Rd,
Andheri
Tel: (+91) 22 28303030
www.itcwelcomegroup.in

Konkan Café

Chef Ananda Solomon has earned an enviable reputation for his inspired specialties, garnered from up and down the Konkan coast and served with style. Although the menu is constantly reinvented, look for specialties like the red snapper cooked in a spicy tomato-onion sauce and baked in banana leaves; and the heavenly sukha mutton. You can also sample such Goan specialties as chicken cafreal (chicken marinated with chilies and spices and roasted or barbecued) or pomfret recheado (a hot and spicy masala) with feni (the Goan liquor distilled from coconuts or cashews). Savor the spectacular crab cakes with a fine bottle of wine from an extensive selection.

Cuisine: Manglorean (specialty), Goan (specialty), Indian
Location: Taj President,
90 Cuffe Parade
Tel. +91 22 66650808
www.tajhotels.com

Indigo

Indigo in Colaba serves high-quality European cuisine to Mumbai's wealthy set. The Zen-like decor comprises uncluttered ochre walls and dark wood furnishings, with a separate cocktail bar and candlelit open terrace. The diverse menu offers everything from lobster and shallot risotto to tea-grilled quail, followed by hot dessert soufflé or chocolate fondant.

The international/fusion menu is not extensive, changing once a year, but specials are on offer, with something for every appetite. To Start with the flavorful beet and coconut soup; or the herbed goat cheese, spinach, and grilled apples, drizzled with walnut vinaigrette are recommended. The lobster risotto is perfect, as is the seared tuna loin rubbed with cracked mustard seeds and served with sesame bok choy, oyster mushrooms, and a roast tomato drizzle. Also recommended is the chargrilled beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola, served with black-eyed-pea ragout, asparagus tips, and a tandoor-roasted onion.

Cuisine: European, International, Western-fusion
Location: 4 Mandlik Road,
Colaba
Tel. +91 22 56368980/ 2202-3592

Khyber

Khyber has been going strong for decades now, so much so that there is not even a sign outside to mark the restaurant, but its classic Mughlai cuisine and tender kebabs remain outstanding. Dark woods, waiters in full traditional dress and sumptuous North West Frontier cuisine come together at Khyber in Fort. The menu boasts tandoor meats and rich sauces. Meat dishes dominate; Try the Khyber raan (lamb) or mutton chaap Mughlai and piping-hot naan bread. The chicken makhanwala (shredded tandoori chicken in a rich tomato-and-butter-based sauce) gets gold stars as well. Original Indian artwork lines the walls and low lighting creates a cozy ambience.

Cuisine: North Indian, Indian
Location: 145 Mahatma Gandhi (M.G) Rd,
Fort
Tel. +91 22 40396666.
www.khyberrestaurant.com/khyber-fort.html

Trishna

Mumbai is renowned for its fresh seafood; Trishna is a seafood legend in Mumbai and is considered one of the best in the world. An unpretentious old favourite with locals, Trishna is small and always crowded. Butter pepper garlic king crab is Trishna's signature dish, but you'll also find jumbo pomfrets and tiger prawns (done in any style) cooked to perfection. Despite its reputation as a somewhat snobbish restaurant, Trishna isn't about ambience (the decor in fact is somewhat tacky and, yes, staff do have a reputation for snootiness) -- everyone is here for the food. Recommended dishes include pomfret Hyderabadi -- barbecued with black pepper, it's a true masterpiece; pomfret hariyali enveloped in green masala and baked in a tandoor; fish sholay kebab; Kolhapuri prawns (spicy, so order a drink); or squid expertly prepared with butter, pepper, and garlic. Reservations are essential any night of the week.

Cuisine: Seafood, Indian
Location: 7 Sai Baba Marg,
Kala Ghoda,
Fort
Tel. +91 22 22703213/2270-3214

Seijo & The Soul Dish

Mumbai is now matching up to establishments around the globe and this is a world class restaurant and lounge. This place is cool, chic and you keep wanting to go back. Creative Southeast Asian and Continental cuisine with a seafood emphasis.

It is situated in 8000 sq.ft. space, and is set in two separate zones. The restaurant is huge which looks like an urban Asian garden. It has equally spacious bar done up in funky red travertine flooring.It has an impressive collection of wines and they have come up with innovative cocktails. The place has Japanese style gardens. The pebbled waterways resemble an urban Asian garden. On the walls you will find Japanese anime prints. The flowing water walls add to the charm of the place.

While taking the beauty in, you can feast on almond crusted prawns, lobster maki rolls; pepper crusted tuna, Vietnamese shrimps, dim sums, Indonesian sambal and a Burmese chicken curry. You can get good influence of East and West. As well as the main course the desserts are equally different and good. Some of them are bento box with chocolate and strawberry and the Green Tea Ice Cream with Tempura cake.In the bar, live band sets the mood for the evening.

Cuisine: Southeast Asian, Asian, Continental
Location: 206 Krystal,
Waterfield Road,
Bandra.
Tel. +91 22 26405555
www.seijoandthesouldish.com

Peshawari

Even compared to the other classy restaurants at the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton, Peshawari is in a class of its own. The menu showcases the cuisine of Bukhara on the Northwest Frontier, including richly spiced meat kebabs and dense curries. The kebab platter features a selection of the tastiest kebabs in Mumbai, great for sharing. Don’t miss the belly-warming dhal Bukhara (curried lentil dish), tandoori jhinga (clay-oven-cooked prawns), and murgh malai kebab (boneless cubes of marinated chicken). No cutlery is provided – diners eat with their hands to really get in touch with the food.

Cuisine: North-Indian (Peshawari), Indian
Location: ITC Maratha Sheraton,
Sahar Airport Road,
Andheri.
Tel. +91 22 28303030
www.itcwelcomgroup.in

Olive Bar & Kitchen

Popular with A-list celebrities, Olive Bar & Kitchen in fashionable Pali Hill is a casually chic restaurant serving mainly Mediterranean and also Italian dishes like mushroom carpaccio, penne lobster and creamy radicchio risotto. Sunday brunch on the sun-filled courtyard is lazy, while on Thursday nights the party-loving locals pack the bar for live music and cocktails. The menu of Mediterranean food changes regularly but all dishes are prepared with plenty of fresh ingredients – standout options include healthy Italian salads and home-made pasta. .Mezze platters and hookahs are available here. Olive kitchen and bar is committed to provide and cultivate a fine mixture of style, art, culture and cuisine. It has created its own identity in Mumbai.

Cusine: Mediterranean, Italian
Location: 14 Union Park,
Pali Hill Tourist Hotel
Tel +91 22 2605 8228

India Jones

Cuisines from across Asia are celebrated at this elegant and sophisticated restaurant at the Hilton Towers in Nariman Point. The menu, in the form of an old traveler's map and diary, is a treasure trove of exciting Asian dishes. This is hotel dining at its most refined, and the setting – in a modernist dining room full of Chinese calligraphy and Asian artifacts – is perfect for a business lunch or dinner.

The hands-down favorite, certainly with locals who want to sample as much as possible of the extensive menu, is the "India Jones Grand Platter": an appetizer assortment; soup (tom yam or tom kha); and a platter of green chicken curry, wok-fried prawns, stir-fried sea bass with celery, barbecued pork with honey, wok-fried mixed vegetables in black-peppercorn sauce -- and the list goes on. At Rs 2,700 ($62) for two, it's pricey, but it's a feast that will leave you bursting. For the not-so-ravenous, there's plenty more: the Wok Platter (also highly recommended), live seafood (try the grouper in soy-ginger broth), a separate dim sum menu, a teppanyaki counter -- controlled by chef Sam Wong -- and outstanding sushi, which is not even on the menu but is ordered all around. As expected of any Oberoi restaurant, the service and decor are exemplary.

Cuisine: Asian- Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.
Location: Hilton Towers,
Marine Drive,
Nariman Point