Street food
Mumbai is renowned for distinctive street foods - and especially bhel puri , a quintessentially Mumbai masala mixture of puffed rice, deep-fried vermicelli , potato, crunchy puri pieces, chilli paste, tamarind water, chopped onions and coriander. More hygienic, but no less ubiquitous, is pao bhaji , a round slab of flat bread stuffed with meat or vegetables simmered in a vat of hot oil, and kanji vada , savoury doughnuts soaked in fermented mustard and chilli sauce. And if all that doesn't appeal, a pit stop at one of the city's hundreds of juice bars probably will. There's no better way to beat the sticky heat than with a glass of cool milk shaken with fresh pineapple, mango, banana, chikoo (small brown fruit that tastes like a pear) or custard apple. Just make sure they hold on the ice - made, of course, with untreated water.

We've listed restaurants, bars and cafés by district. The most expensive restaurants, particularly in the top hotels, will levy "service charges" that can add thirty percent to the price of your meal. Phone numbers have been given where we recommend you reserve a table for dinner.

Colaba
Colaba has even more places to eat than it does hotels. In the space of just 1km, you can sample an amazing array of regional cuisines : pure-veg "Hindu hotels" serving delicious Gujarati and south Indian food stand cheek-by-jowl with Muslim cafés whose menus will delight die-hard carnivores. Nearby, within a stone's throw of the Taj and its expensive gourmet restaurants, are Mumbai's oldest and best-loved Chinese joints. Other than during the monsoons (when choppy seas keep the fishing fleet in the polluted waters of the harbour), these offer fresh, safe seafood dishes of tiger prawns, crab or delicate white pomfret. Still in Colaba, traditional Iranian restaurants serve minced lamb and mutton specialities, while revamped café-bars dish up draught beer and reasonable Western food for tourists and local yuppies. Non-vegetarians will enjoy succulent meats, smothered in the split-lentil stew known as dhansak, in Parsi restaurants, while Goan and Mangalorean "lunch-homes" crop up everywhere too - good for a pork vindaloo or a fiery fish curry.

The majority of Colaba's cafés, bars and restaurants - among them the popular travellers' haunts, Leopold's and the Café Mondegar - are up at the north end of the Causeway. We've divided them into price categories based on the cost of a main dish: inexpensive (below Rs75), moderate (Rs75-200) and expensive (above Rs200).

Downtown
Britania & Co , opposite the GPO, Sprott Road, Ballard Estate. Definitive Iranian/Parsi food and decor. Try their special " berry pulao " or Bombay duck dishes. A real find, and cheap too.

Chetana , 34 K Dubash Marg tel 022/284 4968. Painstakingly prepared Rajasthani/Gujarati food, including set thalis (Rs150) at lunchtime and numerous à la carte dishes - absolutely the last word in fine veg cuisine. Expensive, but not extravagant. Reserve for dinner.

City Kitchen , 301 SBS Marg. Highly rated hole-in-the-wall Goan restaurant. Serves all the usual dishes - mostly fish and meat simmered in coconut milk and fiery spices. Inexpensive.

Copper Chimney , 18 K Dubash Marg tel 022/204 1661. Renowned eatery with wonderful ceramic murals and stylish versions of standard north Indian dishes; the tandoori kebabs are recommended. Reservations essential at weekends. Superb but expensive.

Kalpana , 254 Shahid Bhagatsingh Road, 3min east from VT. Great place to get your bearings if you've just flopped off a train at VT. Inexpensive Punjabi dishes and great thali (veg and non-veg) served in a light, airy dining hall with comfortable seating.

Khyber (sign not in English), opposite Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda tel 022/267 3227. Ultra-fashionable, with opulent Arabian Nights interior and uncompromisingly rich Mughlai/Punjabi cuisine. The chicken makhanwallah is legendary. Reservations essential.

Mahesh Lunch Home , 8-B Cawasji Patel St, Fort. Inexpensive Keralan restaurant serving authentic veg "meals" and delicious non-veg options - chicken fried in ginger or fish masala on groaning platefuls of rice.

Café Samovar , Jehangir Art Gallery, MG Road. Very pleasant, peaceful semi-open-air café, with varying menu of food and drink: roti kebabs , prawn curry, fresh salads and dhansak, chilled guava juice and beer.

Trishna , 7 Ropewalk Lane, Kala Ghonda tel 022/267 2176. Visiting dignitaries and local celebs from the President of Greece and Imran Khan to Bollywood stars have eaten here (as photos attest). Wonderful fish dishes in every sauce going, and prices to match the clientele. Very small, so book in advance.

Wayside Inn , opposite Jehangir Art Gallery, K Dubash Marg. Upmarket Parsi café, with red-chequered tablecloths and solid English cooking. Nice place for a coffee after visiting the museum.

Churchgate and Nariman Point
Chopsticks , 90a VN Rd tel 022/204 9284. Wide choice of pricey meat, seafood and veg in fiery Szechuan and milder Cantonese style. Try the excellent dim sum or dishes with such inscrutable names as "ant climbing up the tree". Buffet lunch Rs200.

Croissants Etc , Industrial Insurance Building, opposite Churchgate station. Filled croissants, pricey pastries and other Western food, including delicious cakes.

Gaylord , VN Road tel 022/282 1259). Parisian-style terrace café in the heart of Mumbai. Tandoori, sizzlers and some Western food. Wholemeal bread, baguettes and sticky buns in the patisserie.

Kamling , VN Road tel 022/204 2618. Favourite for the title of oldest, best and most authentic Chinese in town. Southeast Asian flight crews and well-heeled locals tuck into delicious Cantonese dishes - try the mouthwatering "chimney soup" or the (expensive) seafood specialities.

The Outrigger , Oberoi Hotel , Nariman Point tel 022/202 4343. Polynesian specialities (Chinese with more fruit thrown in), tribal masks and a full-size canoe. Expensive.

The Pearl of the Orient , Ambassador Hotel , VN Road tel 022/291131. Revolving Oriental restaurant in glam four-star hotel with panoramic views. Reserve for dinner - expensive.

The Pizzeria , Corner of Veer Nariman and Marine Drive. Delicious freshly baked pizzas served on newly renovated terrace overlooking Back Bay, or to take away. Plenty of choice, and moderate to expensive prices.

Purohit's , VN Road tel 022/204 6241. Justly popular traditional restaurant serving a good range of mid-price Gujarati thalis, Punjabi main dishes and South Indian chaat .

Rangoli , inside NCPA Centre, Nariman Point tel 022/202 3366. Excellent-value Continental/Oriental buffet lunches (Rs350) are its forte, but the à la carte menu is gourmet standard though fairly pricey. Be warned that the waiters may put on a "show" in the evening.

Satkar , opposite Churchgate station's western exit. Busy pure-veg terrace restaurant: great for south Indian "fast food" and crowd-watching.

Trattoria , Hotel President , 90 Cuffe Parade tel 022/215 0808. Surprisingly authentic Italian cuisine. Pizza and pasta with fresh herbs, real Parmesan, bitter-chocolate ice cream, and a big buffet lunch on Sundays (noon-3pm; Rs400).

Crawford Market and the central bazaars
Badshah Juice and Snack Bar , opposite Crawford Market, Lokmanya Tilak Road. Mumbai's most famous falooda joint also serves delicious kulfi , ice creams and dozens of freshly squeezed fruit juices. The ideal place to round off a trip to the market.

Bhaishankar's , near Bhuleshwar Market, CP Tank Circle. One of Mumbai's oldest and most respected sweet shops. Try their Bengali barfi , cashew kalingar or masala milk (made with pistachio, almonds, saffron and nutmeg).

Gulshan-e-Iran , Palton Road tel 022/265183. Popular Muslim breakfast venue on the main road that does inexpensive biryanis, kebabs, chutneys and fresh bread. Open all day.

Hiralal Kashiram Bhajiwala , Kumbhar Tukda, Bhuleshwar Market. Cheap restaurant serving great farsan savouries, including ponk vadas (millet and garlic balls), batata vadas (made with sweet potatoes) and kand bhajis (deep-fried purpleyam), all with a tasty, fiery chutney.

Rajdhani , Mangaldas Road (in the silk bazaar opposite Crawford market). Outstanding, eat-till-you-burst Gujarati thalis dished up by barefoot waiters to discerning aficionados. A little more expensive than usual, but well worth it.

Shalimar , Bhindi Bazaar Junction. Outstanding Mughlai, tandoori and (not as good) Chinese food in a cool Art Deco marbelled interior. Great food and reasonable prices make it very popular with Muslim Mumbayakas.

Chowpatty Beach and Kemp's Corner
Chowpatty Beach is a popular venue for a picnic, crowded with vendors selling kulfi in clay cups and bhel puri, kanji vada and pao bhaji . Kemp's Corner , crouched under the hectic G Deshmukh flyover, fifteen minutes' walk north, boasts a clutch of very good places to eat - handy for visitors to Malabar Hill.

China Garden , Om Chambers, 123 August Kranti Marg tel 022/363 0841. Malabar Hill's glitterati don their finest for this place, which has expensive, authentic Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese food.

Chinese Room , Kwality House, Kemp's Corner tel 022/380 6771. A less expensive alternative to China Garden , specializing in quality Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese cooking, with great seafood.

Gupta Bhelwalla , around Chowpatty Beach. The most legendary stall in India, where colourful variations of hot/cold, sweet/sour bhel puri are whipped up in front of you with flair. Utterly delicious. May take some tracking down due to the clearing of food stands on Chowpatty Beach.

New Yorker , Fulchand Niwas, 25 Chowpatty Seaface. Western food - baked potatoes, pizzas, burgers, and some Tex-Mex options - dished up in a bustling a/c café. Moderate.

Paramount , Marine Drive, near the Aquarium. Small Iranian café, which while it has a certain charm, with marble-top tables, wood-panelled and mirrored walls, applies strict rules: signs request that you "Do not spit", "Do not comb your hair", "Do not stretch legs on other pieces of furniture" and, most advisedly, "Do not sit unnecessarily a long time". Inexpensive.

Revival , above London Pub , Chowpatty Seaface, near the footbridge. Expensive but good-value 1930s retro restaurant serving imaginative and tasty Italian (with authentic ingredients) and Indian veg food.