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Mumbai/Bombay, a city known for its vast diversity, extreme riches and poverty, and its street food scene.
After ticking off the main touristy things to do in Mumbai (you can do this in a day), we spent the rest of our time grazing at street food stalls across the city.
Google pointed us towards Marine Drive as one of the best street food locations, and after walking from the south of Marine Drive for 30 minutes without seeing a single stall, we quickly became hangry.
To enter street food central, you need to head to Marine Drive Beach, where you will find Clean Street Food Hub.
Expect to be bombarded
All the food stalls are in fierce competition, so you’ll quickly be harassed from the moment you enter the street food hub.
“Where are you from?” “Do you like cricket?” “Can I take a selfie?” “England, a very rich country” – the usual interactions we’ve become accustomed to.
Most dishes range from 30–80 rupees, so it’s hard to get annoyed with the energetic salesmen.
What to eat?
Mumbai’s food scene is laid out for you in the 10–15 stalls at Marine Drive. With dishes being extremely cheap, you can try 3–4 dishes across the stalls before getting too full.
Here’s what we tackled:
Sukha Bhel, a spicy mix of puffed rice, chopped tomatoes, peanuts, sev, onions and buckets of herbs and spices. Not the best dish for us, but can see this being served in a British pub alongside a cold lager.
Tikka Chaat, a yogurt-based dish, with flakes of tikka-infused pastry surrounded by onions and tomatoes, pairing well with its spicy chutney.
Pav Bhaji, my favourite street food in Mumbai. Two warm, buttered rolls accompany a rich pool of vegetable curry sauce, which will have a stick of butter within. Not the healthiest, but a must-try.
Pani Puri, a street food delicacy we’ve had throughout our time in Nepal, and now India. These crispy shells are filled with chickpeas, nuts, and a spicy sauce that bursts in your mouth. Another one for a British pub to incorporate.
Eating around the stalls is made easy with carpets placed alongside them. Some did have curry stains, so be careful where you perch.
Marine Drive is just the start. Book a food tour here: Mumbai street food & dessert tour
Desserts were in plentiful supply
From our experience with desserts in India, they like it sweet, sweeter than anywhere we’ve been. So it’s no surprise to see many stalls serving sugary goods.
With the heat at 30 degrees, it came as a great shock to us that ice cream was not melting. This was our introduction to Kulfi, India’s version of ice cream. Made with less air, Kulfi is more dense, holding its shape for longer. Despite this, many kids and adults still manage to colour their t-shirts with its sticky substance.
