Mumbai Travel Guide: Colaba, Bandra, and Where to Stay in India's Megacity

Three picks across the spectrum of how Mumbaikars actually eat.

For the iconic Mumbai institution: Trishna, at 7 Sai Baba Marg, near Commerce House, Fort, Mumbai 400001. The famous Mangalorean seafood restaurant — properly serious crab and prawn preparations including the iconic butter-pepper-garlic crab and the green-masala butter prawns.

Among Mumbai's most-cited destination restaurants for visiting chefs.

For the modern, contemporary pick: The Bombay Canteen, at Process House, Kamala Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013. Chef Thomas Zacharias's modern Indian restaurant — properly seasonal Indian regional cuisine elevated to fine-dining context.

One of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list entries.

For the iconic Parsi institution: Britannia & Co., at 16 Sprott Road, Wakefield House, Ballard Estate, Mumbai 400001.

The 1923 Parsi café founded by Iranian-Zoroastrian immigrants — the iconic Berry Pulao (rice with barberries, lamb, and dried apricots), the patrani machhi (fish wrapped in banana leaf). Run by Boman Kohinoor (who lived to 100 and was the iconic face of the restaurant) until 2018; still family-run.

Lunch only (closes around 4pm).

For Mumbai seafood with serious Champagne and emerging Indian sparkling wines (Sula Vineyards in Nashik produces traditional-method sparkling wines), the iconic destination is Trishna (covered above), where the seafood is paired with serious Champagne pours alongside the iconic Indian Single Malt whisky selections.

For a more refined Italian-Indian seafood-and-Champagne alternative, Tetsuma at the Hotel Lotus Suites, Andheri East from chef Jaspreet Singh offers contemporary Japanese-Indian fusion with serious raw bar and a tight wine programme.

For something more iconic and properly Mumbai (and with the Arabian Sea view), the Sea Lounge at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel offers afternoon tea and high tea with serious Champagne service overlooking the Gateway of India and the Arabian Sea — among India's most cinematic afternoon-tea settings.

For an old-world historical stay in Mumbai, the reference is The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, at Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Mumbai 400001.

Opened in 1903 by Jamsetji Tata (the founder of the Tata business empire) — India's most iconic historical hotel, sitting directly opposite the Gateway of India.

Built after Tata was famously denied entry to the British-only Watson's Hotel due to his Indian ethnicity, he commissioned the Taj as a hotel that would explicitly welcome all races. Survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks; fully restored 2010.

The Original Wing (the 1903 building) is the heritage choice; the 1972 Tower Wing has the modern luxury amenities. 560 rooms total. Among Asia's most-cited grand hotels.

Pricing from around INR 25,000/night (USD $300). Bookings via the official site. For a smaller boutique alternative, Abode Bombay at Lansdowne House, Colaba (a 20-room heritage boutique inside an Art Deco building from the 1930s) is the contemporary boutique heritage choice.

India decriminalised same-sex relations in 2018 (Section 377 ruling). Same-sex marriage is not yet legally recognised — the Supreme Court declined to legalise it in 2023 but transferred the matter to Parliament.

Mumbai has the most visible LGBTQ+ scene in India. Mumbai Pride (Queer Azaadi Mumbai) takes place in late January-early February.

The neighborhood: There is no defined gay quarter in Mumbai. Bandra (the bohemian creative western suburb) and the Colaba area have the highest concentration of LGBTQ+-friendly venues.

The bars and events: Mumbai's LGBTQ+ scene operates primarily through curated nights and pop-up events rather than dedicated venues — the iconic Gaysi Family events are the most-respected LGBTQ+ regular programming in the city. Voodoo Pub at Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba was the iconic long-running gay night-event venue (the Saturday gay night was an institution).

The Kitty Su club nights at the LaLiT Hotel (multiple Indian cities) are LGBTQ+-friendly. Mumbai's LGBTQ+ social scene is more discreet than that of Bangkok or Bangkok but the community is large and politically active.

Spas: Mumbai's hammam-style spas are mainstream and not LGBTQ+-specific. The dedicated cruising-context venues operate more discreetly than in Western capitals.

The famous-person small museum: Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum, at 19 Laburnum Road, Gamdevi, Mumbai 400007.

The two-storey building where Mahatma Gandhi lived during his Mumbai visits from 1917 to 1934 — preserved with his bedroom (austerely simple, with his spinning wheel and a few books), his correspondence library, and the Gandhi photo archive.

Among India's most contained and properly atmospheric single-person museums. Free admission. Closed never.

The recent landmark: Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) at Jio World Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai 400051 — opened in 2023 as India's largest performing-arts cultural centre, with three theatres (the 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the 250-seat Studio Theatre, the 125-seat Cube) and the 16,000-square-foot Art House for contemporary visual arts.

The most architecturally and culturally significant new private cultural infrastructure in India in the 21st century.

For something more contained and properly traditional, the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, at 159-161 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort, Mumbai 400023 is India's most important Indo-Saracenic museum (1922).

1-3 day itinerary: Day 1 — South Mumbai (Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Palace lobby walk-through, Colaba Causeway shopping, lunch at Britannia & Co., Marine Drive sunset). Day 2 — Bandra Mumbai (Bandstand promenade, Mount Mary Basilica, Linking Road shopping, dinner at Bombay Canteen).

Day 3 — Elephanta Island day trip (1-hour ferry from Gateway of India, the rock-cut Shiva caves date to 5th-8th century, allow half a day round trip) or NMACC matinee performance + Bandra Kurla Complex.