Edits

25/25

Mumbai

Messy, comical, unpredictable, dramatic, impossible, beautiful. It’s the city where people lie in the gutters and dream of the stars. From slumdogs to millionaires, fashion to finance, Bollywood to beggars, it serves as a perfect microcosm of the unwieldy, dichotomous country it exists in. Look past the dirty streets and the bright lights, and you’ll see a city that is warm and welcoming.
 

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Essentials

01 Sip water throughout the day; it's easy to get dehydrated as the weather is pretty much always humid.
02 In the monsoon season (June to September), roads fill up with water very quickly. Carry a change of clothes and wellies, if possible.
03 Traffic is horrendous. Leave plenty of time to get around.
04 If you're travelling by taxi, make sure the driver puts on the meter when you get in and ask to see the meter card at the end of your journey or you can end up paying three times the fare.
05 When bargaining in shops or markets, start off offering half the price quoted. If you settle on two-thirds, well done.

Hotels

Independent and easy
The Gordon House Hotel
5 Battery Street, Apollo Bunder, Colaba
+ 91 22 2287 1122
ghhotel.com

Dependable
The Oberoi
Nariman Point
+ 91 22 6632 5757
oberoihotels.com

Premium
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Apollo Bunder
+ 91 22 6665 3366
tajhotels.com

Dining

Fast breakfast
Le Pain Quotidien
Apollo Bunder, Colaba
+ 91 22 6615 0202

Business breakfast
Frangi Pani
Hilton Towers, Nariman Point
+ 91 22 6632 4343
hilton.co.uk/mumbai

Mid-morning coffee
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Inox Building, Nariman Point
+ 91 22 6615 1168

Working lunch with colleagues
Konkan Café
The Taj President Hotel, Cuffe Parade
+ 91 22 6665 0808
tajhotels.com

Need-to-impress-clients lunch
Thai Pavilion
Hotel Taj President, Cuffe Parade
+ 91 22 6665 0808

Lunch on your own
Swati Snacks
Tardeo, Near Bhatia Hospital
+ 91 22 5660 8405

Afternoon tea/drink
Sea Lounge
Taj Mahal Palace and Tower
+ 91 22 5333 6070

Dinner on your own
Olive Bar and Kitchen
Mahalaxmi Race Course
+ 91 22 4085 9595

Dinner with colleagues
The Tasting Room
Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel
+ 91 22 2495 1954

Private dinner
Shiro
Bombay Dyeing Mills Compound, Worli
+ 91 22 6651 1207

Big dinner with partner/clients
Wasabi
The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower
+ 91 22 6665 3366


Drink after dinner
Indigo
4 Mandiik Road, Colaba
+ 91 22 25636 8999

Late drinks
Tote on the Turf
Mahalaxmi Racecourse
+ 91 22 6157 7777

Late bite
The Bar and the Verandah
Four Seasons Hotel, Worli
+ 91 22  248 18000
fourseasons.com

On the tiles
The Blue Frog
Opp Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
+ 91 22 4033 2300

Reading

Books
Crossword
Kemps Corner
+91 22 2384 2001
crossword
bookstores.com

Thank yous

Wine from Indigo Deli
Apollo Bunder
+ 91 22 6655 1010

Shopping

Something you can't get anywhere else
Antiques from Chor Bazzaar
Motton Street

Lost luggage - where to buy dress shirts, socks and undies
Zara at Palladium / Marks & Spencer at High Street Phoenix,
Phoenix Mills Compound, Lower Parel

Something for the kids
Landmark
Palladium Basement, Phoenix Mills Compound
+ 91 22 6457 5323

Something for someone you love
Jewellery, knickknacks and clothing from Bungalow 8
17 Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba
+ 91 22 2281 9880

Something for yourself
Kitschy, colourful designs from Good Earth
Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel
+ 91 22 2495 1954

Two hour tour

01 The Gateway of India
Apollo Bunder

02
Mahatma Gandhi Museum
19 Laburnum Road, Gamdevi
+ 91 22 2380 5864

03
Ballad Estate
Drive there at night to avoid the traffic, and enjoy the Victorian architecture.

Limousine/car

V-Link Taxis Private Limited
+ 91 22 4052 0100

Transport

Hire a car or hail a taxi - they are readily available. An air-conditioned car is a must. Taking the bus isn't the best idea - too crowded and confusing.

Fitness

Good Gym
Qi
Eros Cinema Building, Churchgate
+ 91 22 6639 0182

Good running route
The Race Course, Mahalaxmi (you can run around the track and watch the horses training)

Alternative diversion
Yoga at Purna Swasthya Yoga
Therapy Center, Bhartiya Stree Seva Sangh, 1st Floor, Krishna Kunj, Behind Wilson College
+ 91 22 5605 7567
drpragna.com

Credits

Writer: Ria Talati

25/25

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