Mumbaikars love food. Combine this with the city's history of immigrants, and you have the most varied cuisine offered anywhere in India. Thus, eating out is a good way of exploring the culture of the city and the country. Though you'll find Western fast-food restaurants in all areas, in this city fast food still means bhelpuri, pav bhaji or panipuri. Bhelpuri is a sweet and spicy combination of puffed rice, onions, boiled potatoes, puri, coriander, mint, chililes and chutney. Pav bhaji is a potpourri of cooked and spiced vegetables such as peas, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and onions accompanied by a bread bun. Panipuri are lightweight puffed semolina or flour cakes, eaten with a filling of boiled pulses (lentils), spices, tamarind chutney and spicy water. Though these distinctly Mumbai delicacies are available from street vendors at every corner, we recommend trying them in good quality restaurants only.

Restaurants are scattered throughout the city, with the more upmarket ones generally located near the city centers of Colaba, Nariman Point and Marine Drive or in Bandra, Andheri and Juhu. Intense competition keeps prices in check. The commercial area of Fort offers mainly functional food for office workers who need to eat and run. Most of the budget restaurants are open early morning until 11:30 pm. More upscale restaurants usually serve only lunch and dinner.

Here are some of the resturants we have reviewed:

Little Italy
Located in Juhu, Little Italy is a charming little place specializing in all authentic Italian fare. It is also surprising since it is purely vegetarian. So all the vegetarians out there, have no fear go and sink your teeth into the heavenly pastas, lasagnas, pizzas and tiramisus. And let me add here that there is no compromise on taste.

Trattoria
This one comes with high recommendations. Obviously since it is the Italian restaurant of a 5-star hotel, The President. You will no doubt find all the affluence associated with a 5-star. If you have the pastas here you will know why they have become sich a rage. Cannelloni stuffed with cheese and spinach, and gnocchi, fusils with all their accouterments are all mouth watering. Another high point is that its open 24 hrs of the day so if the gastronome bug bites you at 2 A.M you know where to head. Its located in Cuff Parade, only remember not to land there in your nightgown.

Thai me up
Well none other than our very own Sunil Shetty owns the place. As the name suggests the food is all Thai. In fact why just the food even the ambience is meant to be Thai… the object d'art, decorations et al. It is spread over a couple of floors, located in Lamington road and a must visit place whether you live in Mumbai or are there for a brief period. The food is good, seems to be bona fide and the portions munificent.

Barista coffee Bar
Coffee in all its avatars is becoming hugely popular. Café mocha to Cappuccino to Irish coffee to Café Latte you will find it all here. This one has several branches in different parts of the city, Bandra, Lokhandwala, Cuffe Parade, Chowpatty and Juhu. It is a place to go if you have some time to kill, for there are magazines, board games and the like. Of course you can take away your coffee if you want in plastic cups too. Oh and not to mention the munchies and desserts which are incredible too.

Not just Jazz by the bay
This one has quite a name for a restaurant. It opened with some hype couple of years back. Well music is one thing you can't help but appreciate; it even has a perfect location in Marine Drive. If you have been looking for a place to take your friends well this is the place. The food is good and like all up market places in Mumbai, expensive too.

Kandhar
Also located at Marine drive in, it is one of the outstanding 5-star restaurants of The new Oberoi specializing in Mughlai cuisine. The ambience is bright and comfortable. The view of the marine drive is coupled with good food, which surprisingly isn't heavy either. Especially recommended for business lunches more so for those who have offices at Nariman point.

Mainland China
The popularity of Chinese food in India remains despite the invasion of Thai, Italian, Mexican etc. Though what we eat perhaps is not authentically Chinese but it does suit our palette quite well. Seafood is the high point here and definitely not something to be missed. The place is quite big and doesn't give a cramped feeling unlike many others.

Indigo
Good music and informal ambience is the hallmark of this hugely popular place. Its major attraction is perhaps the feeling of being trendy and young that is associated with it. The food that is served is mainly European and an excellent place for your European guests i.e. if they don't want to eat Indian food any more. The cost is on the steeper side though but the food and everything else makes up for it.

Only fish
This one is typically Bengali in its character. The food is of course Bengali. Your Bengali guests will no doubt be gladdened at having their Doi maach and Rasogulla so far away from their home
Well I haven't been fair at all to Mumbai's gastronomical offerings because I have left out so many places that could have and should have been included, Signature, Ling's Pavilion, Ambrosia…In fact this list could go on but I have to stop. What's stopping you though? Go ahead and explore them all.