Mumbai Reviews

Food, sight-seeing and shopping
Town side: Please, please do go to Haji Ali in Mahalaxmi. All cab drivers know it. I am in love with it. It won?t take long to go there. But it will change your life. And once you get out, do have strawberry and Cream ice-cream at the Haji Ali Juice corner. You?d never have tasted anything like it. Across the road is the Heera Panna complex, which is great for gadgets, mobiles, Zippos, fake watches etc. Much like Palika but better, cleaner and safer. You must bargain there. They will try and rob you except for one or two shops. Once near town, please, please try and go to Leopold. I absolutely love that place. It is in Colaba, across from the Benetton showroom. That corner is called the Kala Ghoda I think. It is a very down-to-earth drinking place where foreigners hang out. Don?t go for dinner, go for an evening beer. It?s better for a laid back evening as you must visit some other places for dinner. Near there, in one of the back lanes is a famous place called Baghdadi and Bade miyan. Pick up a roll from bade miyaan and try this special Iranian roti at Baghdadi. It is unmissable. You can also go to Ayub?s for rolls if it?s really late. The back lane has the kitchen from where they will give it to you even as late as 3 am. Also in town is the fountain. Where you get very cheap books and the fashion Street is there. Completely missable. Another place I love is a pub called ?Not just Jazz by the Bay? across from Baskin Robbins on Marine Drive. They have Karaoke nights there. It?s a blast. Walk along the Marine Drive for a short distance before taking a cab. It is lovely. What you cannot and must not miss, even if you have to cross half the world to reach is the Hard Rock Café. It is Bombay Dyeing Mills in Worli. You must, must go there. Try and check out Sheiro also. It is fantastically beautiful, quieter and more sophisticated. Maybe have one beer there, in the same complex, before going to Hard Rock. Hard Rock closes at 1.30. Most places in town close around that time. Hard Rock is the best place in Bombay right now. Go there definitely. Have a beer at Leopold, Shiero and then go to HRC. They have 1000 bucks cover charge. Suburbs One thing that is a must but you may not be able to do it because of time is watching a play at the Prithvi Theatre. Last show is usually 7:30. If you don?t have the time, but feel like a nice cup of Irish Cream Coffee, do go to their café. This is in Juhu, very near Holiday Inn and a short distance from Marriott. Next to Alfredo?s and Barista. I try to always visit the Mt. Mary Church in Bandra, near Bandstand. Mornings are great for that, but so is any time of the day. I go in the morning as I can go as early as 7:30 also which leaves the rest of the day free. Auto drivers ussually get confused and take you to St. Anthony church. You may need directions from a local. It is up a climbing road. There are a lot of places you can part at in the suburbs too. There is Enigma in the Marriott (Juhu). Mostly celebs and opens till late (about 3 am). You can eat in the coffee shop afterwards. Entry is a bit much, Rs. 3000 I think. But it?s better to go to the local places like Hawaiian Shack, which is very popular amongst the Advertising and such people. It is in Bandra. On linking road, there is a Mc Donald. Across the street from it is a lane. Go down that road and ask someone. Everyone knows it. I don?t know the name of the exact road. You can also go to Zenzei, Poison and Seijo & Sojourn on Waterfield Road in Bandra. Near ICICI bank. Poison is a pub in the same building. Much like a UK underground pub. It is in the basement too. 1000 bucks entry. Seijo & Sojourn is a pub and restaurant on the first floor of the same building. Also very good. Zenzei is very popular also. On the same road, towards linking road. Very near Zenzei and a Lakme Salon is a new place called Red Box. Went for breakfast one day as they have a Hot Breads kind of readymade counter. But checked out booze prices. Very, very cheap. 60 bucks for a pint. Looks nice but never tried it for dinner. Near there is OMO. A fabulous shop for clothes, shoes and accessories. This is also Waterfield Road, Bandra. Near Linking Road and National College. It is on the second floor of a building that has TISYA board prominently. Across the road from a shop called Outfits (very cool clothes, jeans etc. from Hong Kong etc). That is the woman?s store. But they can give you directions to the men?s store, nearby. I will try too. Across from ICICI, there is a bunch of shops called Leo and Babes, Kings etc. Go down that road straight. Keep a look out on the right. Outside one of the houses is a very small board with OMO on it. It is a garage kind of room attached to a house. That?s the men?s store. Nice pants and kurtas etc. worth a look. A lot of time I go to Biona, a café on Hill Road for breakfast for a quick lunch. It?s a cute café with good food which is rare in Bombay. Nice desserts too. Plus readymade biryani for when you are in a hurry. Ask auto wall to take you to Globus. If you are coming from Linking Road, Globus will be on your right. Take the left from there. Biona is on the left on Hill Road. Next to Sleep-ins and Independent café. Please go to Bandstand in Bandra one evening if you have the time. It?s a lovely walk. Even late at night, you have people hanging out at 3 or 4 am. They just sit and drink and hang out. You can go to Toto?s Garage, a laid back place in Bandra, near Pali Market. Good rock music. Only if you have the time. Near there, you can get beer at a theka like tiny corner shop long after everything is closed. In Juhu, please go to the beach and have chuski and sit on one of the many shacks? edge and listen to the waves. There is a nice Mocha across the street for coffee. On the Juhu road, much before Marriott is a lovely restaurant. New. Called Aurrius. It doesn?t have a front gate or anything, so you may miss it. Look out for Ajanta Hotel (tell your auto walla Ajanta hotel). Cross the road and enter a iron gate. Inside is Aurrius. Sit out in the open. It?s very pretty and overlooks the sea. Not if you are alone though, it?s boring. There is also Vie near there. Also nice. You can go to a lot of places alone also in Bombay. No one cares. You can also go to this place called Alfredo?s for lunch or evening beer. It?s small and quaint. Near Holiday Inn. There is also Temple Flower, a nice restaurant there. If you want to try crabs or seafood, don?t miss Mahesh, very close by. It?s very famous. If you want to party besides these places (Aurriius and Vie are quiter. Enigma is a club), you can go to Rock Bottom in Ramee Guestline, near Holiday Inn. I don?t like it that much but it?s there. As is their rooftop, an Indian restaurant. Boring. Linking road is very good for cheap chappals and leather stuff if you want to pick up something. There are a lot of shops with cool stuff all over Bombay. I always visit Linking road for shoes, OMO and outfits for clothes and frequent these places to eat. There must be lots of other places but these are my world in Bombay. I discover something new every time. Do try and do as much as you can while you are there. The city never sleeps. You can midnight buffets at Holiday Inn and Marriott. You can get a drink almost anywhere. There are a lot of Barista and café days but there are so many other places with history that make the city.

Activities & things to do
Shop for shoes and leather. Do go to the sea side. Worli and bandstand are ideal. juhu is good for a family outing. Do take a day trip to the caves. Get on a ferry from the Gateway of India. They are closed on Mondays though. Party like mad at one of their various clubs. Hard Rock Cafe, Sheiro, Posion, Vie, Aurrius, Avalon, Enigma, Velocity...the list is endless. Go gadget shopping at Heera Panna. Get religious at Siddhi Vinayak, Mt. Mary or Haji Ali. Or take a trip to Filmcity.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
Mumbai is connected by air with almost everywhere. Being a throbbing city, the fares are not too much either as there are so many flights in that sector. Try travel sites for special deals and offers for flights. Within the city, I take autos all the time. They never refuse to go anywhere if they are on the right side of the road. They don?t try and cheat you. The calculation is - whatever the reading on the meter, it is one rupee less. For instance it shows, 1.0, you pay them 9 rupees which is the least fare even if you are going 10 feet away. If it shows 3.6, you pay 35 rupees. It?s simple, once you get the hang of it. Cabs are very cheap too.