North Indian/Kababs: San-Qi ($$$$) at the Four Seasons Hotel, Worli is excellent. Its Lucknowi thali is a great sampler of the best North Indian food. Kandahar ($$$) at The Oberoi (no longer as good as it was in its heydays) - (SHUT FOR NOW; WAS PART OF THE MUMBAI ATTACKS OF 26/11) , Kebabs and Curries ($$$) at the ITC Grand Central Hotel (now The Grand Central) at Parel, Masala Craft ($$$) at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Masala Bay ($$$) at the Taj Land's End at Bandra or Khyber ($$ 1/2) at Kalaghoda. Gaylord ($1/2) at Churchgate has consistently served good Indian food over several decades. Another good option is Copper Chimney ($1/2) (at Kalaghoda; also at Worli and at High Street Phoenix). For North Mumbai, Peshawri ($$$) at the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton (now called The Maratha) at Sahar (near the international airport) is the star. In South Mumbai, there is also Kebab Corner ($$1/2) at The Intercontinental, Marine Drive. Zaffran ($1/2) near Crawford Market is a very reasonably-priced family-restaurant (no alcohol) with saffron in its signature-dishes....superb and open till 4am, even for home-delivery! Try Soma ($$$) at the Grand Hyatt, Kalina for multi-region Indian cuisine.

Indian sea-food (South-West Indian): The renowned Trishna ($$), where the star is the food and the ambience is to be overlooked. Frequented by the jet set, by models and by diplomats, it has also hosted heads of state. This is Mumbai's rockstar for Coastal sea food from South-West India.  Apart from this one, there are also Excellensea (Bharat Lunch Home) ($) , Mahesh Lunch Home ($) and Apoorva ($). Similar food can also be found in 5-star ambience at Konkan Cafe ($$$) at the President Hotel.

Continental: Indigo ($$$) at Colaba, Salt Water Grill ($$ 1/2) and H2O at Chowpatty (go ONLY for the ambience!) Gaylord ($$) at Churchgate (a 60's restaurant which had its day) Indigo Deli ($$) and Cafe Basilico ($$ and no alcohol served) both in Colaba, Mocambo in Fort, cafe-style and decent food but can get claustrophobic.

Mediterranean:  Moshe's ($$), Old Cuffe Parade.

Lounge/ Resto-bar: Mumbai's first and most popular lounge bar and restaurant serving Continental and Mediterranean cuisine, rumoured not to have had an unreserved table for nine years from the time it first opened, is the now legendary Indigo ($$$), Colaba, (not the same as Indigo Deli but has the same ownership). Run by the famous Mumbai chef-restaurateur Rahul Akerkar, the food has now sadly lost its "edge". China House ($$$1/2) at the Grand Hyatt ak Kalina is among the newer hotspots. Packed on weekends. The suburban equivalent of Indigo is The Olive Bar and Kitchen ($$$) at Pali Hill, Bandra. Among the newer ones, Shiro ($$$) at Bombay Dyeing Mill Compound at Worli is very popular. The Wink bar ($$$) at The President Hotel is also one of South Mumbai's newest watering holes. Popular on weekends. Also to be considered are Vie Lounge ($$1/2) at Juhu and Zenzi ($$1/2) at Waterfield Road, Bandra

French: Zodiac Grill ($$$$$)at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Don't miss their signature Camembert Souffle. To die for. Probably Mumbai's most expensive restaurant.

Italian: Mezzo Mezzo ($$$) at The JW Mariott Hotel at Juhu once considered by many to be Mumbai's best pasta place; but now quite eclipsed by the much-cheaper and "authentic" Don Giovanni across the road; Trattoria ($$$) at the President Hotel. Vetro ($$$$) at The Oberoi has seen a drop in the quality of the food and has killing prices for wine!! Frangipani ($$$) at the Trident Tower serves thin crust pizzas and good pasta, apart from the variety of other cuisines on its menu.  Celini ($$$) at the Grand Hyatt, Kalina is also very popular. An under-rated restaurant is Corleone ($$1/2) at The Intercontinental, Marine Drive. The name is unimaginative; the food is pretty good. Deserves to do better than it does, although it does have its own share of regulars.

Thai: Thai Pavilion ($$$) (opened recently after refurbishment) at the President Hotel is excellent, VongWong ($$$)at Express Towers, Nariman Point. Also a good multi-Oriental-cuisine restaurant is India Jones ($$$) at the Trident Tower.  Joss ($$ 1/2) at Kala Ghoda has the one of the finest Pan-Asian menus from sushi to curry. East ($ 1/2) at Kemps Corner (erstwhile Nish) has an excellent Pan-Asian menu and unquestionably the best green curry/basil rice in town.

Japanese: Wasabi ($$$$$)(by Morimoto) at the Taj Mahal Hotel is truly international class (as are also the prices on its menu!) (SHUT FOR NOW; WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE 26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS. HOWEVER, THE CUISINE IS NOW SERVED TEMPORARILY AT THE RENDEZVOUS, THE BANQUET ROOM ON THE ROOFTOP OF THE SAME HOTEL). San-Qi ($$$$) at the Four Seasons Hotel at Worli has great sushi and a very good bento box. Japengo ($$) at CR2 at Nariman Point is good too but not in the same league at all. Tatsuma ($$) at Colaba (adjacent to the Courtyard) is another new Japanese place. In the league of Japengo although the decor is superior. Another similar restaurant is Origami ($$) at the Atria Mall at Worli. Tiffin ($$$), the coffee shop at The Oberoi Hotel at Nariman Point, has a fairly large sushi menu, also served as part of its "Sunday Champagne Brunch" (SHUT FOR NOW; WAS PART OF THE 26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS).

Chinese: The Golden Dragon ($$$$) at the Taj Mahal Hotel has long been considered to be among India's best Chinese restaurants (SHUT FOR NOW; WAS PART OF THE 26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS. A SMALL PART OF ITS MENU IS SERVED AT THE COFFEE SHOP 'SHAMIANA' IN THE SAME HOTEL). The new San-Qi ($$$$) at the Four Seasons Hotel at Worli has some amazing Chnese dishes. The reopened China Garden ($$$) at Kemp's Corner is an old Mumbai favourite. Apart from this, VongWong ($$$) at Express Towers, Nariman Point is good and refreshingly new! (the dimsums at lunch are unbeateable), Royal China ($$$) behind Sterling Theatre is also very good. China House ($$$) at the Grand Hyatt is stylish and also excels with the food. The Pearl of the Orient ($$1/2) which is the Revolving restaurant at the rooftop of the Ambassador Hotel at Churchgate is frequented more for its marvellous revolving views of the city than for its food. The food, though, isn't bad at all. Other options include Henry Tham's ($$1/2) at Apollo Bunder, the no-longer-what-it-used-to-be Kamling ($1/2) at Churchgate and the consistently excellent Ming's Palace ($ 1/2) at Colaba Causeway. There is also the run-of-the-mill Oriental Blossom ($$1/2) at the Marine Plaza Hotel at Marine Drive.

Indianised Chinese: China Gate ($) at Bandra and Chopsticks ($) at Churchgate (both are affordable but are so Indian that most dishes on the menu are only distantly related, if at all, to their Chinese counterparts).

Parsi: Jimmy Boy Cafe ($) at Fort and Paradise ($) at Colaba. 

Lebanese: The Souk ($$$$) on the rooftop of The Taj Mahal Hotel. It doesn't get much better even in Beirut or Dubai.

Organic: Pure ($$$$$) (fusion - Californian) at the Taj Land's End at Bandra will blow your mind. Keep place for the exquisite desserts. Top grade. Surprisingly deserted at lunch. Expensive!

Celebrity: All cricket or Sachin Tendulkar fans must have a meal at Tendulkar's ($$ 1/2) near the Gateway of India at Colaba. Also has a sports bar attached. Multi-cuisine restaurant with several dishes quaintly marked 'Sachin's favourite'.  Has a children's play room. Tendulkar's shirts, awards, bats hang on the walls. If he is in Bombay, you may spot him at the next table. Also has a Tendulkar's souvenir shop on the lower level. A unmissable pilgrimage for Tendulkar fans --- the rest would do well to skip its mediocre food.

Breakfast:  Indigo Deli ($1/2), Apollo Bunder, Colaba and Theobroma ($) , Opp. Hanuman Temple, Colaba Causeway and Moshe's ($1/2), Cuffe Parade, Tea Centre ($) at Churchgate..

24-hour Coffee Shops in hotels in South Mumbai: Shamiana ($$$)  at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Trattoria ($$1/2)  at the President, Tiffin ($$$) at The Oberoi (SHUT FOR NOW),  Frangipani ($$$) at The Trident Tower, Flavours ($$) at The Ambassador. Bayview ($$) at Marine Plaza has a good and affordable midnight buffet. Hornby's Pavilion ($$$) at the Grand Central at Parel is the only one in midtown at present until the Four Seasons Hotel opens (expected to open in April 2008) at Lower Parel.

 Other eating places (all $ to $1/2)

Some would consider Kobe Sizzlers ($1/2) near Hill Road and at Hughes Road (also now in Fort) for the best sizzlers in the city.....but no alcohol served. Such a pity, when one is crying out for a chilled beer with the superb sizzler! Another sizzler restaurant is Cafe Royal ($1/2) opposite Regal Theatre at Colaba, made famous by Bill Clinton having dined there during his Presidential visit, to the complete surprise of all Bombayites.

Famous Bombay street food includes bhel, sev puri, pani puri and pav bhaji. The newly organized 'bhel plaza' at Chowpatty beach is a good place to try these foods. There is also Kailash Parbat ($) at Colaba. The hygiene factor is definitely in question, though. Opposite Bhel Plaza, is situated Cream Centre, an old Mumbai favourite, regarded to serve the best Chole Bhature and Aloo tikki Chat in Bombay.

Swati Snacks($) and Soam($), located at Tardeo and Babulnath respectively offer vegetarian Gujarati and other Indian fast food. For the more traditional all-vegetarian Gujarati thali, head to Thakkers, Chowpatty, Samrat, Churchgate, Panchvati Gaurav,  near Bombay Hospital, Rajdhani, Crawford Market or Chetana, Kalaghoda. Other popular Gujarati run vegetarian restaurants serving international cuisine are Cream Centre ($) at Chowpatty, The NewYorker ($) at Chowpatty, Relish ($) at Dinshaw Vatcha Road near Churchgate and Relish ($) at Nariman Point. All these ($)

The 'Udipis' dotting the city are well known for their South Indian food. Most also serve Indian Chinese and the 'Udipi Pizza'. Famous Udipis include Status  at Nariman Point, Suvidha at VT, Sanman at New Marine Lines, Sukh Sagar(Chowpatty), Kamats(Crawford Market, Tardeo, Cuffe Parade) and Shiv Sagar(Churchgate, Colaba Market, Kemps Corner, Juhu), and Satkar opposite Churchgate station. Woodlands at Juhu is legendary. All again ($)

For authentic Mughlai cuisine and the best biryanis in town, Delhi Durbar ($) at Colaba and Lucky Biryani ($) at Bandra. To that, definitely add Zaffran in Crawford Market!

Arguably Mumbai's most famous food, the Vada Pav is available at roadside stalls across the city (@ about Rs. 5 per vada pav). Famous stalls are located at Hutatma Chowk and Worli Sea Face....but beware the Bombay Belly! A chain of fast food restaurants serving vada pav has opened across the city.

Veer Nariman Road, leading from Marine Drive to St. Thomas Cathedral is dotted with several eating places including Chopsticks, Kamling (for Chinese), Gaylord (for Indian and Continental), Mocha, the coffee shop,Domino's, Pizzeria (Pizza),Tea Centre (inside Resham Bhavan opposite Gaylord) (a veritable tea museum for the tea connoisseur), Shiv Sagar (Udipi) and Not just Jazz by the Bay has a soup, Salad and Sandwich buffet for lunch and tex-mex cuisine a la carte. The new Theobroma and Wich-Latte, both on Colaba Causeway, with excellent pastries, savouries and sandwiches.

Places with great views: 

Dome ($$$) on the terrace of the InterContinental (Marine Drive and the Arabian Sea).

Pearl of the Orient ($$$), the revolving restaurant at the Ambassador ( view of South Mumbai, the Arabian Sea and the two cricket stadia)

Gallops ($1/2) at the race course (view of the race track). Indian food and kababs.

The Bayview Bar at The Oberoi ($$$) (Marine Drive and the Arabian Sea)

The Sea Lounge ($$$) (in the daytime) at The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower (Gateway of India and the bay)

The Souk ($$$1/2) at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower (the Bay)

The Bayview Coffee Shop ($$) at Hotel Marine Plaza has a great view of Marine Drive.

Note: Scale  $ - $$$$$  represents scale from 1-5             $ = Relatively inexpensive.