5 Best Restaurants in Mumbai, India

The extremely hip Americano is always full, but it is worth reserving a table for their excellent Americano pizza (salami, fior di latte, and tomato), the handmade pasta, and perhaps the best tiramisu in the city. Once there, be sure to cast an eye over the elegant décor and menu design, all done up in shades of cerulean, cornflower, and cream. Chef Alex Sanchez’s restaurant has also made its way to Asia’s 100 Best Restaurant award listings, so that’s yet another reason to go.

Though they don't come cheap, the succulent kebabs at this hotel restaurant are perfect for those who don't want to indulge their stomachs on Muhammad Ali Road (the inexpensive, street-side haven for meat eaters). Elegant and subdued, the restaurant's drawback is the minimum 25-minute wait for your food—but good things take time, and the chicken seekh kebabs (ground chicken and spices) and the biryanis are worth the wait.

Styled as an haute version of a typical Mangalorean home—all red clay and bright green—Konkan is in the Vivanta by Taj hotel (still "Taj President" to taxi drivers). It does all the chow your average home might serve, but it's more refined, with cleaner flavors and elegant presentation (food is served on copper thali plates lined with banana leaves), plus it has the added advantage of being one of the few coastal restaurants to offer a great, if expensive, bottle of wine.

Quality European bistro food—and the possibility of seeing a Bollywood star or two—draws suburbanites as well as townies on date night to this converted one-story restaurant in Bandra, but it's the romantic, old-school charm of its interior that keeps them coming back for more. While the rest of Mumbai runs headlong into the future, this place harks back to Bombay's bungalow roots with simple wooden tables, wrought-iron railings, and exposed brick.

Granted, Mumbai is not exactly known for its carbonara, so the bar isn't set too high, but Vetro could stack up against Italian food in any moderately sized American city. And if you're in the mood for a break from spicy food, this minimalist chic restaurant is perfect, with its wide variety of salads, pastas, and antipasti.