Mumbai offers diverse dining options for food enthusiasts, from fancy restaurants to casual cafes and street food. However, for a truly authentic culinary experience, one should take advantage of the city’s famous khau gallis or food streets. These streets are home to many food stalls and eateries offering a wide variety of delicious and affordable street food, chaats, and other local delicacies. This article covers the best Khau Gallis in Mumbai to taste delicious street food.
Ghatkopar Khau Galli:
Located in Ghatkopar East, Ghatkopar Khau Galli is a popular street food destination known for its wide variety of vegetarian street food options. It is particularly famous for its over 45 types of dosas, including unique options like Jini dosa, Cheese burst dosa, Noodle dosa, Thousand island dosa, Ice cream dosa, etc. The street also serves various other vegetarian dishes like multi-flavored Fafda, Dabeli, Jalebi, Paneer Schezwan Frankie, and Pizza shots. Ghatkopar Khau Galli is a must-visit for those with a sweet tooth, as they serve crispy crepes, which are quite famous.
Mahim Khau Galli:
Mahim Dargah Khau Galli is a busy street food destination near the Mahim Dargah and known for its non-vegetarian delicacies. The street is always crowded with young people, office workers, and tourists due to its wide variety of dishes catering to different tastes. The street is famous for its food options such as khichdi, Khiri, chicken tandoori, ragda chaat, dry kulfi falooda, and ice cream falooda. It’s a must-visit for non-veg street food lovers.
Carter Road Khau Galli:
Carter Road Khau Galli, located near the Bandra Promenade, is a popular street food destination known for its sea breeze, young crowd, and delicious street food. The street is lined with food stalls serving the best street foods in the city, including popular options like rolls, momos, shawarmas, falafel, kebabs, and Indo-Chinese delicacies. Visitors can also indulge in sweet treats like gulab jamun, frozen yogurt, and waffles.
Chembur Khau Galli:
Chembur Khau Galli is a must-visit destination for fans of Punjabi and Sindhi cuisine. The street offers a unique culinary experience compared to other food streets in Mumbai, which mainly focus on famous delicacies such as vada pav, pav bhaji, chaats, and dosas. The street is known for its simple food stalls and eateries that sell a variety of regional specialties like kulcha, dal pakwaan, koki, and ragda patties. Additionally, there is an excellent selection of sweet delights for those with a sweet tooth.
Zaveri Bazaar Khau Galli:
Zaveri Bazar Khau Galli is a vibrant street food destination that offers a unique blend of local and Gujarati flavors. The street is perfect for those looking for something different from regular street foods. The street is famous for its moong dal bhajiyas, crispy kachoris, Gujarati pancakes or pudla, dabeli bhel, street-style tawa pulao, vada pav, and samosas, which are a must-try for visitors.
Princess Street Khau Galli:
Princess Street Khau Galli is known for its delicious sweets and snacks, such as samosa chaat, ice cream chaat, badam halwa, jalebi rabdi, and aloo papdi. Located near Crawford Market and Mangaldas Market, this street food destination is always busy with tourists and shoppers visiting the nearby markets. They offer juices, milkshakes, and other beverages, which are perfect for a refreshing break during shopping and city tours.
Mulund Khau Galli:
Mulund Khau Galli is a popular street food destination for those looking for various options. The street is famous for its special masala vada pav, prepared with generous amounts of butter and pav bhaji masala. In addition, the street has many other food stalls and eateries offering quick bites, filling dishes, and refreshing beverages like pav bhaji, tawa pulao, bhel puri, khichdi, chocolate milkshakes, and ice gola. The must-try delicacies at Mulund Khau Galli include Oreo blossom milkshake, Jini dosa, and The Lays dosa.
Mohammad Ali Road Khau Galli:
For non-vegetarian street food lovers, Mohammad Ali Road Khau Galli is a must-visit destination in Mumbai. The street offers a variety of options for meat lovers, from shawarmas, spicy tikkas, and kebabs to soft naans, phirnis, and malpuas. The street is bustling during Ramzan and is known for popular dishes like Nalli Nihari and Haleem. The street is a favorite amongst Bollywood stars as well.
SNDT to Cross Maidan Khau Galli:
SNDT-Cross Maidan Khau Galli is a popular street food destination located between SNDT and Cross Maidan. It is a must-visit for fast food and chaat lovers, with food stalls suitably located near Marine Lines and bustling with locals and tourists till late at night. The street offers diverse delicacies, such as pav bhaji, aloo chaat, Chinese Manchurian, corn cob, milkshakes, and fruit juices. This khau Galli is particularly famous for its delicious Bombay sandwiches and vegetable Frankie.
Kharghar Khau Galli:
Kharghar Khau Galli is popular among office and college-goers, as the street comes to life after 5 pm and gets crowded with fast food and chaat lovers. The street offers a wide range of delicacies such as noodles, fried rice, Manchurian, goli vada pav, dosas, litti chokha, and shawarma, which are particularly famous here. Momos are the specialty of this street, and one can find different varieties of momos, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, like fried momos, Schezwan momos, chicken momos, and momo chaat.
Therefore, a food tour in Mumbai would only be complete with visiting at least some of these popular khau gallis. These streets offer a wide variety of street foods and are a great way to experience local food culture and try something new.