If you tend to feel hungry at odd hours, this list is for you. Henna Achhpal and Samreen Samad tell you about food joints across the city that welcome party hoppers and night owls alike...
Hunger pangs can hit at any time of the day and for the most part they make their presence felt in the middle of the night. Suddenly you may start craving a sinful chocolate pastry or your mouth may water at the thought of greasy Chinese. How many times have you tried to kill those midnight hunger pangs because there was nothing in your kitchen or you didn’t know where to go? We compile a list of places that work through the graveyard shift to satiate all those cravings so you never have to go to bed with an unhappy stomach.
UP TO 4 AM
Whether you’re hungry after a long night of partying or burning the midnight oil to complete an assignment, you can visit any of these joints across the city. These places that are open up to the wee hours, mostly serve items such as rolls, kebabs and bhurji pav but you can’t afford to be picky when you’re hungry either.
Zaffran: Unarguably serving the best Mughlai food in the city, Zaffran is for all you butter chicken and garlic naan lovers. Since the place is compact, it tends to get crowded so it’s a good idea to opt for a take away instead.
Where: B Block, Dr. DN Road, Sitaram Building, Crawford Market, CST
Contact: 23442690, 23401976
Meal for two: `500
Light of Asia: Another food joint in the same area, Light of Asia is easy on the pocket and offers Indian and Chinese items on its menu.
Where: Kothari Mansion, Opposite GPO, Mint Road, Fort
Contact: 65537626, 22613572, 922459917
Meal for two: `200
Amar Juice Centre: Mostly a drive-in eatery, Amar Juice Centre is a must visit for its renowned pav bhaji and juices. Their service is a bit slow so you will have to be a little patient till your food gets to you.
Where: Shop No. 3, RN Cooper Hospital Compound, Vile Parle (West)
Contact: 26247917, 26243863
Meal for two: `500
Bade Miya: No matter what time it is, the area around Bade Miya is always buzzing with people devouring their baida rotis. But, even this one lacks in service so you have to be patient.
Where: Behind Taj Mahal Hotel, Colaba
Contact: 22848038, 22851649
Meal for two: `350
Ayub’s: But if you’re not the patient kind or simply too hungry to wait , you can hop to Ayub’s which is just around the corner and serves equally good rolls and kebabs.
Where: Adjacent to Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Contact: 9821199147
Meal for two: `200
Apna Dhaba: If you’re not strictly looking for good food or aren’t particular about ambience, you can visit Apna Dhaba which is ideal for those who simply want to hang out.
Where: Marol Pipeline, Near Trade Star Building, Andheri-Kurla Road
Contact: 64529778
Meal for two: `500
Rajput Pav Bhaji & Chinese Centre: Pav Bhaji and Chinese food at the same place might seem like an odd combination but who cares as long as the food is delicious! If you’re too lazy to get out of your home, this joint even delivers food in surrounding areas.
Where: Parekh Mahal, Near Shiv Sena Bhavan, Shivaji Park, Dadar (West)
Meal for two: `200
Bachelor’s Juice House: Nothing beats a late night drive to Marine Drive during the rains and Bachelor’s is a great place to stop at for a quick bite. The long queue of cars parked outside this tiny stall speaks for its yummy milk shakes, juices and sandwiches.
Where: 45, Sattar Sea View, Opposite Birla Krida Kendra, Girgaon Chowpatty, Girgaon
Contact: 23681408, 23682211
Meal for two: `500
Mogal Sarai: Not exactly a plush place but Mogul Sarai promises good food and serves up to 4.30am! If you don’t like sitting in their cramped seating area, you can always parcel the food.
Where: Next to Bandra Bus Depot, Near Citibank ATM, Bandra (West)
Contact: 26403305, 26406262
Meal for two: `450
Smokin’ Joe’s: There are quite a lot of tandoori, rolls and bhurji late night joints but what about your pizza cravings? Smokin’ Joe’s in Malad solves that problem. You can even place your order online at www.deliverychef.in.
Where: Shop No. 6, Ganga Building, Chincholi Bunder and Link Road Junction, Malad (West)
Contact: 28823300, 28827766
Meal for two: `350
Ice ‘N’ Rolls: Another take away joint, it is open till 4am and offers pizzas, kebabs, juice, rolls, sandwiches and more.
Where: Juhu Scheme, 1st Road, Near Mithibai College, Juhu
Contact: 26175528
Meal for two: `200
Sigdi: If you’re having a party and unfortunately ran out of food, Sigdi will come to your rescue. Not only is it known for its rolls and Chinese food but this is one the few places that delivers food around the area till 4am.
Where: 160/B Abbas Compound, 29th Road, Waterfield Road, Bandra (West)
Contact: 26557907
Meal for two: `500
Seasonal Tastes: For those who don’t prefer the road-side stalls can step in to The Westin’s Seasonal Tastes that has a special midnight menu which offers quick snacks and beverages at a 15% discount between 12 am until 4.00 am.
Where: The Westin Mumbai Garden City. Oberoi Garden City, Goregaon East
Contact: 67361050
Meal for two: `800
MIDNIGHT BUFFET
Missed your dinner because of a long meeting or need a quiet and romantic night out? You can head to any one of these places for their midnight buffet and eat to your stomach’s content...
Boulevard: The 24-hour coffee shop (pictured right) also has a midnight buffet at `550 between 12am to 1.30am that includes a variety of salads, soups, main course and deserts.
Where: The Orchid - Five Star ECOTEL Hotel, Nehru Road, near Domestic Airport, Vile Parle
Contact: 26164040
The Brasserie: Starting at 12.30am and going on to 2.30am every Saturday and Sunday, The Brasserie’s midnight buffet priced at `650 plus taxes satisfies your hunger with Indian, Oriental and Continental fare.
Where: The Brasserie, Hilton Mumbai International Airport, Sahar Road, Andheri (East)
Contact: 29262731
The Square: The popular all day dining bistro and coffee shop at Novotel Juhu also has a special midnight buffet at `500 (excluding taxes) offering international and Indian cuisines.
Where: Novotel Hotel, Balraj Sahani Marg, Juhu
Contact: 66934444, 66934343
24 HOURS
If you’re picky and craving something in particular or if you’re an abnormally early bird on the lookout for your morning coffee at 5am, you can step into these 24/7 restaurants and coffee shops:
Trattoria: For authentic pizza and pasta, you can head to the Taj President’s all day dining restaurant, Trattoria (above) that serves delicious Italian food.
Where: Taj President, 90, Cuffe Parade
Contact: 66650808
Meal for two: `2,000
Aqua: This coffee shop in Sun-N-Sand hotel is rightly named not only because it’s by the pool but also because its full length windows give you a panoramic view of the facing Arabian Sea.
Where: Sun-N-Sand, 39, Juhu Beach, Juhu
Contact: 66938888
Meal for two: `1,500
O22 Bar Lounge: This all day dining restaurant that’s named after Mumbai’s dialling code offers the best of Mediterranean and Asian food. So you know where to head when you get those midnight sushi cravings.
Where: The Trident, Bandra-
Kurla Complex
Contact: 66727777
Meal for two: `2,000
Vista: Another 24 hour cafe in the city is Vista (pictured above) at Bandra’s Taj Land’s End where you are likely to rub shoulders with the celebrities that live around the area.
Where: Taj Lands End, Bandstand, Bandra West, Mumbai
Contact: 66681234
Meal for two: `1,500
Lotus Café: The expansive Lotus Café in Juhu’s J.W. Marriott Hotel welcomes you with its overwhelmingly large windows. If you’re looking for a quiet cup of coffee with no one to bother you, Lotus Cafe is where you must head.
Where: J.W. Marriott, Juhu
Contact: 66933276, 66933277, 66933000
Meal for two: `2,500