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When we arrived in the sprawling modern metropolis of Mumbai we were instantly overwhelmed. The city is huge. Like 15 km long or so. Our main interest in the crowded chaotic city was culinary. Bombay or Mumbai is known as the meeting point of South and North Indian culture. This means good things for the food scene. Giving birth to both sloppy buttery Pav Bahji and the simple but delicious Bombay Sandwich…this city has done some good things for food. But to truly tackle the food scene we were going to need a food tour. After much research, we found that we think is the best Mumbai food tour on the market.
I also have a comprehensive guide on Where to Eat in Rajasthan (and a Rajasthan Itinerary) if you’ll be spending the majority of your time in India in the desert state.
Why Street Food in Mumbai?
Nothing cuts to the heart of this foodie scene like street food. Street food is cheap bites made for everyday consumption. They are usually small family-run businesses that have perfected a single recipe, or sometimes a small handful of recipes, to serve to their community. We’ve indulged in street food around the world. And usually, they make our list of favorite meals in each destination. Places like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Lima (Peru), Cartagena (Colombia), Vietnam, and Singapore come to mind.
But street food, especially in India, can be overwhelming. There’s just so much of it. And what exactly is it? Ingredients in India are not always easily identifiable to the western palate.
That’s not even considering which stalls are good at what they do and won’t make you sick. If there’s any place on earth that you NEED a tour for street food — it’s India.
So let’s talk about A Chef’s Tour: Street Food Edition
This is the street food tour we went with. At $35 per person, it included more than 15 dishes consumed over the course of 5+ hours. It was a great crash course on Indian cuisine.
What Makes A Chefs Tour Unique?
This isn’t a simple food tour just showcasing the most popular everyday eats of Mumbai — this is a cultural experience. You’ll get to visit some significant sights throughout the city important to Indian culture and take a tour through Indian cuisine filled with important regional dishes scattered all throughout the city.
The tour takes you on a culinary journey through India without ever leaving the city of Mumbai. You’ll begin in the South of India by eating an array of dishes served on a banana leaf and progress through 15 unique and delicious food stops, winding your way in a circle across the food map of India to Gujarat.
Expect to be absolutely stuffed with food and newfound knowledge about Indian culture at the end. You’ll also be exhausted in the best kind of way after walking through restaurants, temples, and chaotic Indian markets for 5-ish hours.
Let’s take a look at some of the delicious food we ate on my tour!!
Kichiya Paapaad hand-molded and roasted on a flat charred surface. Chaats stuffed with savory and sweet sauces, neon orange sticky jalebi, and crunchy bits of faafda sprinkled about. I’m sure these words mean absolutely nothing to you right now. I’ll just leave you with a few more photos to encourage you to try the Mumbai street food tour yourself.
One thing I loved in particular about this Mumbai street food tour was that it wasn’t all street carts. We did go to several quick-stop restaurants where we could sit and enjoy sharing a few plates of food. These places were all 75+ years old!
Is this tour good for people who have been to India before?
Yup! I’ve actually been to India previously and still found that I ate totally different things on this tour than during my previous travels in the country.
That’s the biggest benefit of this particular tour. They don’t focus on what Indians eat every day but instead on what is culturally important. So it’s likely you won’t ever have eaten any of these dishes! Or you will have eaten a simpler variation.
This is also a great food tour for first-timers in India. Basically, if you’re up to trying street food — this is the tour for you.
Not an India Fan? A Chef’s Tour Can Still Help.
A Chef’s Tour offers similarly put-together tours with local guides in lots of cities all over Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Here are some of our favorite tours!
From fruity Falooda, nutty Kulfi, and delicious Buffalo curd, to colorful chaats there are bound to be a few new favorites you can add to your Indian repertoire. There wasn’t a single dish that we didn’t like in the 25+ dishes and curries we sampled on the tour. My advice? Come hungry and well-rested!
Save this Mumbai Food Tour for Later!
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