The category
70 bars across 8 categories and 6 districts. Reviewed by our local correspondents.
Colaba and Fort have the heritage end: Leopold Cafe, the Sea Lounge at the Taj, the bar at the Bombay Yacht Club. Bandra Kurla and Lower Parel hold the new mixology rooms, often run by people trained in London or Singapore. Bandra West is the residential bar quarter, with gastropubs and a few rooftops looking out at the Arabian Sea. South Mumbai still rewards taking the long way: Marine Drive, a single-malt at Ellipsis, dinner at Trishna.
Most bars run 7pm to 1.30am — last call is earlier than the city size suggests. A serious cocktail runs 40-60% of London prices. Our local correspondents work out of Bandra and walk these rooms most weeks. The 70 best are below.