Given Mumbai’s proximity to the Arabian Sea, it’s no surprise that the city is a nexus of seafood-based cuisines. From Bengali influences to Malvani techniques, the seafood you’ll find here will represent each corner of the country. Here are five of the best seafood restaurants to dine at while you’re in this dazzling port-side city.
Gajalee has just three locations in all of India, and all three are located here in Mumbai. The Malvani-inspired seafood restaurant offers everything from Rava-fried king fish, broiled prawns, and even squid cooked in spicy curry. The spice comes from a pepper native to Malvani cuisine, called tirphal; a cousin of Sichuan peppers, it gives a fiery kick guaranteed to leave you reaching for ice-cold solkadhi, a beverage accompaniment made from coconut milk and kokum.
The Konkan region of India stretches from the Sahyadri Mountains to the coastline of the Arabian Sea, and as such boasts a palate of spicy and tangy fish-based cuisine that has locals flocking to Konkan Café. Owned by the globally reputed Vivanta by Taj management, you can expect food of the highest quality and service of the highest caliber when you enter this cafe. Each seafood thali (or plate) carries the aroma and flavor of three authentic and classic Konkani ingredients – coconut, rice, and of course, fish.
The restaurant’s name says it all, laying bare the cooking style you’ll find here; pure, authentic Bengali seafood. Oh! Calcutta defines the concept of affordable fine-dining, combining luxurious decor with tantalizing Bengali dishes at modest prices. Here, you won’t find the classic tandoori crab meat or curried fish stew. Instead, you can choose from menu items you’ve only ever seen in a Bengali kitchen – bhapa illish, a boneless delicacy steamed in banana leaves, pabda, a butterfish marinated in creamy malai, and so much more.
Pomfret, jumbo prawns, kingfish, ladyfish, lobster, mussels and clams are just a small sampling of the diverse seafood menu at Fresh Catch. A hole-in-the-wall restaurant located in the tiny Mahim West area of Mumbai, this quaint and old-fashioned restaurant demonstrates it’s values in cooking techniques, decor, and the fact that they don’t have a website. The sheer volume of multi-ethnic Indian curries in which your fish of choice is marinated and stewed will blow you away; from tongue-numbing heat to mouthwatering tang, Fresh Catch offers home-cooked meals so authentic you’ll forget you’re at a restaurant.
Highway Gomantak, a popular restaurant in Mumbai’s bustling Gandhi Nagar region, is making waves in the seafood world for its insanely authentic Goan dishes. The Goan chefs, waiters and owner are all family, the decor is reminiscent of the snack shacks on Goa beach, and the menu exclusively promotes Goan cuisine. A meal here won’t make a dent in your wallet, but it will drop an anchor in your stomach; the seafood plates (or thalis) are filled to the brim with enticing prawn fry, fried mussels, and Bombil fish.
