Whether you’ve been going steady for a while or are about to meet someone you’re interested in for the first time “formally,” it’s pretty handy to have a list of ideal food joints to frequent for dates in Mumbai, especially places with an abundance of yummy veggie options combined with either a romantic or a cutesy, positive vibe. Today we bring to you a list of date-worthy places to try out all across Mumbai – there you go, now you have no excuse for monotony!
CLASSY:
Pali Village Cafe (Bandra): This place is definitely THE perfect romantic date spot, with candles and all that jazz. Make sure you get a table in the more intimate upstairs area. The food is also divine – try their cheese plate (with some wine!), pastas, pizzas, risottos and dessert offerings ranging from pies to cheesecakes to flan. This is one of the few places we could find sweet potato fries at, too. Pali Village Cafe is one of the pricier venues on our list, but totally worth it if you want to make your someone special feel even more special!
Cafe By the Beach (Chowpatty): While the food here is dreadful – they don’t even have many veggie options on their teeny-tiny menu – you have got to go here on a date for this place’s spectacular beach ambiance. And, hold your breath, you can even go on a romantic 10-15 minute boat ride before 11pm, included with your Rs. 100 entry. We suggest having dinner somewhere else before heading to Cafe By the Beach, and then grabbing drinks + dessert here. You’ll want to stick around here for quite some time in the late evening once you see how beautiful this outdoor cafe looks at night.
Novotel (Juhu): The best thing about Novotel’s 24/7 coffee shop is the outdoor poolside. Head over here in the middle of the night for some coffee and desserts, long, meaningful conversations and calming effect of being near a pool. Once the monsoon starts, chilling here feels even more magical.
The Sassy Spoon (Bandra): We absolutely love the vibrant and spacious feel of The Sassy Spoon. It has an absolutely upbeat vibe, and the food is delicious – we recommend The Sassy Spoon for a romantic brunch or tea-time. We loved their cinnamon French toast (the whipped coconut cream is heavenly), French onion and cheese melt and scones.
Villa 69 (Juhu): Okay, minus all the jokes we can crack about 69, we really did like the classy and regal ambiance of Villa 69’s outdoor area at night, and the moment we first stepped in we knew this place was date-spot worthy. Try the Villa 69 Triangles, wood-fried pizzas and veggie penne arrabbiata.
Silver Beach Cafe (Juhu, Fort): Silver Beach Cafe is a romantic little cafe near Silver Beach, perfect for evening tea and desserts or dinner with your special someone. They’ve got plenty of veggie options ranging from thin crust pizzas, pastas (3-cheese rotellini!!) and risottos to healthy salads and sandwiches and thai curry. This place makes for a really memorable date spot during the rainy season.
Cafe Basilico (Bandra, Colaba): If you want a classy venue and drool-worthy food, head over to Cafe Basilico. They’ve got bagels, paninis, chlli chese toast, pizza, pasta, mac and cheese (yay!) and an entire range of teas.
Bayview Cafe (Colaba): Rooftop View. Check. Reasonable Prices. Check. Decent Veggie Options. Check. Located at the rooftop of Hotel Harbour View, Bayview Cafe is a place not too many people know about. Head over here for a romantic evening with a rooftop view with your sweetheart. We loved their veggie momos!
Salt Water Cafe (Bandra): Salt Water Cafe has a very premium feel to it, and it is spacious! Whether you’re a vegetarian craving breakfast food like waffles and bagels, or a delicious French mozzarella grilled panini, flavorful gnocchi and ravioli or a nice assortment of desserts and breads, you should totally check out this place with your date!
Global Fusion (Bandra): Not only does Global Fusion have an overwhelming amount of veggie options from different cuisines spanning the globe, the interiors are beautifully done up. Hands down this is one of the best buffet places in Mumbai. And, if you can grab a spot for two in the beautiful section photographed below, you’ve got yourself a very memorable and romantic date night ahead!
Le Cafe (Chembur, Ghatkopar): The only thing we like about Chembur is this delicious place called Le Cafe, which also has a branch in Ghatkopar, too! Try out their margherita pizza, arabiata penne pasta and outstanding potato wedges. Their grilled vegetable panini is also excellent. They have a nice counter of desserts worth sampling, too!
Smokehouse Deli (Bandra, BKC, Lower Parel): We love the European feel interiors at this cosy date place. It’s both cutesy and classy, and perfect for a romantic breakfast since it opens at 7am! For breakfast, try out their butter milk pacakes and bagels. And, if you’re coming for a lunch or dinner date, try their deli cheese tasting plate, smokes tomato + brie sandwich, pasta aglio olio peperoncino, and raspberry + oreao cheesecake. They’ve got a good assortment of teas and coffees if you simply want to chill here for dessert, as well.
CUTESY:
Ray’s Cafe & Pizzeria (Bandra): The rose vines adorning the interiors at Ray’s Cafe & Pizzeria made us go awww instantly. Their super-crispy pizzas and salads are decent, but it’s mainly the cutesy vibe, not the food, which makes Ray’s stand out.
Kala Ghoda Cafe (Fort): If you can grab a spot in the upstairs area (which only fits one group *wink wink*), then good for you! While this cafe is super tiny, it has a very calm vibe and their tea cakes are heavenly!
Bistro 1 (Lokhandwala): Board games, pretty interiors, cozy feel, dim lighting and pretty darn good food all make Bistro 1 a nice date spot. Try out their their buttermilk pancakes, herb & olive focaccia, ultimate grilled cheese sandwich and watermelon-basil lemonade! If you like cute, informal eateries, also worth a very special mention is Cafe Grain & Bagel (Juhu) – their bagels, bagel bites, bagel sandwiches, waffles and maggie are excellent.
Villa Vandre (Bandra): Villa Vandre has cute written all over it. Oozing of positive energy and delicious food, head on over to this petite venue for a romantic dinner date and try out their innovative kasundi risotto and quesadillas. Stay away from the dessert though!
Francesco’s Pizzeria: After Pizza Express, if there is one pizza place that makes us go nuts, it has to be Francesco’s. Not only is the venue gorgeous, the ingredients used in their dishes are brilliant. Definitely try their bianca (white) pizza, desserts and sandwiches! Their waiters are also extremely polite!
Haagen-Dazs (Lower Parel, Powai, Bandra): Looking to grab something sweet with your sweetheart? Well Haagen-Dazs has the best quality ice cream as well as yummy fondue platters and cheesecakes worth devouring while snuggling up to your loved one.
The XVII Tea Room (Bandra): The upstairs seating area of The XVII Tea Room with its purple seating and colorful wall painting make it an interesting spot you can chit-chat at for hours. They have a lovely selection of teas, coffees and munchies. We especially love their Lychee Vanilla Tea, Orange Cinnamon Coffee, Citrus Hot Chocolate, and our favorite is their Raspberry Cold Chocolate. Thir smoked chili cheese toast and mediterranean sandwich is out of this world, but the one thing we can’t stop raving about is their classic sugar and butter dutch pancakes – without a doubt the best pancakes we’ve had in all of Mumbai! Also worth a special mention is Di Bella Coffee (7 Bungalows, althought they do have 6 more Mumbai locations), if you are looking for another romantic and spacious coffee place. We love their ice shakes, smoothies and teas!
Prithvi Cafe (Juhu): While even their NEW menu has nothing too great, Prithvi Cafe has is one of our favorite date spots, because it really is difficult to not be in a good mood amidst such a colorful place radiating creative energy. If you’re looking for a fun spot to munch on snacks and guzzle down some teas and coffees, while engaging in meaningful conversations with your loved one, look no further. Oh, and if your date doesn’t go too well, that’s okay – you can simply catch a play inside the theatre ;)
Sugar Rush (Khar): While we weren’t crazy about the quality of their desserts (L.S.D. is right next doors, hello!), this is the cutest dessert place we’ve seen in Mumbai in a long time. This place is adorable, right from the pink paint to cupcake themed cutlery holders and clocks. Stick to their cheesecake jars and offering of beverages, and you’ll be happy in this cute-as-a-button spot.
Also worth special mentions are Woodside All Day Bar & Eatery (Oshiwara) – their pancakes, waffles, and arrabiata pasta are great! – Theobroma (the Colaba and Powai locations are the best in terms of ambiance) for dessert time, as well as Coffee Diaries (Oshiwara) (avoid their pasta under all costs, but definitely pig out on their pancakes) and Chai-Coffi (Versova) for being a perfect spot for gup-shup over light snacks (absolutely avoid their nachos though!).
The Mumbai Veggie 