Mughlai, Awadhi & Biryani in Mumbai

Mumbai biryani is its own thing — closer to the Bombay Muslim kitchen than to Lucknow or Hyderabad, usually eaten late and usually standing. The centre of gravity is Bhendi Bazaar and Mohammed Ali Road, where several kitchens date to the 1920s. The suburbs have their own version, built around the film industry’s night hours.

Ramzan is when this food is at its best: the streets around Minara Masjid stay open past midnight for the whole month, and dishes appear that are not cooked at any other time of year.

Name	Where	What it is known for
Noor Mohammadi Hotel1923	Chowk Bazaar, Bhendi Bazaar	Nalli nihari, chicken sanju baba, kheema. One of the oldest Muslim kitchens in the city.
Shalimar Restaurant	Bhendi Bazaar	Mughlai and biryani; the Bhendi Bazaar landmark.
Bademiya1946	Tulloch Road, behind the Taj, Colaba	Began as a pavement kebab stall; baida roti, seekh kebab, rolls, after eleven at night.
Sarvi Restaurant1921	Nagpada	Seekh kebab, bheja, khiri. Plain room, no concessions.
Delhi Darbar1971	Colaba and Grant Road	Mughlai and biryani; long-running and consistent.
Cafe Noorani1923	Haji Ali junction	Kebabs, biryani and rolls at a junction everyone passes.
Bohri Mohalla kitchens	Bhendi Bazaar	Smoked kheema, raan, bara handi; at their best during Ramzan.
Surti Bara Handi	Bohri Mohalla	Twelve pots of slow-cooked trotters and offal, served from midnight.
Minara Masjid lane	Mohammed Ali Road	Not a restaurant — the street itself, which becomes the city’s biggest kitchen for one month a year.

Name	Where	What it is known for
Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar1970s	Byculla	Biryani in volume; a Byculla name.
Madanpura kitchens	Madanpura, Byculla	Everyday Mughlai away from the crowds and the guidebooks.
Nagpada and Agripada rooms	Nagpada, Agripada	Kebab and biryani kitchens serving the neighbourhood.

Name	Where	What it is known for
Lucky Restaurant1938	near Bandra station, Bandra West	Biryani and Mughlai; a Bandra landmark, always full.
Persian Darbar	Bandra West, Andheri, Lokhandwala	Kebabs, biryani and Irani-style grills across the suburbs.
Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar	Andheri and Santacruz	The suburban outlets.
Andheri and Jogeshwari biryani houses	Andheri East, Jogeshwari	Late-night kitchens serving the film and airport trades.
Ramzan stalls	Bandra Hill Road, Kurla	Stalls that appear for one month and vanish.

Name	Where	What it is known for
Kurla and Chembur biryani houses	Kurla, Chembur, Govandi	Neighbourhood biryani, largely unlisted.

What to order

• Nalli nihari at Noor Mohammadi, eaten in the morning as it is meant to be
• Chicken sanju baba at Noor Mohammadi — named for the actor who asked for it
• Seekh kebab at Sarvi, Nagpada, from a kitchen running since 1921
• Baida roti and kebab rolls at Bademiya, after eleven at night
• Bara handi at Bohri Mohalla — twelve pots of slow-cooked trotters, only in the old city
• Malpua and firni on Mohammed Ali Road during Ramzan

Other cuisines

Read the city by area

A note on this page. Restaurants and shops open, move and close far more often than factories and markets do. Everything here is a snapshot of Mumbai as of 2026, offered as a starting point rather than a live listing. Check the address and the hours before you travel.

Restaurant, shop and company names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Inclusion is for independent discovery only, not endorsement, ranking or affiliation.

Our other websites

These open our other sites in a new tab. They are part of the same network and are marked in blue throughout this site.