10 Sit Down Restaurants in Mumbai For Your Daily Chaat Fix

Chaat is one of Mumbai’s favourite street foods. Each street corner has its own native chaat man and come evening we see hundreds of people milling around Chowpatty and Juhu beach getting their chaat fix of the day. However, on summer days when the sun refuses to set before seven, it becomes torturous to stand and sweat buckets as the chaat man fixes your pani or bhel puri. Don’t give up on chaat in the summer because you can’t stand the wait – instead head to these sit-down restaurants which, if not air conditioners, at least have fans that will cool you down as you wait for your chaat. 

1) Elco

Where: Bandra 

Elco has established itself as the place to sit down and have chaat in comfort in Mumbai. So famous is it for its chaat, that a first timer that tries ordering anything else will be met with raised eyebrows from patrons and waiters alike. 

Try: Pani puri, Dahi puri

2) Pratap Da Dhaba

Where: Oshiwara

This restaurant’s ambiance will make you feel like you’re sitting at a real Punjabi highway dhaba, minus the jostling truckers and with air conditioned comfort. Adding to the authenticity is the chaat, which, I’ve been told by Delhi-ites, tastes exactly like the chaat they get in their beloved Delhi. 

Try: Dahi bhalla chaat, Pani puri

3) Kailash Parbat

Where: Colaba

Among vegetarians who love their desi, ghar ka khana, Kailash Parbat is a favourite for their quick, pure vegetarian snacks. Their chaat menu is particularly extensive.

Try: Special mixed chaat, mirchi kachori

4) Badshah 

Where: Crawford Market

Take a break from elbowing for space with throngs of people as you shop at Crawford market and go take a seat at Badshah. Revel in the air-conditioned comfort as you eat their delicious chaat offerings and sip on their famous, in season milkshakes. 

Try: Sev batata puri

5) Bombay Barbecue

Where: Khar

If you miss watching the chaat man do his magic as he sprinkles sev and juggles sauces, but cannot brave the sun then head to Bombay Barbeque. It has a live pani puri counter where you can indulge in the watching the art of making chaat. 

6) Pratap’s Wild Dining

Where: Oshiwara

Pratap’s Wild Dining is another place with a live chaat counter. Get lost in the restaurant’s jungle theme, complete with mannequins of wild animals and tribals, but keep a plate of home with you in the form of chaat. 

Try: Palak chaat

7) Prithvi theatre café

Where: Juhu

While this is an open air café, you’re shielded from the sun by a host of bamboo plants that provide a pleasing atmosphere as you eat. Eat the café’s chaat after enjoying a stellar play in the theatre. 

Try: Ragda pattice, sev puri

8) Shalimar

Where: Byculla

Prep your taste buds for Shalimar’s biryani, which has a legendary status, by ordering a plate of their chatpati chaat. 

Try: Basket chaat, dahi wada

9) The Bombay Canteen

Where: Lower Parel

Do you think chaat should remain strictly vegetarian? Taste chaat with a seafood mix and decide at The Bombay Canteen. 

Try: Sprouted lentil chaat, chilled seafood bhel

10) Masala Library

Where: Bandra Kurla Complex

Masala Library has made a name for itself for its fusions and for turning Indian street food on its head. So, if you’re seeking chaat at this fine dining restaurant, it’ll come in the form of an amuse-bouche with crumbled puris and yogurt pearls. 

Try: Chaat 2020 (amuse-bouche), palak chaat