Looking for the best thali in Mumbai? From Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Rajasthani and South Indian to vegetarian, seafood, mutton and more—the beloved thali comes with many shades. Everything from its tantalising colours to the exhaustive variety of flavours on the plate promise a wholesome experience. A wholesome experience that keeps on giving, quite literally if you opt for an unlimited one! There’s no dearth of delicious thalis in Mumbai. So to help you pick the best of the best, we rounded up recommendations from the city’s top food experts on where to get the best thalis in the city.
Best thalis in Mumbai
Shree Thaker Bhojanalay, Kalbadevi
“When it comes to thali, Shree Thaker Bhojanalay (Building No, 31, Dadiseth Agyari Lane, Marine Lines East, Ovalwadi, Kalbadevi; call 2222069916 to order), hands down has to be the best thali in Bombay. I don’t think any other place comes close. The winter season is a great time to go there. They do seasonal food, and their undhiyu, which is made around that time, is excellent. They have an excellent curry khichdi combo as well, but beware, after eating that you might just end up in a sated food coma. I don’t want to see anyone after eating that, but I love it. If they didn't give me a place, my second go-to would be Chetana Veg Restaurant & Bar.” Harshvardhan Tanwar, Founder, No Footprints
“Despite being a Gujarati, my favourite thali is this Gujju thali place called Shree Thaker Bhojanalay (Building No, 31, Dadiseth Agyari Lane, Marine Lines East, Ovalwadi, Kalbadevi; call 2222069916 to order). They serve the usual RDBS (rotli dal bhaat shaak)—an abbreviation I usually use at home. And they’ll have an assortment of farsan—either fried or steamed sides like dhokla, muthiya, bhajiya and ghughra. Then there’s dal and kadhi, 2-3 shaaks, rotli (roti), puri, rice or khichadi and some mithai. And last but not the least is the array of chutneys, athanu (pickle) and papads. All this spicy, sweet, tasty food is accompanied by chaas. I like eating all of this together and not course by course (including the mithai).” Mansi Jasani, The Cheese Collective
Chaitanya, Dadar
“For vegetarian thali, Shree Thaker Bhojanalay in Kalbadevi is the best. If there is one place that has consistently served authentic Gujarati food decade after decade, it’s this one. And each morsel here is cooked and served with loads of love. For meat lovers, Chaitanya (33, SK Bole Marg, Dadar West, Prabhadevi; order on Zomato or call 2224372243) in Dadar is the place to be . The place is near Siddhivinayak temple. For me, it has remained the ultimate go-to for coastal Maharashtrian food. You’ll find that they serve more of individual dishes, but their seafood thalis are to die for. And don’t be surprised if the lady who runs the place personally coaxes you to have a little more curry with rice!” Bharat Gothoskar, Founder, Khaki Tours
“Apart from a traditional Gujarati thali the one I enjoy the most is a seafood filled Malvani thali. Plenty of restaurants do a decent thali—some meagre, with just rice, a fish curry sans any fish, either prawns or a piece of fried fish along with papad or roti and others, which are slightly more elaborate. Chaitanya in Dadar, though, does fantastic thalis. You can choose from chicken, prawn, pomfret or surmai—whichever type of protein you want as the star of your thali. I'd recommend the Prawns Special Thali. It’s slightly more expensive but worth your money and calories because they serve this thali with almost six to eight different types of prawn preparations along with the staples- rice, roti and sol kadi. It's a prawn lover's delight!” Roxanne Bamboat, writer, The Tiny Taster
Highway Gomantak, Bandra; A. Rama Nayak’s Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding, Matunga
“Highway Gomantak (44/2179, Pranav CHSL, Service Rd, Gandhinagar, Bandra east; order on Zomato or call 2226409692) serves up authentic Konkan cuisine. They have some of the best Bombil fry in the city and an exciting mix of seafood and meat-centric thalis!
Located in Matunga, A. Rama Nayak’s (First Floor, LBS Market Building, Near Central Railway Station, Matunga East; order on Zomato or call 2224142422) was established in the year 1942. If you’re looking to get a simple and homely South Indian thali that you can enjoy on a banana leaf, this is the place for you!” Saloni Kukreja, pastry chef, content creator, food consultant
Chetana Veg Restaurant & Bar, Fort
“You can't go wrong with any of Chetana's thalis. They have three—or four, if you count the Sunday and holiday special—unlimited vegetarian spreads. I'm devoted to them, I have never once tried the buffet or a la carte options in the 20-odd years I have dined there. Their Gujarati and Maharashtrian thalis come with predictable and delicious programming—a digestive drink like chhaas or jaljeera, some farsan, nashta, sabzis, pulses, savoury and tangy-sweet kadhis, rotis, mithai, and so on, and they are unfailingly fun and wildly tasty. Chetana is also probably the only vegetarian thali place in the city that has a full bar. For a real—and deeply soporific treat—have the Rajasthani dal-bati thali. Along with gatte ki sabzi, churma, and ker sangri, here a perpetual supply of hot, ghee-soaked, crumbly baatis keep materialising on your thali, waiting to be dunked into endless vati-fuls of thick, richly spiced dal. Drizzle spoonfuls with the vampire-repelling red garlic chutney, and a squirt of lime. This is not a working lunch; don't operate any heavy machinery after.” Roshni Bajaj Sanghvi, food and travel writer
“Chetana (34, K Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort; order on Zomato or call 2222844968) is an underrated spot for thali. It's not part of the usual suspects (Thakker's, Status, Maharaja Bhog, Rajdhani) but it's a fantastic spread. It is also the only place I know that offers you four different types of thalis to choose from at any given time - Gujarati, Rajasthani, Maharashtrian and what they call a Healthy thali, though I've never opted for that. The restaurant is pure vegetarian but no matter which thali you choose, they're all great. I always lean towards the Gujarati thali.” Roxanne Bamboat, writer, The Tiny Taster
Kokum, Vasai
“There’s a place in Vasai called Kokum (301 Tania Planet, Bhabola Naka, Vasai-Virar; order on Zomato or call 8308152533) that serves delicious seafood thalis that I love. They have authentic Maharashtrian-style thalis. They have kombdi-vade—a famous konkani roti with chicken—which they make with different types of flours.” Freny Fernandes, founder, Moner
Status Restaurant, Nariman Point; The Konkan Cafe- President, Mumbai, Cuffe Parade
“I like Shree Thaker Bhojanalay, Status (Regent chamber, 208, Jamnalal Bajaj Marg, Nariman Point; order on Zomato or call 2240318700) and also the Konkan thali at Konkan Cafe (President, Mumbai - IHCL SeleQtions 90, Cuffe Parade; order on Zomato or call 2266650808). I love these places because their thalis are a flavour bomb of so many different things! While many tend to overeat when they opt for a thali I think I’ve finally learnt the art of some restraint! Mostly everything they serve is delicious but I especially love the seasonal stuff in these thalis like undhiyu in winters or aamras-puri in summers. In the konkan thalis, the appam and stews and fresh chutneys are my favourites! The best thing about these places is they have been serving simple but consistently good food for years! And it's always fresh.” Annie Bafna, founder, The Nutcracker
Kerala Oottupura (home kitchen)
“At Kerala Oottupura (Pokhran Road No 2 Old Mahada,Vishveshwar Society D2-109, Vasant Vihar, Vilar, Thane; order on Zomato or call 7977243749) I love Marina Balakrishnan’s Kerala banana leaf sadyas that one can order home. She packs it so well and gives an illustrated guide on how to plate it on the leaf too. Her food is a warm and simple home cooked meal, but made with tender loving care.” Mansi Jasani, The Cheese Collective. Instagram