Be it vada pav or pav bhaji, Mumbaikars have the best snacks to choose from. Considering how filling a plate of pav bhaji is, it could be eaten as a midday snack or even a full meal. A lot of places in Mumbai offer pav bhaji, from hole-in-the-wall eateries to larger restaurants. It’s a meal that’s a favourite with many people in the city and tourists tend to go looking for it too. We recommend the five best places for pav bhaji in Mumbai:
Sukh Sagar
Established over 20 years ago, Sukh Sagar in Chowpatty is essentially an Udipi restaurant with a whole section on the menu dedicated to pav bhaji. Served only after 11am, varieties of pav bhaji at Sukh Sagar include Jain pav bhaji, cheese pav bhaji and bhaji with masala pav. All plates of pav bhaji are served with four pavs and you won’t end up spending more than ₹300 on a plate.
Location: Sukh Sagar Building, Gamdevi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road, Chowpatty, Girgaon, Mumbai.
Timings: Daily, 10am-11.30pm.
Cost for two: ₹700
Maa Anjani Pav Bhaji Centre
Maa Anjani Pav Bhaji Centre is known for its innovative takes on pav bhaji. The menu lists red pav bhaji, white pav bhaji, black pav bhaji and green pav bhaji. All plates of bhaji are served with buttered, pillowy bread. White pav bhaji is the least spicy of the lot. There’s also cheese pav bhaji and different types of pav like kothmir masala pav, vegetable masala pav and burnt garlic kothmir masala pav. The portions are generous.
Location: Shop no. 1&2, Kalpana Chawla Chowk, Soni Paradise C.H.S. Ltd., Avanti, Shimpoli Road, Haridas Nagar, Mumbai.
Timings: Daily, 1-11.30pm.
Cost for two: ₹500
Shabari
Essentially a fast food restaurant, Shabari serves South Indian, Punjabi, tandoori and Indian-Chinese. There’s a long list of different types of pav bhaji on the menu, which includes cheese pav bhaji, tomato pav bhaji, khada pav bhaji and Jain pav bhaji. Try the masala pav or pav sandwich. The bhaji can also be enjoyed with papad instead of pav. There’s masala papad and fried papad to choose from.
Location: Railway Station, Shop No. 4 & 5, Balaji Darshan, Tilak Road, Near Santacruz, Bajaj Wadi, Santacruz West, Mumbai.
Timings: Daily, 11am-midnight.
Cost for two: ₹400
Sardar Pav Bhaji
Sardar is an iconic establishment that serves its pav bhaji with a jaw-dropping amount of butter that melts into the bhaji as the fluffy pavs sit alongside. Many vloggers and food shows have featured the place, making it a popular spot, especially with tourists. Wash your spicy pav bhaji down with a mango milkshake or sitaphal shake.
Location: Junction, 166-A, Tardeo Road, Janata Nagar, Tardeo, Mumbai.
Timings: Daily, noon-midnight.
Cost for two: ₹250
Manohar Pav Bhaji
A hole-in-the-wall eatery, Manohar Pav Bhaji is popular with the Mumbai crowd. The place takes pride in using Amul butter in its pav bhaji and states this clearly on the menu. There’s also an option to have your pav bhaji cooked in oil instead of butter. It’s possible to order extra pav with butter and also fried onions to go with your pav bhaji. Manohar is usually packed on weekends so get there early if you want to bag a table on Saturday or Sunday.
Location: 103, Pirbhai Terrace Building, Jagannath Shankar Seth Road, Bhatwadi, Girgaon, Mumbai.
Timings: Monday-Saturday, 10.30am-12.10am; Sundays 5pm-midnight.
Cost for two: ₹300
