You haven’t truly arrived in Bandra until you’ve fought your way, screaming, to the very centre of Toto’s and stood, breathless, beneath that suspended Volkswagen Beetle. Toto’s is a shrine. It’s a dive bar for the ages. It’s a place where people voluntarily brave the queue outside to discard the city’s pretense at the door and shed a week’s tension. It’s grunge perfection.
The entire bar’s an ode to auto-shop chaos. Walls are decorated with license plates, engine tools cling to the shelves, and staff present themselves in mechanic overalls. It’s a cramped, wildly original space, where music’s got a spot front and centre in the form of high-voltage, nostalgic currents of classic rock and alt-anthems. The unchanging soundtrack forms the core of Toto’s. It’s what you expect when you walk in, and expecting reliability in a city like Mumbai’s a gift sent from God.
Toto’s main source of credibility comes in the form of cheap beer – lots of it. The draught flows freely and quickly, fuelling the high energy inside. The focus is the value-for-money alcohol alone, so the food menu’s designed to act as an accompaniment to the bar menu. The Paneer Chilli’s served steaming hot, coated in a thick, savory sauce that hits you with heat and crunch. If you’re after a meaty snack, the Chicken Wontons is a plateful of crispy pockets loaded with tender filling. And for a deep, satisfying Mumbai classic, try the Mutton or Chicken Kheema Pav – rich spicy minced meat served with soft, buttered bun.
A fair warning – securing a seat here’s a competitive sport. The place is perpetually jam packed, and loyal regulars dominate the tables after sunset. If you're walking in after 9pm, prepare to stand, because you really ought to have arrived early to successfully claim seating. But once you’ve settled into the noise of Toto’s, you’ll realise it’s the perfect add-on to Mumbai’s chaos.