The best things to do in Bandra West

This may be a contentious list because we've left out the viral ones. My parameters for a good café are pretty basic – actually good coffee and food, and an ambience that feels breathable. Check out Subko Mary Lodge for some of the best coffee out of all the big names in India. Their focus on heritage is evident, especially with their Mary Lodge branch in Ranwar Village. They also have an adorable little hole in the wall (literally) below Art and Charlie.

Vanilla Miel's a spick and span coffee bar serving most of your classics. The coffee beans are the best in India, from Karnataka’s Chikmagalur region.

Shelter Cafe's a great spot for remote work days – breezy and bright. Classic coffee and drinks (glory to the one-page menu), and great salads and bowls.

The Yoga House Studio and Cafe may be a transformative experience for the fitness fiends or recovering caffeine addicts. Derived from our ancient yoga and diet practices, this cosy bungalow is the epitome of clean eating (fresh juices and summer salads especially). The place is also pet and work friendly so take advantage of their ‘shamiana’ style rooftop! Plus, their studio offers yoga classes for all levels.

Price: Range between ₹1,200-2,400 for two.

Bandra easily outranks all other neighbourhoods when it comes to the best food in the city. Don't miss Bandra Born, the most unique restaurant in town, serving Bandra specialties with a twist. It's also one of the only places serving mahua-centred cocktails. 

Kasper’s is a playful French bistro with arguably the best filthy martini in the city. And your table is essentially a blank canvas for the crayons they provide.

La Loca Maria has nailed classic Spanish tapas and paella. A great spot for tequila fans, seafood lovers and white stucco walls.

Izumi, too, because I would be remiss not to include a sushi spot on this list because, well, I too find the element of dangerously raw fish tantalising.

And if you can't snag a seat, check out Los Cavos as a great Spanish alternative, Mizu and Gaijin for sushi, Pomodoro for pasta, and the Tanjore Tiffin Room for some of the best coastal food.

Time Out tip: Tables at these spots are treated as more precious than gold, so be sure to book well in advance. 

Posh bars and Bandra go hand-in-hand. Some of the bars here are the very best in India – and they make up most of the entries in this guide. Bandra Born features on this list yet again, thanks to their aforementioned mahua cocktails. At Bombay Daak, you get to travel the length and breadth of the country in spirit (pun absolutely intended). Noonchai, rasam, besan ghee, pickle, malvani masala – all to drink, not eat!

But being a Bandra bellend also means frequenting the many coveted dive bars decorating the neighbourhood – a stepping stone to some of the other great dive bars in the city. A dive bar can be a religious experience: auestionably dim lighting, cheap and strong drinks, and a very diverse demographic. Yacht, an Irani café from the 1960s, is now a resplendent rendezvous point for merriment and shit-faced memories, while Toto's Garage, another OG, is known for grungy interiors and classic rock playlists. Old Street Cafe & Bar is also well-loved for its great playlist, cocktails, and courtyard smoking area. If you can make it past long queues and the ever-suspicious bouncers, that is.

Arguably, Bandra is where the arts thrive, especially music. The best part? You don’t even have to be particularly good at it. The area's home to some of the best live music in the city. Bonobo, an al-fresco bar, is serious about their live gigs, with jazz, soul and funk on Wednesdays, Old School nights on Thursdays, and electronic sets over the weekend. Idoru's a newer, charming vinyl bar that hosts great listening parties and vinyl nights (also serves great Japanese whiskey), and The Den is a cavernous space great for a little after-work boogie. Soul Fry, which does great coastal Goan food, has been hosting legendary karaoke nights with seemingly all of the mini LED bulbs in the city for over 20 years now. 

Any Bandra neighbourhood guide would be incomplete without a list of charming and compelling art spots. They offer solace from the chaos of the city, and it’s where you’ll often find some very very cool people with their cooler collections. Fluxus Chapel, for instance, is an independent space that treats zines with the same reverence as art. Part gallery, the space is maybe the most radical way the city is reading. Trilogy is a curated bookstore and library buried in Bandra away from the noise, with a sea-view to enjoy some quiet reading time. Art & Charlie is an intimate space in a secluded street home to thought-provoking and often deeply political art. It invites peace, pondering and anything but pacifism. Bombay Art Society is an a sculptural architectural marvel and one of India's oldest art institutions – it was first founded in 1888 and still hosts art classes, exhibitions, film screenings and more. 

Bakeries in Mumbai are coveted historical spots that have been feeding Bandra’s local residents for generations, with generations-old recipes and loyal customers, again, spanning generations. Take J Hearsch & Co for instance, founded in the early 1900s by a German baker and now run by the D'Sa family, still serving home-style chicken burgers and mutton rolls. 

American Express Bakery (which has no ties to the bank behind metal credit card status symbols) earns its name through their speedy delivery of crusty baguettes, fresh milk rye bread, and mutton roast sandwiches. A-1 Stores and Bakery completes the ‘holy trinity’ of Bandra bakeries. An Irani joint opened in the 1950s, it's best known for affordable menu offerings, with most snacks priced at under ₹100. 

And while the food may not be anything to write home about at Candies, the ambience inside this Portuguese villa is unmatched. 

Time Out tip: The nostalgia factor's high with these old bakeries, with quality remaining top-notch over decades. We've mentioned local gems only here, and chosen to skip out on the franchised outlets. 

The shopping scene here is abundant with various ways to tempt you into breaking the bank – from thrift stores to artisan jewellery and boutique handcrafted clothes. Even the most ardent shopping objector might stop to take a quick glance or two through the windows of these stores. There’s a reason why all the Bandra girls have the best style! Bombay Closet Cleanse is a women-run thrift and consignment store based online and in Bandra with a vast collection ranging from crazy Y2K finds to XXXL dresses. Chyndy does upcycled and vintage streetwear; graphic tees, patchwork baggy jeans and cargos, also available online. Two Extra Lives is dedicated to sustainability, championing the novel concept of rental fashion and loaning out one of a kind luxury pieces in an attempt to curb consumerism. An honourable mention to Hill Road Market, an iconic stretch of street stalls that promises cheap and cherished pieces if you put in the work. Not for the faint of heart! 

So what do you do when you’ve eaten, loitered, shopped, drank, and partied? You eat more, of course! Nothing hits the spot more than spicy, greasy eats at street stalls open well into the night. Salim's Shahi Sigdi does Delhi-style kebabs, tikkas and rolls, available until 4am – the place is vouched for by Indian Accent chef Rijul Gulati, who's an OG Delhi boy. Khao Man Gai isn't open till too late, but the tiny Bangkok style canteen by Chef Seefah does one thing and one thing only: chicken and rice. And I can tell you, it's the bloody best chicken and rice you will eat in your life. Papa Pancho Da Dhaba brings home-cooked Punjabi classics front and centre. Butter chicken will never be basic or overrated in this joint. Ironically for a joint named Papa Pancho (a high-spirited fictional Punjabi munda), it’s run entirely by women. Jai Jawan's another Rijul reccomendation serving great seafood and butter chicken.