The smell of besan roasting, chaklis frying, beautiful lanterns dotting every other window and pretty rangoli patterns everywhere, the Diwali mood starts early with office parties and crowded markets.
While there will be numerous Diwali parties to go to and a number of feasts at home, when the designated cooks get a little tired, take them out. Indulge your palate with very little effort. We recommend you try out some of these wonderful places serving traditional food like it was meant to be. Whether you visit a place that reminds you of home or you go and try out the food of another culture, you can’t go wrong with these places for Diwali feasts:
Maharashtrian food
1. Diva Maharahtracha: Next to Goa Portuguesa is the Achwat clan’s fresh take on local Maharashtrian food. From the slightly scary bugle that welcomes you to the distinct pink that is part of the decor, the restaurant has taken some effort to bringing traditional Marathi cuisine to the forefront. The menu traverses the entire state of Maharashtra from the spicy, fiery and very common Kolhapuri cuisine to unique Maratha and Chitpavan Konakanastha Brahmin recipes. We like the Thaleepeth, Bharleli Vangi, Vaal Bhaat or the simple but lip-smacking Varan and Bhaat.
For non-vegetarians, there are a number of dishes to choose from but the Khekda ani Kalimiri soup (Crab and black pepper) and Kolhapuri Tamba rassa are our favorites.
To get there:
Matunga: Plot No. 29/30, Shop No.1 to 4, T.H. Kataria Marg, Next To Goa Portuguese Restaurant, Matunga West, Andheri West: SVP Nagar Lokkhandwala west, Andheri west
2. Prakash: A workers part-owned restaurant in Dadar has great no-fuss fare that locals swear by. Crispy, always fresh batata vada, misal, usal and the yummiest poha (oh yes the everyday poha is elevated to serious yumminess here) you will ever have. Read about our visit and our love of the place here.
To get there:
Near Shiv Sena Bhavan, Gokhale Road, Dadar West, Mumbai
South Indian food
1. Kerala Bhavan: Tucked away in a corner of Vashi ( Sector 31-A) is possibly Kerala’s most authentic outpost in Mumbai. A restaurant managed by KTDC, this is the place to have a Kerala thali. Thoran, Avial, kootu curry, sambar, rasam, mor curry, a tangy fish curry and fish fry. Simple honest to goodness deliciousness. God’s own country just paid a visit to Navi Mumbai. Meals ready, jump right in.
To get there:
S Pranavanandji Marg, Sector 30A Navi Mumbai
2. Banana leaf Kolkata : If you want to try variety then head to Banana leaf in Kolkatta, which has atleast 16 types of vadas, about 4 score types of dosas and the comfort of home cooked meals. To know what to expect at Banana Leaf, read more here.
To get there:
Banana Leaf, 73 & 75 Rashbehari Avenue, Lake Market, Kolkata
Gujarati food
1. Soam: Vegetarian food at it’s delicious best. Soam is an efficient, speedy and fantastic Gujarati restaurant serving up delicious vegetarian delicacies like Turiya Patra with Biscuit Bhakri and Methi Thepla with batata nu shaak. The food here looks deceptively simple but the absolutely delights with flavors. The Biscuit bhakri for example, is crisp, delicious and almost like a shortbread in texture, lovingly fragrant with ghee. And the batata nu shaak looks like the simplest potato dish but tastes unbelievably good. You can’t go wrong with almost anything you pick off the menu here.
To get there:
Sadguru Sada, Ground floor, Girgaum Chowpatty, Mumbai
Bengali food
1. Calcutta Club: Calcutta Club is, well, just like a club in Calcutta. Old Satyajit Ray and Uttam Kumar posters, the perfunctory Rabindranath Tagore poster, and Jagjit Singh songs which you rarely hear over the noise of happy eating Bengalis.
Calcutta club does not pretend to be a high end restaurant. They just stick to being authentic in their pungent mustard fish and their delicious kosha mangsho. Consistently good food with eager waiters, it’s a great place to get your introduction to Bengali cuisine.To get a peek into our experience read more here.
To get there:
22 Link Plaza, Near Police Station, Oshiwara, Mumbai
2. Bijoli Grill: For most people growing up in the East, bijoli grill meant rolls, the mass manufactured chicken, egg rolls that aspired to reach Nizam’s greatness but was just ordinarily good, like Mc Donalds. Their restaurant in Powai is however is a honest attempt at getting good food out of the door at reasonable prices. Chinatown chilli chicken, the brinjal mixed parshe fish are some of the dishes that are distinctly Bijoli Grill. Dependable good bengali food.
To get there:
Hakone Childrens Park, Hiranandani, Powai, Mumbai
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