Mumbai's Best Kept Gourmet Secrets

Mumbai is a city that lives and breathes food. From the iconic vada pav vendors on every corner to the Michelin-worthy restaurants in Bandra and Lower Parel, the city's culinary landscape is as diverse as its population. But beyond the well-known spots lies a world of gourmet secrets waiting to be discovered.

Our journey begins in Bandra West, where a quiet lane behind Linking Road houses a small artisanal bakery that has been perfecting sourdough for over a decade. Using locally milled flour and a 15-year-old starter culture, the bakers here produce loaves that rival the best in Europe. Their seasonal fruit galettes, made with produce from the Nashik farms, are worth the early morning visit.

Heading south to Crawford Market, the spice alleys are a sensory overload in the best possible way. Here you will find spice merchants whose families have been in the business for generations, selling single-estate Malabar pepper, hand-ground garam masala blends, and rare saffron from Kashmir. These are the spices we feature in many of our hampers.

In Khar, a converted garage has become one of the city's most respected cheese-making studios. The artisan behind it studied dairy science in France before returning to Mumbai to create cheeses using milk from a single herd in Maharashtra. The aged Gouda and the fresh burrata are exceptional and feature prominently in our cheese hamper collections.

Fort area holds another hidden treasure: a family-run confectionery that has been making traditional Indian mithai with a gourmet twist since the 1960s. Their pistachio barfi uses premium Afghan pistachios, and their rose petal preserves are made with Damascus roses from Kannauj. Each piece is wrapped in silver leaf beaten by hand in the workshop upstairs.

Colaba has become home to a new generation of chocolate makers who are sourcing cacao from plantations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. One particular maker roasts and grinds beans in small batches, producing bars with distinctly Indian flavour profiles. The kokum chocolate bar, inspired by the Konkan coast, has become one of our most popular products.

These hidden gems represent the best of Mumbai's gourmet culture: passionate producers, exceptional ingredients, and a deep respect for craft. At The Gourmet Company, we are proud to partner with many of these artisans, bringing their extraordinary products to your doorstep through our curated collections.

Next time you are in Mumbai, we encourage you to explore these spots for yourself. And if you cannot make the trip, our hampers bring the best of Mumbai's gourmet scene directly to you, wherever you are in India.