Getting Drunk with Locals: 10 Best Local Bars in Mumbai
Photo by: Amandeep Singh
Mumbai is confusing sober; drunk, forget about it. This big city sucks you into a nightlife vortex and spits you out a smoke-scented zombie. The only solution is staying on the move and throwing some local variety into your bar-hopping routine. Stick to our list of Top 10 Locals Bars in Mumbai if you know what’s good for you.
WTF
- WTF
What happens when you name a bar after the most popular three word phrase in the history of colloquial language? Pure, unadulterated awesomeness. Part dive and part diner, walk into this joint for a boozy concoction and familiarize yourself with the Indian Chuck Norris, Rajinikanth, posters of whom are prominently displayed between “other” big names in Hollywood. Betcha didn’t know Rajinikanth’s email address is gmail@rajnikanth.com. (and yes, Rajnikanth knows Victoria’s secret). Why the fuck are you not there yet?
- WTF
Firangi Paani
Property of KingFisher
Buzzing with with an eclectic group of drinkers, this bar lives up to its literal translation, ‘Foreign Water’. The distinctly Ye-Olde-English-Pub-esque atmosphere is the perfect backdrop to hundreds of hard-working yuppies letting off steam and screaming over the blaring retro music. Nurse that hoarse throat by rounding off the night with a brandy or two.
Kino 108
Kino 108
When a long day of sightseeing reduces your vocabulary to monotonic grunts of “me backpacker, backpacker thirsty”, stumble into this man-cave to unwind. With motorcycles, choppers and lamps fashioned out of handlebars, Kino 108 has testosterone splattered all over the walls (we’ll do a black light check for the other stuff later). A great place for men to be men and for ladies to stare at the enormous Jim Morrison mural, this bar is laid-back enough to soothe your worn traveling nerves.
Gokul Lunch Home
You can’t get much cheaper or more local than this gloriously gritty watering hole. Since cheap often means seedy, this place is no exception. Both a local cult restaurant and a surprisingly backpacker-friendly bar, Gokul’s prices are dangerously low. Roll up your sleeves for these one buck beers and prep yourself for the ultimate dirty man drinking party, bar fights included.
Voodoo
The only bar with a featured gay night in all of Mumbai, Voodoo boldly claims to be the only gay-friendly bar from Bangkok to Istanbul! We can’t confirm whether it truly covers all that territory but with $3 drink specials, we can excuse the exaggeration. Head to Voodoo on a Saturday night, when this gin mill comes to life with queens and quirks.
Shiro
Photo By: Richard McMullen
Once in a while, you’ve got to treat yourself. While drinks aren’t expensive, ordering food alongside ups your bill exponentially. We recommend sticking to a liquid diet at this glittering nightspot. The secret to a faux-classy Mumbai night at Shiro is to order a few rounds of cinnamon martinis and marvel at the sparkling lotus pond and larger than life Buddha statues . Watch out for famous Bollywood stars (they’ll be the ones spontaneously breaking out into meticulously choreographed dance numbers).
Toto’s Garage
Photo By: Eric Rachner
Located in bustling Bandra, you will quickly forget the 21st century metropolis outside once you step inside this cramped roadhouse. It’s all about classic rock, whiskey shots and vintage cars hanging from the ceiling. No, really, there’s a VW Beatle chassis suspended above the merrymaking yuppies, rock fanatics and old schoolers that frequent the place. Toto, we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.
Sports Bar Express
SBX is a Sports Bar with a twist. You can watch games spanning a variety of sports on the big screen, play pool and shoot some indoor hoops. Patrons walk in for a beer and find themselves occupied for hours, drink in one hand and dart/racquet/pool cue/boxing glove in the other. The twist: They worked out a clever solution to sports-provoked bar fights. SBX has a punching bag should your favorite team sorely lose and you suddenly need to beat the shit out of something.
Blue Frog
Photo By: Lecercle
Mumbai’s best live music venue, Blue Frog has a $12 entrance fee (including free drink) on weekends. But if cutting edge acts is what you’re after, shelling out the fee won’t hurt so bad. The owners (themselves musicians) are pros at choosing eclectic Indian and international artists, many of which are on their own record label of the same name. Centrally located in a former warehouse that pulses with energy, Blue Frog’s versatile musical showcase is matched by a large selection of cocktails. (OTP pick: The Cuban Sidecar).
OTP Tip: To cheat the system, arrive before 9pm. Not only do you get in free, but you’ll be right on time for their 2 for 1 happy hour.
Cafe Leopold
A Mumbai landmark, Cafe Leopold is a great, mid-shopping pit stop for locals and visitors alike. Dedicated to boozing up tired shoppers, Leo’s quickly reopened the day after the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack and still have bullet holes in the walls to prove it. Settle in with your new purchases and try to stomach their 3 foot beer tower before noon.Bars in Mumbai tend to have a cover charge on weekends, which usually includes a couple of drinks. If you’re planning some big city bar-hopping (which you should be), we suggest checking with the venue before going on your all night bender.
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Fun read!!!
Great list! It’s nice to be able to hit the ground stumbling when you arrive in a foreign land.
hey- a great read – fun for youth!:)
A very realistic view of newzy Mumbai- a city of glitteratti & glamour- good stree busters!
Great list – I haven’t been back to Mumbai in a while, but it’s nice to see that some of old hangouts are still popular!
One that I would add to this list is Cafe Mondegar down the street from Leopolds.. awesome atmosphere!
Great article.. I really like the writing style of the author…very happening places… I agree Mumbai is a grooving metro.. a must do when in India!
This is also a to-do list on my visit to India later this year.. thanks for the great tips.. look tempting to cool off ones soul & soles!