Mini guide to Mumbai, India

Two men sit on the Marine Drive promenade by the Arabian Sea, against the backdrop of the Mumbai skyline. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is India’s financial powerhouse. It has its own language, Bambaiyya Hindi, plus the country’s most prolific film industry, one of Asia’s biggest slums and the largest tropical forest in an urban zone.

• Related article: Mumbai: India's Tinseltown
  

So make time to enjoy its stately architecture, gardens and chaotic street life.

See

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya is Mumbai's best museum, a hodgepodge of Islamic, Hindu and British architecture with exhibits from all over India (00 9122 22 84 44 84; bombaymuseum.org; K Dubash Marg; 10.15am-6pm Tue-Sun; £4.50).

Built on land reclaimed from Back Bay in 1920, Marine Drive arcs along the shore of the Arabian Sea, from Nariman Point past Chowpatty Beach to the foot of Malabar Hill. Lined with art deco apartments, it's one of Mumbai's most popular promenades.

In the middle of Mumbai Harbour, the temples on Elephanta Island are a Unesco World Heritage Site. Home to a labyrinth of cavetemples carved into the basalt rock of the island, the artwork is some of the most impressive temple carving in India (asi.nic.in; boats leave from the Gateway of India; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun; £3.50).

Nobody is sure how Mumbai's Chor Bazaar ('thieves' market') earned its moniker. One theory is that Queen Victoria discovered her violin/purse/jewellery missing and it was found here. The main area is Mutton Street, with shops specialising in antiques (Mutton St; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat).

In any given week, The National Centre for the Performing Arts might host Marathi theatre, poetry readings or Indian classical music (00 9122 22 82 45 67; ncpamumbai.com; cnr Marine Dr and Sri V Saha Rd, Nariman Point; tickets from £3).

Eat and drink

As Mumbai as traffic jams, Bademiya buzzes nightly with punters from all walks of life. This street-stall-on-steroids is a must for fresh, spicy grilled treats. Grab a chicken tikka roll to go or try the boti kebab (lamb kebab) or paneer masala (unfermented-cheese and tomato curry) on the footpath (Tulloch Rd; dishes from 70p).

Tucked away in a Tamil enclave near King's Circle, the restaurant of Hotel Ram Ashray is popular for its spectacular dosas - savoury pancakes - and upma - semolina cooked with onions, spices and coconut (Bhandarkar Rd, Matunga East; lunch and dinner; meals from 60p).

As the Culture Curry folks like to point out, there's more to Southern food than dosas. Exquisite dishes from Andhra to Kerala are the speciality here. The Kooru Curry - kidney beans and green beans in coconut gravy - is extraordinary (Kataria Rd, Matunga West; lunch and dinner; mains £2-£6.50).

Trishna might just serve the best seafood in town. It specialises in Mangalorean preparations and the dishes - all brought to your table for inspection prior to cooking - are outstanding (00 9122 22 70 32 13; Sai Baba Marg, Kala Ghoda; lunch and dinner; mains £2.50-£7).

Khyber cooks North Indian dishes for a who's who of Mumbai's elite. The food is some of the city's best and the pièce de résistance is raan - a whole leg of slow-cooked lamb (00 9122 40 39 66 66; 145 MG Rd, Fort; lunch and dinner; mains £4-£7).

Sleep

The charming Bentley's Hotel  has old-school floor tiles and colonial wooden furniture. Spread out over several buildings on Oliver St and nearby Henry Rd, rooms come in dozens of styles: rooms 31 and 21 both have balconies overlooking a garden, while the cheaper ones on Henry Rd are a bit noisier (00 9122 22 84 14 74; bentleyshotel.com; 17 Oliver Rd; from £30).

The Grand Hotel is a good deal, with lots of retro character - note the plaques labelling everything in the 1960s-era lobby. The place is also super-quiet. Rooms are dated but simply furnished with period-style teak beds (00 9122 66 58 05 00; grandhotelbombay.com; 17 Shri Shiv Sagar Ramgulam Marg, Ballard Estate; from £60).

From the decadent marble bathrooms with soft lighting to its huge, uncluttered rooms, the Ascot Hotel is all class. Front rooms are preferable as they get lots of natural light and have views across the treetops (00 9122 66 38 55 66; ascothotel. com; 38 Garden Rd; from £80).

Sun-n-Sand has been offering up beachfront hospitality for decades. The seaview rooms are the best, although all rooms are decorated in a faux-colonial style. Tangerine sun shades complement the pool, palm trees and ocean views (00 9122 66 93 88 88; sunnsandhotel.com; 39 Juhu Beach; from £150).