Bombay's 14 Best Brunch Options Are Here, Get Involved

“The meal is not over when i’m full, the meal is over when I hate myself.” - Louis CK

I. Ellipsis

Where: B-1 Amarchand Mansion, 16 Madame Cama Road, Colaba, Mumbai, India.

Brunch Timings: 12:30PM - 4PM, Saturday

12:30PM - 4:30PM, Sunday

With Chef Kelvin Cheung at the helm, brunch at Ellipsis really knows how to hit the spot with an a la carte brunch menu. Started early last year, comfort food takes centre-stage in the specially curated weekly menu, which stays true to the spirit of the Modern American idea of the meal. Enthralling patrons to turn them into regulars, some of the spot-on brunch options here include the sinful flavours and crunch of the maple bacon toastie and the tiramisu pancake with cream cheese frosting, housemade Bailey's and cocoa. Eggs remain amongst the constants in this dynamic menu, and one of the most impressive culinary feats that Chef K's pulled off in the brunch menu has got to be an over-the-top dish that blends the crispiness of succulent fried chicken, waffles and the satiating classic Eggs benedict; this is definitely food at its indulgent best. There are generally always three or four types of pancakes and waffles that make it to the menu as well, with one of the most delicious options being the creme brulee French toast, with whipped cream, strawberry  and streusel.

We just adore  how much fun Chef K has with food, really, not to mention that hangover food factors extensively into the menu and every week will have you discovering new flavours to make you swoon. You might just find poutine on the menu one week, a mind-blowing medley combining French fries, a light brown gravy-like sauce and cheese curds that’s perfect for hangovers, just because he’s Canadian, or if he's craving a brunch staple from back home, you'll find some housemade tangy, spicy chilaquiles with the sauce made of left over tortillas, or different kinds of tacos.

"Brunch is a fun meal that's become a trend over the past year, and I generally try to stick to simple food that is just really, really delicious, perfect for hangovers and cravings," Chef Kelvin tells us. "The Bombay restaurant scene has exploded lately and people are willing to try new things. Plus the price point is more accessible, which is why brunch is so popular now."

There's also a certain off-the-menu ramen that we reckon you should try your luck and ask for - you definitely won't regret it. We’ll continue this conversation once you're out of the resulting food coma.

Cost: Rs. 1200-1500 per head. + taxes and alcohol.

II. Indigo, Colaba

Where: 4, Mandlik Road, Colaba, Mumbai

Indigo has carved its place into our food pieces like a smooth operator; with classy interiors and charming wooden panelling not to mention top-notch quality food, this is hardly a surprise. When it comes to brunch - one of our favourite, laziest meals - Indigo has a lot to offer on their brunch menu. You have an assortment of breads, a selection of tapas, antipasti and salads, and hot on the heels of these come entrees straight from the grill, with a mouthwatering array of dessert sealing the deal. As for beverages, your options include beer, sangrias, flavoured vodkatinis, caipirojca’s  and absolutely all the tea and coffee you can drink.

While the menu keeps changing from one week to another, the juicy Jerk Spiced Chicken, full of heaty flavours, and the Cajun Spiced Sweet Potatoes, which restore our faith in the power of great seasoning, are recommendations not to be missed out on and if it’s some lazy Sunday brunch you’re looking to catch without compromising on a classy ambience, you know where to find it at.

Cost: Rs.2,100 ++ ( IMFL)

III. Olive Bar & Kitchen, Bandra

Venue : Olive Bar & Kitchen, Bandra - 14, Union Park, Khar West

Brunch Timings: 12 pm to 3.30 pm

Olive Bar & Kitchen is undeniably a destination for those who enjoy the finer things in life. This charming, rustic restaurant creates an experience for you, more than anything else, dedicated to transplanting a slice of the Mediterranean right into the the heart of Mumbai, for your gastronomical indulgence. In its thirteenth year currently, Olive has since established its place in the circuit as a dynamic restaurants that makes for a warm, laidback vibe that has its patrons - of which many are loyalists - returning to it time and again. Spices, herbs and flavours intermingle and waft, influenced by the gastronomic styles of the Mediterranean, and the unlimited food and beverage brunch menu makes it hard to make decisions in the sun-dappled courtyard - some of the top picks include their signature wafer-thin and crispy pizzas, a delicious Smoke Salmon with Citrus and Chive Cream Cheese and the Shrimp and Calamari Ceviche with Apricot puree, a seafood indulgence. You also have the tender Bacon-wrapped Figs, Shepherd’s pie tarts and an exciting cheese board to accompany marinated Olives, homemade pickled vegetables and balsamic Mushrooms. Fresh salads, assorted dips and breads and eggs to order also adorn the menu and to say you’re spoilt for choice, would be a gross understatement. Not to forget the bar, which offers a an exotic range of signature delicious cocktails and mocktails to go with brunch, to create a truly sublime experience. Don’t be afraid to push mocktail to cocktail at this one, the weekend's all yours, after all.

Cost:  If you've had enough to drink the previous night, it's going to be at Rs.1000 + Taxes, without alcohol  

      If you're still game for a drink, though, good on you! It's @ Rs. 1500 + Taxes with Alcohol 

III. Neel Brunch

Where: Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Gate 4 & 5, Keshva Rao, Mahalaxmi, Worli, Mumbai

Brunch Timings: 12PM-4PM

Not many restaurants in Mumbai do Awadhi cuisine right, despite many claiming to serve it, but with Chef Qureshi from Lucknow at the helm of this venture, you just know you’re in good hands. The multi-course special brunch menu here is teeming with options for every palate choice, and there are an array of options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. A restaurant that does justice to the cuisine dating back to the ‘bawarchis’ of the Mughal era, traditional spices and flavours mingle with modern-day presentation to make for a meal you’re unlikely to forget. The signature Neel touch is the final flourish, and we know you’ll rejoice at the fact that you can get unlimited repeats of your favourite dishes once you’ve had a bite of basically everything that’s on the menu (we know we did).

Savoury kebabs, a variety of main course dishes, accompaniments and desserts make it hard to choose but we suggest you go with the flavour-packed Gosht ki Dum Biryani that’ll leave you feeling like a royal yourself. The dessert items we’d like you to try (or at least start of with) are the traditional Parde Me Khubani, a mouthwatering baked apricot halwa with a name that’ll make you understand why its very name sounds like poetry, and the rich Neel Rabdi ice-cream is another dish that’s just the right note to round off your meal on.

Cost: Rs.1799+ taxes for the brunch with alcohol (IMFL)

        Rs.1299 + taxes for the non-alcoholic brunch

        Rs.645 + taxes for Children

IV. Seven Kitchens

Where: Palladium Hotel, 462 Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Brunch Timings: 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Brunch at Seven Kitchens is like a journey more than anything else. The sprawling multicuisine restaurant practically takes you on a food crawl across the world, with its lavish spread of counters with gourmet salads, cheeses, imported cold cuts, wood-fire pizzas, pasta, waffles on one hand, while the Asian counter has an array of steamed dim sums and dumplings, wok fried noodles and a live noodle soup station. On the counter dedicated to cuisine closer home, we’ve got an unlimited selection of kebabs from the tandoor and rotis, dum-cooked handi curries, biryanis, appam and stew.

Rather than ask why this should be your brunch go-to, it’s more about asking why on earth not, considering the luxurious spread you can take your pick from. The global gourmet spread is no shrinking violet either with a smorgasbord of options, and the dessert counter has more than a whopping 30 dessert options ice-cream bar, chocolate fountains, patisserie station, crepes and Belgian waffles and a kiddie dessert counter too (now you’ll never find yourself in a showdown with a child for the last piece of cake). Indian desserts come in sugar-free options like Khajoor or Anjeer Burfi and the delicious seasonal Gajar Ka Halwa, so don’t be shy to go in for round two.

The kids’ zone has plenty for them to do while you enjoy your downtime with a live band playing in the background. Served with an alcoholic and non-alcoholic option, the former choice in the brunch spread also offers some of the most luxurious champagnes such as Louis Roederer and Bollinger, for you to sip (or whatever) to really unwind.

Cost: The non-alcoholic brunch is at Rs 2500 (all inclusive), while the alcoholic brunch which comprises Chandon by Moet et Hennessy, cocktails and other premium spirits will cost Rs 3200 (all inclusive).

Also on offer is an exquisite champagne (Louis Roederer and Bollinger), cocktails and other premium spirits for Rs 4400 (all inclusive).

V. Guppy at Olive Mahalaxmi

Where: Amateur Riders Club, Mahalaxmi Race Course, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai

Brunch Timings: 12:30PM to 2:30PM, every Sunday

You know we love traditional cuisine reinterpreted in modern-day context only when it’s done spectacularly and AD Singh’s Guppy by Ai’s Japanese kitchen really makes the cut with their brunch offerings every Sunday, and with good reason to boot. After blowing food enthusiasts’ minds in Delhi, the venture came straight to our hometown to the serene Olive at the Racecourse in August last year to enthral us next.

Chef Vikram Khatri takes the helm of The Guppy Pop Up which focuses on on striking the right balance with flavours, freshness, hygiene and technique. His modern day interpretation of Japanese techniques and flavours turns a lazy meal into a unique tailor-made experience that goes far beyond the idea of a buffet. The chef’s favourite come straight to your table in a veritable salvo, and some of these include the chilled, light ‘Jasmine & Tomato Soup’, ‘Spicy Pork Bun’, a selection of Japanese Robata and Teppenyaki Grills as well as ‘Okonomiyaki’, a signature Japanese meat or vegetable pancake. Guppy’s Signature Sake Cocktails like the ‘Cucumber Saketini’ and the ‘Pineapple Saketini’ are going to have you wondering what’s hit you, and you should definitely try out the delicious, tangy ‘Kafferini’, a potent combination of Vodka and kaffir lime leaves. Aesthetics and taste find an amicable mid-ground in this exotic world, so as you polish off your decadent Chocolate Fondant, you might just find yourself making plans to return next week, without the need to blame it on the saketinis either.

 Cost: Unlimited Food only – Rs. 1850 plus taxes

Unlimited Alcohol + Food – Rs. 2500 plus taxes.

VI. La Familia Brunch at Nido

Where: Nido- 21, Union Park, Khar, Mumbai

Brunch Timings: 12PM to 4PM

Nido combines some of the richest experiences in life and bundles them together into a food wonderland of sorts for the family, with their ‘La Familia Sunda’ brunch offering. Chic, warm and whimsical at the same time, it never comes across as trying too hard while consistently delivering one of the finest and most tasteful dining options in the city, curated by Chef Vikas Seth who never ceases to outdo himself.

Let’s start with the fact that it’s a 5 course meal you’re gearing up for - small plates like the majestic Pan-Bronzed King Prawns, flavourful lemon garlic butter, Soufflé Button Mushrooms and served with Pulled Roast Chicken, heaty Mexican Chorizo made in-house, and a variety of flatbreads. Soups or Salads like Summer Carrot and Shellfish Bisque are fresh and delicious, and the main course includes egg white omelette, oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, fish & chips made in beer batter, and sumac-dusted fries. If you’re feeling winded and full already, wait till you hear about what’s for dessert - fluffy pancakes, maple syrup, honey and Belgium butter waffle and a drizzle of chocolate.

Kids can make their own own unique frozen lollipops at the live Anti Griddle Surprise for kids, and the chocolate-dipped frozen fruit popsicles and frozen fruit foam candy are other dishes that lend a touch of magic to the food. ‘Accio!’ to that.

Cost: Rs. 2795 (with alcohol)

        Rs.  2495 (without alcohol)

VII. Sancho's

Where: Sancho's Bandra & Colaba

Brunch Timings : 12.30PM - 4PM

This one’s just a little bit special because it has had us in raptures since its launch less than a month ago with the Mexican goodness on their Sunday Brunch special menu. Chef Vikas Seth works his magic yet again with a potpourri of Mexican flavours that beckon to you like a pair of smoky hands from your favourite 90’s cartoon. Kick it off with an egg preparation, soup or salad, we say, with your best bet being the Mexican-style Huveros Rancharos, made of sunny side up eggs over tortillas, topped with roasted tomato salsa, ranchero sauce and served with frijoles refritos & torta bread. Sancho's soup Caldo De Pollo, on the other hand, is made of chicken stock flavoured with chipotle chilli, oregano and served with pulled chicken, Mexican rice, shredded lettuce, chopped coriander, onion, green chili and a dash of lime, that’ll have you realising the true meaning of a Sunday.

As for appetizers, the Chilli Con Carne Tlayudas is a baked Mexican Pizza with tortilla base, refried beans, topped with mozzarella cheese, pico, lime avocado, cilantro and sour cream that is an explosion of flavours in your mouth, which can be followed with Spicy Chicken Enmoladas as main course, comprising of Morita chilli-marinated chicken stuffed in corn tortilla covered with Poblano Chocolate Mole (a drizzle sour cream and sesame seeds served with Mexican rice and refried beans). Herbivores, do not fear, we suggest you relish the Charred Corn & Zucchini Chilaquiles, a Mexican Lasagne with layers of tortilla chips, ranchera sauce, queso, zucchini & charred corn, topped with sinful amounts of cheese and then gratinated. We don’t know about you, but we’re in tears just thinking about all of these - definitely time to gget to the desserts. Churros, piped donuts tossed in cinnamon sugar, served with chocolate sauce on the side sound like something you’d like? Or perhaps the Tres Leches, a delicious homemade-style soaked cake might be more your thing.

 Cost: Rs. 1200 - unlimited food  (inclusive of taxes)

           Rs.1700 - unlimited food & alcohol (selective beer and sangria only)

VIII. Woodside

Where: New Link Plaza, Next to Oshiwara Police Station, Oshiwara Link Road,  Andheri West, Mumbai

Brunch Timings: 12 noon - 4PM

Cost: Rs.995/- inclusive of taxes for The Happy package [only food + non- alcoholic beverages, fresh fruit juices and canned drinks will be charged extra.];

 Rs. 1495/- inclusive of taxes for The Happier package [food + beers along with unlimited wines and Sangrias];

 Rs.1795/- inclusive of taxes for The Happiest package [all above beverages along with our classic cocktails and straight spirits].

[While these 9 restaurants are the ones offering a special brunch menu for the weekend warrior, we took a look around and realised that brunch is a meal too versatile to be caged like that - here are a couple of great brunch options you can find around the city, fixed menu no bar.]

X. The Table

Where: Kalapesi Trust Building, Near Hotel Suba Palace, CS Maharishi Marg, Colaba, Mumbai

Brunch Timings: 11AM - 4PM

Early birds and hungover troopers - gather round for some legit Sunday indulgence. It’s the clear cognisance of the patrons’ myriad palate preferences that Chef Alex Sanchez acknowledges that really sets The Table’s brunch apart. Seasonal ingredients such as organic free-range hen eggs to house made granola and fresh Italian black and white truffles adorn the menu, which is in a state of constant flux that’ll ensure you’re never bored.

The Table’s brunch has something for everyone – from healthy cereals and light, farm fresh salads to more indulgent options of eggs, steak, burgers and more. Literally six types of Eggs Benedict await your pick and there’s also biscuits & gravy, a creamy tour de force that’s popular in the Southern part of the United States. We reckon you should go with the soft and chewy Tangerine-Ricotta Pancakes with Toasted Almonds, tangerine syrup, sweetened vanilla bean ricotta that’ll ease you right back into daylight after your night time shenanigans.

A tribute to a classic California-style brunch, The Table’s cocktail menu offers a range of the perfect accompaniment with options including the infamous Table Mary, mimosas and pomegranate martinis, all made with freshly squeezed juices. A selection of refreshing sparkling cocktails made with Chandon also beckon if you want to keep it low-key and refreshing, with the Elderflower Cooler coming up out on top.

 Other Options We Love: If you want your breakfast and dessert rolled into one decadent package, the Tiramisu pancakes are worth your time, served with a Mascarpone Bavarois, Coffee Meringue, Cocoa and Coffee-Amaretto Syrup. If you’re still not convinced, the Bruschetta Benedict with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil, Sourdough Garlic Bread, Hollandaise and the Duck Confit Hash with Peppers, Onions, Fried Egg, Tomatillo Salsa is guaranteed to do it for you.

Cost for 2: 2500

XI. Salt Water Cafe

Where: 87 Chapel Road, Rose Minar Annel Church, Reclamation, Bandra West, Mumbaixe, Next to Mount Carmel 400050

Saltwater Cafe's pretty much a perennial favourite, with the perfect concoction of courteous staff and delicious food not to mention the gorgeous decor. The aptly-named happy hours start 11AM onwards which - what a coincidence! - is a great time to get brunch as well. The soft, tangy Spanish omelette and Eggs Benedict with salmon or ham are brunch staples here which are absolutely irresistible, and we suggest you pair this up with some aromatic ginger and cinnamon French toast.

Other Options We Love: The pear and beet salad and melon feta salad are definitely picks off the menu you don't need to hesitate before picking, especially if it's something refreshing you're looking for.

Cost for two: Rs 1200

XII. Sassy Spoon

Where: Classic Corner,Next to Holy Family Hospital,Hill Road, Bandra West

High ceilings and warm, yellow lighting beckons the brunch-hunting patron from this quaint eatery, and Chef and Owner Irfan Pabaney suggests you do yourself a favour and get the creamy scrambled eggs on a garlic baguette to do the meal justice. Not that you're likely to run short of options here; the coffee caramelised French toast with coconut whipped cream is one of those things that should be made illegal for how good it is, and the roasted banana pancake is another close contender.

Other Options We Love:  The sunny side up with dukkah and chapatti is a simple order that'll hit the spot, or you could also go with the home-made granola with yoghurt or if it's the eggs benny on a crunchy brioche you're looking at, there's definitely no need to think twice.

Cost for two: Rs 2,000

XIII. Cafe Zoe

You know how we love all-day breakfast menus and coupled with the warehouse-like feel of Zoe, what more can you ask for? Brunch here is a laid back affair with several staple options like the scrumptious pancakes and scones, or the various egg options including Eggs Benedic, Eggs florentine or the scrambled eggs. Although they're all pretty straightforward options, brunch at Cafe Zoe is likely to highlight how sometime it's not just about what's on your plate, but how it's made just right. You're not going to go home disappointed, that's for sure so come tuck in.

Cost for two: Rs. 2,000

XIV. Indigo Deli

Brunch Timings: 12PM-4PM

 Cost: Rs 2,100 ++(IMFL)