Eat, Shop, Repeat: Here's Everything You Can Do In Vile Parle

Love all the cheap finds you get from the street for your wardrobe? Get off at Vile Parle station and head to the West side. Several vendors await outside stores, selling crop tops, coulettes, skirts, shorts and more starting at INR 200. Of course, take your bargaining skills along! We spotted several crop tops and denims, ideal to wear casually.

F3 - Fashion Fever Forever is an export surplus clothing store in the lane that leads to Vile Parle Station from the West side. Hop in to shop for western wear. We spotted a few Forever 21 designs, semi-formal shirts from Loft, several brands for denim and a lot more. The price starts at INR 300, but if you're an expert at bargaining, you can definitely get it for cheap.  

Hunting for great linens? Hop into Villa Decor and you're guaranteed to find something as they have an array of bedspreads, sheets, curtains, kitchen towels, cushion covers, and more at varying budgets. The price range starts at INR 500 and goes upward depending on the brand and quality your opt for. Villa Decor houses brands like D'Decor, Welspun, Spread, Kush and more. 

Sreenath Shopping Centre better known as Khokha Market is where you'll find several designers hobnobbing from store to store in search of the right fabrics and laces, buttons, embellishments, stones, sequence and whatnot to transform their designs into an outfit. If you know the kind of outfit you need but don't want to buy one, walk around Khokha Market to shop for beads, fabrics, laces and other knick-knacks you'll need to get an outfit ready. 

The market also has shops to buy imitation jewellery and shoes to complete your whole outfit. So you can shop for your best friend's wedding all under one roof.

Pro Tip: There are several other stores worth checking out right outside the market. Hop to Deepak Saree Centre for sarees of all kinds or Saroj Fabrics for some quality fabric shopping.

Have you ever seen an Alfa store empty? We haven't! Ever since they first opened shop on Irla Road, Alfa Stores have offered rare imported sweets, snacks, stationery, electronics, home items and more. There's nothing you can't find at an Alfa store. We love their cute pencil kits, organizers for wardrobes, and big packs of Lindt, Hershey's, Tiffany, Quality Street chocolates which come at prices lower than their MRP. Alfa's electronic store is also a great spot to get phones and other gadgets. 

While you're on Irla Road, shop around Irla Market. We spotted several stores that offer great stuff. Head to Ava for bags and shoes; Betty is a great shop to buy lingerie, slips, shapewear and more; and Green Apple offers western wear starting at INR 400 and also has some export surplus clothing.

Whether you're hunting for a pair of heels or a pair of sneakers, Shoe Museum has a vast collection of locally made and sourced shoes. The store is located outside Vile Parle station on the East side, in Agarwal Market. The market has several stores for sarees and other Indian and wedding/occasion wear, but we were too enthralled by Shoe Museum's collection. Their price range starts at INR 700, and you can shop for traditional and contemporary designs for heels, flats, sandals and boat shoes or loafers. 

There's a large collection for men's footwear too. You'll get sneakers, loafers, formal shoes for work or occasions and more.

Pro Tip: Walk around Agarwal Market to shop for sarees, we liked the collection at Mahavirs. 

Rachna is a small bag store located inside the Municipal Market in Vile Parle East. The market is attached to Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Natyagriha, and has several shops to buy items and idols for your temple at home, stores for bags and shoes, laces, sarees, traditional wear and more. 

 But Rachna caught our eye for its collection of purses, totes and handbags, all of which start at INR 600. The store has a large collection, several colours, and all the bags are locally made and sourced. Don't expect brands here as this is a local shop, offering bags on a budget. 

You can get a lot more at the Municipal Market at affordable rates, know more about it here.

You've surely spotted this designer label at Pernias’s Pop-Up, Aza, Anantam, Fuel, or Azra. But if you'd rather go to the source then book an appointment to visit Mona & Vishu's boutique in Vile Parle East. Offering occasional Indian wear and some western designs as well, Mona & Vishu's collections starts at INR 20,000. While they have 4-5 collections to shop from, all of which you can check out on their website; you can also get a custom-designed outfit if you've got a big budget 

A visit to the store is by appointment only.

The food stalls sitting opposite Mithibai College need no introduction. For the uninitiated, it's where you'll find Anand Dosa Stall, and Dhiraj Vada Pav, among others. You can relive your days as a college kid and eagerly wait for your plate or pack a sandwich or dosa that you can eat on the bonnet of your car. 

At Anand Dosa & Vada Pav Stall, you can get a plate of cheesy fusion dosas like Pizza Dosa, Cheese Pav Bhaji Dosa, Sp. Spring Roll Dosa, Sp. Jinny Dosa, among others. Their popular sandwiches include Aloo Masala Grill or a classic Vegetable Grilled Sandwich. You can also try a Grilled Vada Pav here, which is doused in butter before it meets the grill. 

At Dhiraj Vada Pav stall, get a classic Bombay Vada Pav or its grilled version. There's an ongoing debate on which stall has the better vada pav, so we recommend trying both to see which one you prefer. Dhiraj's stall also has sandwiches, dosas, and a menu that's quite similar to Anand's. 

Must Try: Jinny Dosa, Grill Vada Pav

Price: INR 100 for one order

Pro Tip: Anand Stall now has a dine-in space in Vile Parle East. You can relieve your college days here and instead of eating your dosa while standing, take a seat and enjoy!

Nestled in Vile Parle East, amongst several other eateries, Garde Manger Cafe has gained loyalist for its vegetarian and vegan food. All the cheese used here is vegan; the breads are whole wheat/multigrain; and you can choose almond milk for tea and coffee. The menu has cafe fare, which includes sandwiches, pizza, pasta, burgers, flatbreads, and healthy-ish bowls too. And, several bakes and desserts are lined at the counter, playing temptress. 

The cafe now has a Punjabi stall in the outdoor area as well, offering Pani Puri, Chaat, Chole Khulcha and more as well. 

Must Try: Tomato Bocconcini Sandwich, Quinoa Khichdi, Som Tom Salad, Old Fashioned Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake

Meal For Two: INR 800

Amar Juice Centre needs no introduction. The stall close to Cooper Hospital is a popular late-night stop for Pav Bhaji, juices and more, and is almost always busy with cars stopping by for a quick pick-up too. You can eat on your car bonnet here, and also try their other items like sandwiches, frankies, dosas and more. 

Must Try: Pav Bhaji, Onion Rava Dosa, Chilly Garlic Cheese Sandwich, Mara Mari Juice

Meal For Two: INR 400

If you're in the mood for chaat, find your way to Chatar Patar. The shop space has an outdoor stall for unlimited pani puri, which you can eat for INR 80 only. The pani is spicy and the sweet chutney helps make every puri that comes your way absolutely worth it. 

Chatar Patar's dine-in space has a few tables where you can sit to enjoy larger platers. They offer Bombay street-style sandwiches, a variety of Panki, other chaat like Dahi Puri, Sev Puri, Palak Pata Chaat, and more; and they have other Gujarati mains like Moongdal Moonglet, Oats Chilla, Satpadi Roti and Gatte Ki Sabzi, among other items. 

Must Try: Pani Puri, Classic Panki, Palak Pata Chaat, Bedai Roti with Aloo Sabzi and Shrikhand

Meal For Two: INR  300

Matunga's Arya Bhavan has found a home in Vile Parle East, not too far from the station. And, this outlet is roomier than its original Matunga shop (and less crowded). You can get all your staples here and enjoy a more authentic South Indian experience compared to other average udipis. 

Must Try: Paniyaram, Rasam Vada, Thaat Idli, Ghee Podi Dosa, Filter Coffee

Meal For Two: INR 400

With an outlet each in Vile Parle West and East, Gajalee is a seafood-lover's haven. If you're looking to dig into some of the freshest seafood, this is the best spot to go to. Most items are prices As Per Size (APS), and you can pick which crab or lobster you want on your plate. It's  great place to try varieties of seafood, and even eat mutton/chicken with bhakri, as most items are traditionally made with spicy masalas in a style that's common to the Konkan region. 

Must Try: Bombil Fry, Squid Fry, Crab Green Chilly Sauce, Prawns Sukha, Amboli, Vade, Bhakri

Meal For Two: INR 1,500

Located on the highway between Vile Parle East and ANdheri East, Fabcafe by Fabindia is perfect for those looking to eat healthy. IF you thought healthy food was boring, Fabcafe has redefined that sentiment with its offerings. Their menu may seem ordinary, but they've used healthier alternatives all around. So, your momos are made from jackfruit flour instead of maida, pav bhaji is made from sprouts instead of aloo, and gluten-free options are abundant. 

Must Try: Not So Classic Chicken Momos, Trio Of Grains Papdi Chaat, Kasundi Egg Sandwich, Coastal Fish Moilee

Meal For Two: INR 1,100

As you approach the gate, you'll hear ducks quack. The Dolphin Aquarium in Irla is ideal to take your kids to. It has a pond for ducks and swans, a small aquarium, and even boating and a small toy train for a quick ride. You can feed the ducks and fishes if you purchase some fish food at INR 50. 

Entry to the aquarium is an additional INR 50, along with separate charges for boating and the toy train ride. 

Disclaimer: Parts of the aquarium are under repair at the time of writing this article, but you can feed the ducks in the pond and take a stroll around.

Boarding a flight from T2 at Mumbai's international airport? Reach early and take a walk along the Jaya He museum. It's open 24 hours, has no entry fee and even allows photography. The museum features over 5500 artefacts, works of 100 artists and 1000 artisans spread across an expanse of 3.2 kilometers. It showcases the different fine arts of India, the culture and heritage of the country and its diverse communities, food and customs.

Since the Adani takeover of the airport, the museum's website has announced plans to host cultural events here. 

Vile Parle got its name from two temples, one of which still stands till date. Parleshwar Mandir in Vile Parle East is a temple complex that's simple and free of grandeur. The building is painted a cream-yellow and red, and the setting is tranquil. There are two altars, dedicated to Shiva and Ganpati each, and the idols are beautifully adorned as well.

You can observe the simple interiors and walk around the large tropical courtyard.