Go To Girgaum Chowpatty For Visarjan, Stay For The Pav Bhaji And Kulfi

We revisited good ‘ole Chowpatty Beach to see what it has to offer for an after-work snack stroll, and found that classics like pav bhaji will never go out of style. Here’s what we have to share with you.

We started with a stall calling out to us with ‘pani puri‘ written on its signboard in big bold letters. Badhshah Pani Puri has innovated the gol gappa game with its variety. They have moong dal, ragda, boondi, chana and allu pani puri on their platter – all for INR 25 per plate. The server asks you if you want it teekha or meetha. We bravely chose teekha but switched to meetha after the second pani puri.

After an appetising stint at Badshah, we headed for a cheese pav bhaji {INR 130} at Gupta’s – located on the periphery of the eating arena on the beach. You can satiate your savoury/spice cravings at this place with a butter pav bhaji {INR 90}, a tomato pav bhaji {INR 110}, a paneer pav bhaji {INR 130} or a paneer khada cheese pav bhaji {INR 150} if you’re feeling adventurous.

What better way to end this trail with a dollop of kulfi? We tasted some melt-in-your mouth kulfi goodness at Navrangi. They’ve been doing this for over a decade and are quite proud of their heritage. From a malai, mango and pista priced at INR 45, to a chocolate, pista, dry fruit or cassatta priced under INR 75 – help yourself to some sinful festive eating on a budget.

As visarjan happens, this is probably one of the best times to go to Chowpatty beach and re-discover the magic of an old {read famous} tourist spot. The sea breeze makes it better and so does the absence of torrential rains.