Here are a few of the best places for a vada pav in Mumbai to woo your taste buds.
- Ashok Vada Pav, near Kirti College, Dadar
- Aaram Vada Pav
- Shivaji Vada Pav
- Graduate Vada Pav
- Gajanan Vada Pav
- Dheeraj Vada Pav
- Khidki Vada Pav
- Anand Vada Pav
- Jumbo King Vada Pav
- Samrat Vada Pav
1. Ashok Vada Pav, near Kirti College, Dadar
Proudly wearing the cap of a maven, this joint has fed many famous B-town celebrities among whom Sushmita Sen, Madhuri Dixit and Sonu Nigam have been frequent. What makes them special is that their taste and the quality has remained intact throughout the years, making them a hit among their regulars. Moreover, they have also come up with their own version, called choora pava where choora mixed with chutney is stuffed inside the pav. Apparently, the owner, Ashok Thakur decided to feed the hungry and ever-working folks of Mumbai after he failed to secure a job in the navy. Turned out to be quite a career for him, eh?
Where: Off Cadel Road, Kirti College Lane, Prabhadevi, Mumbai
Cost for two: INR 100
Opening hours: 11 AM to 9.30 PM
2. Aaram Vada Pav
Feeding Mumbai for more than 70 years, the Aaram Vada Pav is right opposite the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station. Their vada pav is served with a special garlic chutney which you cannot miss. Other than this, they serve a variety of vada pav among which grilled cheese and mirchi vada pav prepared with fried green chillies and onions are the Mumbaikers’ absolute favourite. While there is no proper sitting arrangement, this is what makes the place special: trying to save your spicy hot vada pav in one of the busiest places while you get your tongue burned!Where: Capitol Cinema Building, Opp. CST Station, Mumbai CST Area, Mumbai
Cost for two: INR 200
Opening hours: 8.30 AM to 8.30 PM
3. Shivaji Vada Pav
The vada pav stall run by a certain Nainar family was started three decades ago and has turned into a brand in itself. The stall has a reputation of making a thousand vada pavs in a day, targeting the hungry and budget-constrained students. While they have certainly expanded their menu to dosas and sandwiches, their vada pav remains quite unmatched in the area along with different flavours like schezwan and cheese schezwan vada pav. The stall has also won awards from Shaban Azmi and Jackie Shroff for their spicy, mouth-watering snack of Mumbai.Where: Outside Mithibai College, Vile Parle West
4. Graduate Vada Pav
Since the past 20 years, the family-run business of Graduate Vada Pav has been serving over two thousand customers daily with their signature vada pav alongside a wide range of chutneys with chilli, garlic, tamarind and coconut. They say that although they have the means, they would rather not upgrade to a fancier location or stall for they appeal to the regular mass of fast-paced Mumbaikers. Eventually, though, they have included irresistible samosa and pav bhaji on their menu.Where: Railway Reservation Office, Byculla Station Rd, Byculla East, Jacob Circle, Mumbai
Cost: Rs. 100 for two
5. Gajanan Vada Pav
Here is another vada pav joint which has maintained the good old traditional, delectable snack since 1978 with their very own recipe of the chutney. Gajanan Vada Pav prepares a lip-smacking chutney of besan and chillies that will leave you yearning for more. If not for the vada pav, you could always go for their pav bhaji, misal pav, chaat and dosas.Where: Chhatrapati Sambhaji Road, Naupada, Thane West
Cost for two: INR 100
Opening hours: 7.30 AM to 9.30 PM
6. Dheeraj Vada Pav
Dhiraj Vada Pav is packed with customers almost any time you visit but fear not, for they are exceptionally quick in their service. While the pav literally is soft enough to melt in your mouth, hot and spicy stuffing will not fail to make your taste buds thank you. When you are there, do not forget the large, buttery dosas with its complementary green chillies, butter friend pav etc.Where: Bhaktivedanta Swami Rd, Navyug Society, Swastik Society, Vile Parle West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400056
Opening hours: 7:30 AM to 11:30 PM
7. Khidki Vada Pav
As already mentioned, vada pav to the locals of Mumbai is not just a snack, it is their life. The story of the Khidki (window) Vada Pav is quite interesting in this aspect. Mr Yashawant Moreshwar Vaze and Mrs Uma Vaze started serving vada pav from their window at their house in 1968 when they had nothing but just Rs. 300 and were in dire need of a livelihood. This came to be highly loved by everyone, and soon their vadas had earned the name khidkivadas, a name Mr Vaze trademarked in 1991. Their crispy, hot vadas continue to remain a favourite among the residents after all these years.Where: Ahilyabai Chowk, Tilak Chowk, Kalyan, Maharashtra
8. Anand Vada Pav
Anand Vada Pav is the food corner every student from Mithabai College flocks to because of the sheer size of its vada and the amazing flavours that they pair it up with which includes cheese, butter, schezwan cheese, grill, cheese, mayonnaise and mayonnaise cheese variants. Schezwan Vada Pav, Kanda Vada Pao, and Cheese Vada Pao are some of the few you ought not to miss. But if you think that it’s just the vada that you will have to go so far for, you wouldn’t be more wrong. They serve you with grilled sandwiches and the most amazing dosas that would put the most expensive South Indian restaurants to shame.Where: Opposite Mithibai College, Gulmohar Road 1, Vile Parle West, Mumbai
Cost for two: INR 200
Opening hours: 8 AM to 11.30 PM
9. Jumbo King Vada Pav
The Jumbo Vada Pav is just what their name suggests. If you think that your everyday local snack cannot be capitalized, you would not be more wrong. Just in April 2014, they sold their 100 millionth vada pav, they have been in operation since 2001, starting a food chain which has spread to over 12 cities with more than 60 different stores, infusing contemporary flavours to appeal a growing millennial population.Where: Various outlets
Cost: Rs. 200 for two
10. Samrat Vada Pav
After listing out nine best vada pav joints in the city of dreams, what makes Samrat Vada Pav special, you ask? Unlike the others, the vada pavs have a secret of a mixture of coconut in them. They also dish out grill vada pavs including Butter Grill, Mayonnaise Grill, Schezwan Grill and Samrat Special variants, Batata Bhaji, Jain Vada Pavs, Patti Onion Samosas, Misal Pav, and Kothimbir Vadi.Where: Nehru Road, Parleshwar, Vile Parle East, Mumbai
Cost for two: INR 100
Did you know that this local snack, the brainstorm of a certain Mr Ashok to help the never stopping mass of Mumbai has its own day? The World Vada Pav Day is celebrated on 23rd August. It is weird how bread and fried potato with a little spice can unite an entire city. This is a snack devoured by almost everyone, from the poorest in Dharavi to millionaires in Bandra. Have you ever been to Mumbai if you haven’t had vada pav in one of the street joints?