best breakfast places in mumbai (2026) - honest rankings
irani cafes, misal pav and kande pohe ranked with real prices. kyani, b merwan, prakash, aaswad - and why most of them close by 10 am.
tldr: mumbai breakfast is cheap, excellent and over early. misal pav runs rs 50-80, poha rs 20-30, and bun maska with chai around rs 40. kyani & co. (marine lines, early 1900s) is the irani cafe pick at rs 400 for two. b merwan (grant road, 1914) has the best mawa cake and sells out by about 10 am. prakash (dadar) does the misal-with-poha but only after 11 am, cash only. panshikar (girgaum, since 1931) is the cheapest at rs 100 for two. the mistake is showing up at 10:30.
mumbai does the best cheap breakfast in india and gives you a narrow window to eat it in. the irani cafes run on a morning rush that burns out by about 10 am. the maharashtrian misal places either serve a lighter menu before 11 and the real thing after, or close in the early afternoon. nobody tells visitors this, so a lot of people arrive mid-morning and eat the worst version of a great meal.
the other thing worth knowing: the prices are genuinely low and they are not a gimmick. a cutting chai with bun maska is around rs 40. a plate of poha is rs 20-30. misal pav with pav is rs 50-80. you can eat extremely well here for under rs 200 for two, and the expensive option - britannia & co. at rs 1,000-1,200 for two - is a different proposition rather than a better breakfast.
for the rest of the city see best irani cafes in mumbai, best street food in mumbai and mumbai food guide. if you are still picking an area to stay in, where to stay in mumbai covers that.
on ratings: nobody from this site has eaten at these places. the scores are composites of published write-ups and aggregate diner ratings, and verdicts are attributed to whoever made them. note too that most published mumbai breakfast prices come from listings a few months to a couple of years old, so expect modest drift upward.
the awards
- best irani cafe breakfast: kyani & co., marine lines - early 1900s, bun maska and irani chai, rs 400 for two
- best mawa cake: b merwan, grant road - 1914, third generation, and it sells out
- best misal pav: prakash, dadar - the version with poha mixed in, after 11 am
- best value: panshikar, girgaum - serving since 1931, around rs 100 for two
- best commuter breakfast: aaram, cst - since 1939, kande pohe and dahi misal pav, rs 200 for two
- best sit-down parsi breakfast: britannia & co., ballard estate - akuri and sali par eedu in a 1923 colonial bungalow
- most focused kitchen: suruchi misal, thane - five tables, two dishes, 6:30 am to 9:30 pm
- biggest trap: arriving at 10:30 am - too late for the irani rush, too early for prakash’s misal
the full list
| # | place | area | best for | cost for two | rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | kyani & co. | marine lines | bun maska, irani chai, mawa cake | rs 400 | 9/10 |
| 2 | b merwan & co. | grant road | mawa cake, buttered buns | rs 300-400 | 8.5/10 |
| 3 | prakash | dadar | misal with poha (post-11am) | rs 150 | 8.5/10 |
| 4 | aaram | cst | kande pohe, dahi misal pav | rs 200 | 8.5/10 |
| 5 | aaswad | dadar | misal pav, dahi misal | rs 300 | 8/10 |
| 6 | panshikar | girgaum / dadar | cheapest proper plate | rs 100 | 8/10 |
| 7 | sassanian | marine lines | omelette, since 1914 | rs 400 | 8/10 |
| 8 | ideal corner | fort | parsi breakfast | rs 400 | 8/10 |
| 9 | suruchi misal | thane | kolhapuri misal | rs 150-300 | 8/10 |
| 10 | koolar & co. | matunga | brun maska, kheema pav | rs 300-400 | 7.5/10 |
| 11 | cafe irani chaii | versova, bandra | akuri pav, 7-11 am only | rs 300-500 | 7.5/10 |
| 12 | mi marathi | vile parle east | kande pohe, thalipeeth | rs 200-300 | 7.5/10 |
| 13 | britannia & co. | ballard estate | akuri, sali par eedu | rs 1,000-1,200 | 7.5/10 |
the irani cafes
1. kyani & co., marine lines
one of the oldest irani cafes in mumbai, established in the early 1900s, and still doing the job it was built for - feeding college students and office workers before work. sausages, fried eggs, bun maska and irani chai are the core. the mawa cake and khari biscuits with chai are treated by regulars as non-negotiable rather than optional.
what to order: bun maska and irani chai, mawa cake alongside. around rs 400 for two.
rating: 9/10
2. b merwan & co., grant road
opened in 1914 by boman merwan and now run by the third generation. the mawa cakes are the standout and the reason people make the trip. the practical catch is severe: it gets crowded in the morning and items sell out fast, with the morning rush running to about 10 am.
go early. 8 am is a different cafe from 9:45 am.
rating: 8.5/10
3. sassanian, marine lines
serving iranian food since 1914 and within walking distance of kyani, which makes it the obvious fallback when kyani is full. around rs 400 for two, and the omelette is the breakfast staple here.
rating: 8/10
4. ideal corner, koolar & co., cafe irani chaii
ideal corner in fort is a long-standing south mumbai breakfast favourite at around rs 400 for two. koolar & co. in matunga does brun maska, kheema pav and chai. cafe irani chaii, with outlets including versova and bandra, is the modern revival - open 7 to 11 am only, rs 300-500 for two, and the order is bun maska, irani chai and akuri pav.
5. britannia & co., ballard estate
in a colonial bungalow since 1923, and the one place here where breakfast is a sit-down occasion. akuri and sali par eedu are the breakfast dishes. at rs 1,000-1,200 for two it is three times the irani cafes - you are paying for the room and the parsi menu, not a better plate of eggs.
rating: 7.5/10
misal, poha and the maharashtrian breakfast
1. prakash, dadar
the misal with poha mixed into it is the dish, and it is excellent. the critical detail: very little is served before 11 am - the pre-11 menu is vadas and a small plate of poha - and the good stuff comes after. open 7:30 am to 9:45 pm, around rs 150 for two, and cash only.
rating: 8.5/10
2. aaram, cst
serving since 1939 and built for the morning commute - fast, loud, efficient. the order is dahi misal pav and kande pohe, around rs 200 for two. the best option if you are starting the day near cst.
rating: 8.5/10
3. aaswad, dadar
misal pav and dahi misal, with a spicy stew made from freshly ground spice paste, sprouted beans and potatoes, served properly hot. around rs 300 for two.
rating: 8/10
4. suruchi misal, thane, and panshikar
suruchi runs the leanest kitchen on this list - five tables and two dishes, the kolhapuri and the suruchi special, open 6:30 am to 9:30 pm. listings put it at rs 150-300 for two. panshikar in girgaum has been going since 1931 and is the cheapest proper breakfast here at around rs 100 for two.
5. mi marathi, vile parle east
a neighbourhood favourite for kande pohe, also doing thalipeeth, misal pav, dahi misal and upma.
tips
- the window is 8-10 am or after 11. the irani cafes peak and fade by 10; prakash’s real misal starts after 11. 10:30 am is the worst time to be hungry in mumbai.
- b merwan sells out. if the mawa cake is the reason you are going, be there by 8:30.
- carry cash. prakash is cash-only and several of the older places prefer it.
- misal pav rs 50-80, poha rs 20-30, bun maska and chai around rs 40. two people eat properly for under rs 200 at most places here.
- dadar is the misal cluster. prakash and aaswad are both there, so one trip covers the two best versions.
- marine lines is the irani cluster. kyani and sassanian are walking distance apart - useful when one is full.
- expect prices slightly above the published ones. most figures circulating are a few months to two years old.
- britannia is lunch-shaped, not breakfast-shaped. go for the akuri if you want a long sit-down, not if you want to eat and go.
related mumbai guides
- best irani cafes in mumbai - the full irani cafe picture
- best street food in mumbai - vada pav, pav bhaji and the chowpatty end
- mumbai food guide - the complete eating plan
- best restaurants in mumbai - the sit-down options across the city
- where to stay in mumbai - which area puts you near which breakfast