Colaba Causeway

Colaba Causeway is the main street of Colaba, the neighbourhood at the southern tip of Mumbai near the Gateway of India, and one of the liveliest shopping streets in the city. Colaba Causeway, officially Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, is lined with pavement stalls selling clothes, costume jewellery, bags, antiques and souvenirs, backed by old cafes, bookshops and boutiques.

The causeway was built by the British in the 1830s to join Colaba, then a separate island, to the rest of Bombay, and the road still follows that line. Colaba became the city's traveller district, and Colaba Causeway has been a meeting point for visitors ever since. Leopold Cafe, open since 1871, is its best-known address; it was one of the sites of the November 2008 terror attacks and reopened within days, and bullet marks are still visible on its walls. Cafe Mondegar, with cartoon murals by the artist Mario Miranda, is a few doors away. At the northern end stands the Art Deco Regal Cinema.

What to see

• Pavement stalls for block-printed clothes, silver-style jewellery, leather sandals and bags
• Leopold Cafe and Cafe Mondegar with its Mario Miranda murals
• Colaba Market, a working fruit, vegetable and fish market off the causeway
• Regal Cinema, one of Mumbai's Art Deco cinemas, at the Wellington Circle end
• Sassoon Dock, one of the oldest docks in Mumbai, for the early morning fish auction

What to wear

There is no dress code on Colaba Causeway; light cotton clothes and comfortable walking shoes are best, as pavements are crowded and uneven. Keep your bag zipped and in front of you. The stalls sell cotton kurtas, a practical and comfortable buy for the rest of an India trip, and you can find Kolhapuri chappals, the handmade leather sandals of Maharashtra.

Local food to try

Colaba Causeway is one of Mumbai's easiest places to eat. Bademiya, on Tulloch Road behind the Taj Mahal Palace, is known for kebab rolls and grilled meat late into the night and is largely halal. The old cafes serve beer, Irani chai and bun maska, and Parsi dishes like berry pulao can be found nearby. Street carts sell vada pav, pav bhaji and sugarcane juice. Vegetarians can find Gujarati and South Indian restaurants along the side streets.

Good to know

• Best time: late afternoon into evening, from November to February
• Stalls open from late morning to about 10pm; shops keep similar hours
• Free to browse
• Allow two to three hours for shopping and a meal
• In Colaba, South Mumbai, a few minutes' walk from the Gateway of India
• Bargain politely at stalls; shops generally have fixed prices

Nearby places

Colaba Causeway is a few minutes' walk from the Gateway of India, where ferries leave for the Elephanta Caves. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Marine Drive are a short taxi ride north.