Nightlife

Cafes, Bars & Lounges /p>

Join the backpackers and other Western tourists for a cold Kingfisher beer at Leopold's Café (tel. 022/2287-3362 or 022/2282-8185) on Colaba Causeway; or step into smoky, popular Café Mondegar or Mondy's (near Regal Cinema; tel. 022/2202-0591), where the atmosphere is always lively and the jukebox fires up popular Western music. Indus, behind the Taj Mahal Hotel, is another bar/restaurant (tel. 022/2202-1661) that serves relatively inexpensive alcohol and good tandoori starters, and provides a change from the overdose of Hindi remixes you hear everywhere else, but not much else. Nearby is the Sports Bar Express (tel. 022/6639-6681), perfect for beer-quaffers who can get a pitcher of beer (1.5 liters) for just Rs 269 ($7/£3), and where you can also play pool or shoot hoops. If rock 'n' roll is more your taste, head for Tavern (Hotel Fariyas; tel. 022/2204-2911), farther down Colaba, where the jeans-and-T-shirt clique groove to classic rock and cheap drinks. Or grab a drink and request a song at popular but small Ghetto (tel. 022/2353-8418) at Mahalaxmi, near Haji Ali. This is where you'll find collegians and after-workers rubbing shoulders with graying hippies who still salute Bob Marley and Jim Morrison; live bands are on tap some nights (entry free). If you're in the hip suburb of Bandra, you'll find a similar scene at Toto's Garage (Pali Naka; tel. 022/2600-5494), where the main attraction, apart from the music, is the shell of a car hanging from the ceiling over patrons' heads. Call Soul Fry Casa (tel. 022/2267-1421), Starters & More (tel. 022/2281-4124) at Churchgate (which also holds Jazz Nights the first Wed of the month), or Henry Tham Lounge (tel. 022/2202-3186;) for details of live music nights.

For über-trendy, you can't beat Indigo (tel. 022/6636-8999 or -8983). At Colaba's hippest joint, low tables with flickering candles light up the who's who of Mumbai as they sip fine wines and other drinks. Similarly chic but in Bandra is Olive Bar and Kitchen (Pali Hill Tourist Hotel, 14 Union Park Khar; tel. 022/2605-8228), where celeb-spotting is the acknowledged pastime. Also in Bandra, Seijo and the Soul Dish (tel. 022/2640-5555) has a trendy New York look with Japanese touches and regular live music and good drinks. Farther afield, Vie Lounge and Deck (102 Juhu Tara Rd., diagonally opposite Maneckji Cooper School, Juhu; tel. 022/2660-3003) at the edge of Juhu Beach, is a lovely bar with an open-air lounge overlooking the Arabian Sea. Come here for the sea breeze and laid-back ambience; it's the perfect place for a wind-down martini with friends. Happy hours extend from 4 to 7pm.

The erstwhile Library Bar at the Taj President Hotel has been transformed into a classy watering hole called Wink (tel. 022/6665-0808), whose clientele consists of whiskey-swilling businesspeople and high rollers who lounge on plush sofas and boast business successes under dim lighting. If your holy grail is a chic, exclusive lounge bar, nothing beats Opium Den at the Trident Towers (tel. 022/6632-6320), which attracts well-heeled 30-something locals, expats, and hotel guests. Not far away is Geoffrey's (Hotel Marine Plaza; tel. 022/2285-1212), which is often packed with smartly dressed after-office crowds. Around the corner from Geoffrey's is Not Just Jazz By the Bay (tel. 022/2282-0957), which has live bands Wednesday to Saturday and karaoke Sunday through Tuesday.

If you're in Central Mumbai's new business districts, Dublin (tel. 022/2410-1010) in the ITC Grand Central Sheraton and Towers, with its cool green walls, leather sofas, and stained-glass panels, is a good place for a quiet drink.

Music, Theatre & Cinema

The best way to figure out what's going on in the city is to pick up a copy of Time Out Mumbai, the twice-monthly magazine that has the most comprehensive Mumbai listings. "The Hot List" supplement in the daily tabloid Mid Day also carries extensive listings of live music events, stage productions, and film screenings. The Times of India features an extensive "Bombay Times" section that lists and advertises cultural activities, entertainment happenings, and movies.

Mumbai has numerous performance spaces, including its premier National Centre for the Performing Arts (Nariman Point; tel. 022/2283-3737; www.ncpamumbai.com). The NCPA houses several stages, including the city's "first opera theater," Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, which saw its first operatic production in 2003. English dramas and lavish musical concerts are held in Tata Theatre; the aptly named Little Theatre features work of a more intimate scale. For offbeat drama, student work, and small-scale music and dance, the black-box Experimental Theatre, with its audience proximity, is the place to go. The NCPA may occasionally host special film events and festivals, but these are open only to members.

Not far from Juhu Beach is one of Mumbai's best-known theaters, Prithvi Theatre (Janki-Kutir, Juhu-Church Rd.; tel. 022/2614-9546; www.prithvitheatre.org), which is owned by Bollywood's founding family, the Kapoors. Prithvi has a small, intimate, and excellent performance space with great acoustics, and the aisles and steps are often crammed with enthusiasts. The country's best plays are staged here during an annual drama festival (Nov-Dec), and the garden cafe outside is popular with the city's culturati. Over the first weekend of every month (except June-Sept), free play readings and other performances are held in the gardens at Horniman Circle in the Fort area; contact Prithvi for details.

Nightclubs

While you could spend your entire stay in Mumbai partying in clubs each night and recovering the following day in your hotel room -- this is one Indian city that loves to party -- be aware that the nightclub scene is not concentrated on a single street, and most clubs close earlier than in the West. Mumbai's partying has lately been tempered by the government's early closing rule. Although Western music is popular and has the buff and the gorgeous strutting their stuff every night of the week, Mumbaikars (thankfully) have a deep passion for contemporary Hindi songs as well, and it's not unusual to spot young studs demonstrating the choreographed rhythms of MTV India's latest local video, much to the delight of their female companions. There are literally dozens of nightspots in the city, the most attractive being in the five-star hotels. The nightclub scene has largely shifted to the suburbs of Bandra and Juhu, so much so that even affluent South Mumbaikars who wouldn't normally venture to the 'burbs make a beeline for the happening clubs there. For the most up-to-date news on what's hot and what's not, get a copy of Time Out and talk to your concierge, because the nightclub scene changes rapidly. In particular, check whether the club recommended to you is popular with under-age kids, as some clubs are.

Here's a list of some of the most popular nightspots in mid-2007 -- and the ones most likely to continue to stay in top gear. Entry fees differ depending on the night, and prices are often per (heterosexual) couple; usually this entitles you to coupons that can be exchanged for overpriced drinks of a stipulated value. Note that many nightclubs charge extra for males entering alone, while most don't allow "stag" entry at all, though foreigners may sometimes sidestep this rule. Closing times vary each night; there are "official" (currently 12:30am) and unofficial hours -- which essentially means that clubs may stay open later than the time stipulated by law. The popularity of a club is sustained only if it can keep the cops out and stay open into the wee hours of the morning (five-star clubs can remain open until 3am, since they are inside private hotels). Tip: Take a page out of a hard-partying Mumbaikar's book and tank up at one of the city's watering holes before heading to a nightclub, where drink prices are usually exorbitant. In general, party-loving locals hit more than one nightclub/bar/lounge per evening throughout this island city; if you hook up with a group, you may want to join them. Note: If you crave Latin and ballroom dancing, including salsa, merengue, tango, jive, and the like, several spots in the city have Latin Ballroom Nights.

Hot Spots with Views

With the waters of the Arabian Sea lapping the entire length of the city on both its eastern and western flanks, Mumbai enjoys a fabulous seaside location, yet the city has relatively few nightspots with views worth mentioning. Most can be found in five-star establishments. With the dark blue horizon just beyond the terrace's glass railing and a star-studded sky above, Dome (tel. 022/3987-9999; reservations recommended on weekends), on the rooftop of the InterContinental Marine Drive, commands the best vista. Sink into the inviting off-white sofas and overstuffed armchairs that surround scented candles and order a Caipiroska or a Mojito, or even a Long Island Iced Tea. Give the food a pass, although you may want to sample the mango gelato with champagne. Farther along Marine Drive at the Hotel Marine Plaza, Bayview (tel. 022/2285-1212) is a 24-hour restaurant. Its drinks and buffets (Rs 150-Rs 550/$4-$13/£2-£7) are great value for money; avoid weekends when the place is packed with noisy families. Alternatively, get right on the beach and grab a hammock at Salt Water Grill on Chowpatty (H2O Water Sports Complex; tel. 022/2368-5459). Drink in lovely views of the Arabian Sea along with heady cocktails. For an elegant evening, Pearl of the Orient (tel. 022/2204-1131), the revolving restaurant atop the Ambassador Hotel, offers more lovely views of Mumbai and good service; the food is fairly satisfying and includes Korean barbecue, inauthentic Japanese, and a sprinkling of Thai and Chinese dishes.

On the opposite shore of Mumbai's southern tip, overlooking the harbor, you'll find another set of views, quite different but every bit as remarkable. For a refined setting with a splendid view of the Gateway, make your way to the Harbour Bar in the Taj, where martinis, champagne, and cigars are the order of the day. Also in the Taj is Souk (tel. 022/6665-3366) -- although the rooftop restaurant calls its food "Eastern Mediterranean," the cuisine it serves is generally known elsewhere as Middle Eastern or West Asian. Best is the mezze buffet offering the usual suspects (hummus, salads, baba ghanouj, tabbouleh, falafel, and assorted olives), as well as three interesting meat- or seafood-based salads, all accompanied by delicious, hot pita bread. Souk's location is great, but the tables near the window are placed in such a way that only one person at a table for two gets the harbor view. Go figure. If you bag a window table at Sea Lounge (tel. 022/6665-3366), the Taj's renowned coffee shop, you can watch the boats float by while demanding more Earl Grey. Although you don't have to be a guest in the hotel to enjoy any of these Taj options, do note that your manner of dress (and perceived status) has a direct effect on how well you are treated.

Moving north of the city, you can take a break at Vista, the cafe at the Taj Land's End in Bandra; or at Ming Yang, the hotel's Szechuan Chinese eatery. Both afford diners fine views of the Arabian Sea and the Portuguese fort, if you can snag a table near the window (both tel. 022/6668-1234). Farther north near Juhu Beach is a personal favorite, the low-key, reasonably priced seaside-veranda restaurant at Citizen Hotel (tel. 022/6692-2525), which serves formulaic Indian and Continental fare in a tranquil setting that provides one of the best unobstructed views of the sea. An air-conditioned, glass-walled section also has good views. New kid on the block Aurus (Nichani Kutir, Juhu Tara Rd., near Reid and Taylor, Juhu; tel. 022/6710-6667; daily 7:30pm-1:30am; meal for two Rs 4,000/$98/£49) has a beautiful outdoor deck overlooking the sea. The Napa Valley-trained chef whips up excellent meals. Service is slow, which gives you plenty of time to study the models and air-kissing movie stars who can almost always be spotted here.