8 Best Vada Pav Spots in Mumbai For That Authentic Taste; Bookmark Now!

This desi snack has found its ranks among the ‘best sandwiches in the world’, is the monsoon season’s perfect companion, a quick fix for a bad day, and one of the best time machines ever made — it immediately transports you back to your college days.

Let’s face it: the emotional implications of the vada pav are many. And this deep-fried potato dumpling hugged by a bread bun deserves the adulation.

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Everyone has a vada pav story. After all, it is a culinary narrative that connects Indians across the world. And no matter how many luxurious cuisines we tick off our bucket lists, truth be told, we’re coming home to a vada pav.

And it’s almost a sacrilege to speak of this iconic snack without mentioning the city where it was born — Mumbai. 

Here’s a list of vada pav spots in the city to dash to when you crave your old, familiar friend.

1. Aram

For Mumbaikars, Aram’s vada pav is an all too familiar flavour. One of the oldest vada pav haunts in the city, it is located right outside Mumbai’s iconic CST Station and nostalgia reverberates through the walls. Customers recommend the cheese rendition, the butter cheese grill vada pav, and the butter cheese grill kothimbir wadi pav.

In an interview with Condé Nast, archaeologist and culinary anthropologist Dr Kurush Dalal, said, “For the quintessential vada pav, I would say a good spot to get one is Aram. They’ve always been known for their ‘big’ vada pavs owing to the generous size of the fried potato patties. So, it’s truly value for money. The vadas always come out piping hot and fresh.”

2. Ashok Vaidya Vada Pav

How can we pen a story about vada pav without an ode to the man who invented it? A gentleman Ashok Vaidya is said to have come up with the snack during the 1960s at a stall right outside of Dadar Station. It wasn’t planned!

One day, in an attempt to innovate, Ashok put the vada into a pav with a side of garlic chutney. Voila! History was created. Today it is Ashok’s younger son Narendra Vaidya who carries on the legacy. The sizzle of vadas is a comforting sound to all the patrons who still stop by this legendary outlet.

3. Parla Vada Pav Samrat

The guest list has seen the likes of legendary painter M F Husain and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. In a 2020 article by Bloomberg, Michelin star chef Ravinder Bhogal of Jikoni in London hailed the eatery for its vada pav.

The most recent addition to this list was Apple CEO Tim Cook who snacked on a vada pav along with actress Madhuri Dixit while on his visit to Mumbai in April 2023.

8. Jai Maharashtra Vadapav

Located in Andheri West, the eatery serves no-nonsense vada pav that manages to hit it off with one’s taste buds almost instantly.

As celebrity chef Saransh Goila took to Facebook to share, “The aloo vada is seasoned perfectly with lots of coriander in it and is really crisp on the outside with a thick besan (chickpea flour) coating, I suspect some rice flour in the batter! The pudina chutney (mint-flavoured sauce) consistency kinda thecha is the real star and adds a lovely kick, also the garlic chutney is on point. I gobbled down three of these and yet I want one more. Probably the best lunch you can buy in Rs 15!”

Edited by Pranita Bhat