Mumbai for the Sweet-Toothed Travellers! 10 Most Delicious and Iconic Sweet Treats from Across Mumbai and Where to Eat Them (2019)

A significant element in the Indian cuisine, a sweet dish or mithai as it is popularly known is a must to complete a meal or to appease a sweet tooth. Usually made of sugar, milk or condensed milk, sweets are usually fried, however their ingredients and variety may differ by their region. In terms of popularity, each region has its own specialty, Western India’s being anarsa, basundi, doodhpak, kaju katli, shankarpali, shrikhand and sutar feni. Some of Mumbai’s best sweets include:

Every region has its specialities, from Bengal’s fluffy, milky treats to Maharashtra’s mellow jaggery-based ones. But just as people from all over India find their way to Mumbai, so do the sweets, and the city is one of the best places to sample mithai from around the country. Kailash Parbat in Colaba is a traveller’s favourite and is strong in northern-style mithai, while the Tamil Nadu–based chain Sri Krishna Sweets (www.srikrishnasweets.net), with several locations in Mumbai, including at Matunga King’s Circle, is best for southern delicacies. It’s hard to mess up a sweet, but shops tend to excel in their regional specialities so ask what they do best.

Mumbai has quite a ravenous appetite in every sense of the word, especially in waistlines! Some of the most unique and creative sweet treats are found in the elite, street smart or small bistros in and around the narrow alleys, pathways and shopping complexes, not to forget the restaurants and five-star properties spread across the city! Some of them being:

Located in Mahim East, Punjabi Ghasitaram was established in 1916 in Karachi, Pakistan and relocated to Mumbai after the partition in 1947. Renowned for its mouth-watering treats, prepared with the choicest ingredients and Desi Ghee and with some top-notch clientele that includes five-star hotels, flight kitchens, export houses and industrial cafeterias across Mumbai, Punjabi Ghasitaram has a wide variety of North Indian, Bengali and Mawa Sweets, Special Halwa, Snacks, Cakes and pastries. During Diwali, their Kaju Katlis in different varieties, and Assorted Mawa Peda sell like hot cakes!

Established in 1951 at Gupta Market, M.M Mithaiwala is leading manufacturer of some of the most delectable sweets and savouries. Located in Malad West, the brand is quite popular in the city of Mumbai and it’s lip-smacking Rasmalai and Lassi are the best sellers! The Gulab Jamun too is very popular here. Their patented ghewar is also a must try. M.M Mithaiwala has an expansive range of traditional sweets like Ladoos, Modak, Ghee sweets, Ice Halwa, Badami Halwa & Ghee Halwa, Milk & Malai Sweets, Bengali Sweets, Rabdi, Basundi & Shrikhand, not to forget the dry fruit sweets.

Sweet Bengal, a specialist in Bengali sweets is popular for its Chaler Payesh, a delicious rice pudding flavored with cardamom & bay leaf, specially made during Holi Festivities, other delights like Kheer Khodam, Cream Chomchom, Mishti Doi, Baked Rasgullas, and Gurer Sandesh are some other leading varieties. It serves an assortment of dry fruit sweets and pedas as well. Awarded the Times Food Award in 2014 for Best Mithai, Sweet Bengal has multiple outlets in Mumbai, primarily in Powai, Thane, Vashi, Goregaon, Andheri, Mahim, Malad, Chembur, Khar, Cuff Parade, Kandivali, Bandra & Vile Parle.

A world-renowned brand, Suleman Mithai is known for its mawa sweets, Kaju sweets, milk sweets and other delicatessen items, with a unique sweet called Aflatoon as a popular selling item. They also offer farsan, chocolate puddings and cakes that are low in fat and high in nutritional content. Their products are services far and wide to Europe, Middle East, the United States and the Far East in addition to India. They’re also listed on online food delivery portals.

Brijwasi Sweets is known for its fresh and melt in the mouth sweets and savouries and quite popular with Mumbai regulars frequenting the place. One of Mumbai’s premium sweet shops which was established in 1946, Brijwasi sweets has been an avid participant at food courts and exhibitions such as Marwar, The Mega Wedding Show and Shaadi.com. Their samosas and pani puri are quite popular amongst their best-selling sweets that include Rasgulla, Malai Sandwich, Basundi, Motichoor Laddu and Gulab Jamun. Slightly on the expensive side, Brijwasi is worth the extra penny spent. They have now ventured into the sugar-free sweets domain for the calorie smart clientele and introduced diet sweets and sugarfree items as well. Located in multiple places, you’ll find Brijwasi Sweets in Andheri, Colaba, Bandra, Powai, Worli and Kalbadevi.

Established in 1990, Gulati Sweets & Snacks is popular for their widespread of street food and authentic Indian mithai. It opens up for business as early as 8.30am for quick breakfast options and shuts down at 9.30 in the night. Special for their milk sweets, Bengali sweets, cashew items, ghee sweets and sugar-free delights, Gulati’s is popular for Malai Barfi and Malai cake, with Rabdi being their best item on offer. From other items, their chole bhature, jalebi, samosa, and motichoor ladoos are must try as well. Their staff is extremely warm & welcoming with services pretty hygienic that reflect well in their quality of food and store/restaurant.

Formerly called Dayaram Damodar Mithaiwala, this sweets venture was established in 1937 and evolved from a small business of milk delivery service. One of the first shops in Mumbai to sell Bengali sweets, D Damodar Mithaiwala today serves many other culturally rich sweets that include specialities from the Gujarati, Parsi, Marwari & Maharashtrian communities. They are immensely popular for the melt-in-the-mouth ladoos and milk cakes, with a huge variety of farsan items as well. Some of their savouries that are not to be missed include samosa, pattice and dhokla.

Established at the time of Independence, Tewari Brothers is known for the quality of food they serve in their sweets shop. From a wide variety of snacks like samosas, kachori and other sweet, salty and spicy delicacies, it is one of the leading names in the realm of Mumbai sweets, as well as all across the country. Their specialities include Bengali sweets, sweets made of Badam & Pista, Ghee sweets, Kaju sweets and Khoya sweets, in addition to milk sweets. During Holi festivities, their gujjias and mudhi muas are in demand a lot. Spread all over

Located at Hill Road, tucked away is a small shop with a variety of sweets and savouries, famous for dry fruit modaks and pani puri. Karachi sweets is also known to have the best malai cake barfi & sev malai barfi. Their dry fruit and mava barfis are also delicious. Paper halwa is a foodies’ delight here and the prices are easy on the pocket. Worth a bite are their special Kaju sweet dishes, chiefly Kaju Sitaphal, Kaju Monica and Kesar Kaju Katri, Chandrakala and Pragari!

Established originally in Karachi in 1896, Punjabi Chandu Halwai relocated to India post-partition and is immensely popular for its Karachi/Bombay Halwa. Their offerings are limitless really with a wide variety of sweets made daily to serve their clients in Mumbai. Punjabi Chandu Halwai can actually make any occasion special with their sweets made in rich desi ghee, like their classic gulab jamuns, malpuas and many other varieties during festive occasions.

In today’s technologically advanced world, having an online presence is just like walking across the road and buying your essentials. Most people avoid travelling far or lining up in queues to place orders for delicious treats and then make the journey back home exhausted after numerous traffic snarls and jams. The realm of sweets being available online on order is gradually increasing, making it convenient for people to enjoy the delicacies in the comfort of their homes at the click of a button. A few online portals like the OnyxIndia, Moipot and place of origin are popular for placing online orders for sweets and savouries from different parts of the country. Onyx provides a wide range of sweets, hampers, chocolates, dry fruits and spice mixes at onyyxindia.com; Moipot has speciality sweets, evergreens and dry fruit sweets, regional snacks, bakery items, spices & pickles, mouth fresheners & candies its offerings at moipot.com ; and Place of Origin is one of India’s best online portals for sweets, savouries and snacks from almost all the popular stores across the country with an assortment of sweets, snacks, staples, pickles & trail mixes at reasonable prices, available at Place of Origin.