Jewelry in Jaipur, textiles in Kutch, silk saris in Chennai, bangles in Hyderabad, bridal trousseaus in Delhi—you really can’t go wrong with shopping anywhere in India. But no matter what you’re looking for, you’re likely to find it in cosmopolitan Mumbai, where generations-old fabric markets and cutting-edge pop-up design markets all coexist in the glamorous coastal city. Here’s where to go for shopping in Mumbai, for bargain hunters and budget blowers alike.
We’ve put our favorite souvenir shops on a Google Map that you can access while you’re on the road. To download this map, make sure you’re signed into your Google account when you click the link. It’ll automatically add the layer to your world map on both your desktop and Google Maps mobile app. To find the map again within your Google Maps, go to Your Places in the navigation bar and click on Maps.
The shops to dip into after visiting the Gateway of India
Sure, it’s the most touristy part of the city, but the charming bylanes of Colaba are also lined with some of the city’s plushest shops—if you know where to look. Hotelier Samyukta Nair has edited a pitch-perfect collection of Indian fashion and housewares at Clove, in a 19th-century building on a leafy street next to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Head there for airy dresses by SWGT, jewelry by Lune, and ceramics by Suite No. 8, as well as collaborations with boutiques like Sri Lanka’s Paradise Road. Nearby, accessories brand Nappa Dori sells handmade leather totes and steamer trunks in kicky colors, while the upstairs café is a great spot to refuel with a cappuccino. And Le Mill is where savvy Mumbai shoppers stock up on Chloe, Celine, and Balenciaga, along with hot Indian labels like Dhruv Kapoor, Surily G, and Tallin Jewels.
The market worth dedicating a whole morning to
Here’s a dare: Spend a morning meandering through the labyrinthine Mangaldas Market in Kalbadevi and just try to walk out without armfuls of silk, chanderi, and banarsi fabrics destined to be tailored into dresses or cushion covers back home. It’s impossible. Amid the chaotic tangle of lanes, No-mad 97% India, founded by Anuj Kothari and Valérie Barkowski, is a tiny but serene oasis—make your way over to browse bed sheets and tablecloths in the cozy, contemporary space.
The booze you won’t find in airport duty free
Fun fact: the gin and tonic, a staple for the safari-sundowner set, was invented in India by the British East India Company to ward off malaria. But despite the drink’s local provenance, finding proper Indian gin was harder than you might expect—but no longer. Most of the botanicals infused in Stranger & Sons gin—heady notes of nutmeg, black pepper, coriander, and bergamot peels among them—are grown on farms near the brand’s Third Eye Distillery in Goa. Make room in your suitcase for a few bottles of Svami tonic waters, another new homegrown hit that you’ll spot behind the bars at the city’s top watering holes, so you’ll have all the fixings for a pukka Indian G&T at home.
Obataimu in Mumbai, India
The insider’s secret to discovering covetable new designers
To figure out which indie Indian labels should be in your closet this season, start by scouring the “follow” lists of Mumbai fashionistas—some of the chicest brands in India have major Instagram presences, and do most of their selling online. The one place in town you’ll find all of the indie favorites IRL? The Vintage Garden. A pop-up market on the grounds of a beautiful 1920s mansion in Bandra, Vintage Garden is where you’ll get an in-person look at hip labels like Mati, Khara Kapas, and Joules by Radhika.
The conversation starter for your home
One man’s discarded 1926 Remington typewriter is another man’s treasure—so it goes at Chor Bazaar, Mumbai’s “thieves’ market,” where interiors mavens and Bollywood set visionaries converge to rummage through antiques emporiums searching for weathered gramophones, vintage family portraits, colonial-era furniture, and other timeworn scores. While you might not want to lug a crystal chandelier or rotary phone all the way from Mumbai, you should be able to tuck a brass temple bell or vintage Bollywood blockbuster poster into your luggage.
The neighborhood where you could shop for a day
For such a small slice of the city, the Kala Ghoda district packs a punch. The winding lanes of this crescent-shaped swath north of Colaba have a disproportionate density of the city’s buzziest restaurants, galleries, and boutiques. Have your cab drop you off in front of the erstwhile Rhythm House building, a landmark that now houses the flagship of upmarket menswear label Kunal Rawal. Then, keep an eye out for the quirky contemporary art store Kulture Shop, custom men’s shirt outfitter Bombay Shirt Company, and Tokyo-inspired atelier Obataimu. Stop by the inaugural outpost of beloved fashion and interiors chain Nicobar and pick up linen dresses and jumpsuits at Cord. Sabyasachi, also in the neighborhood, is a hot favorite of Indian brides and all over the world—if a Bollywood starlet is tying the knot, you can be sure she’s wearing Sabya.
See all our Mumbai shopping picks on a Google Map that you can access on your phone
For more shopping stories, visit our complete guide to souvenir shopping.
