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Cafe Madras

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A beloved Mumbai institution since 1940, serving authentic South Indian vegetarian delights in a historic, bustling atmosphere.

Highlights

Highlights

Must-see attractions

Social content

Social

From TikTok & Reddit

Best Time

Wed/Fri 18-21h

Blue hour photography, calmer galleries

CrowdLow
Inside

Cafe Madras

Best Time

Wed/Fri 18-21h

Blue hour photography, calmer galleries

CrowdLow
Highlights

Highlights

Must-see attractions

A beloved Mumbai institution since 1940, serving authentic South Indian vegetarian delights in a historic, bustling atmosphere.

"Locals travel from all over the city to share a table and dive into this spot's fluffy idlis and crispy dosas."

Vertical photo
TIP

Avoid Weekend Crowds

Visit on weekdays to bypass long waiting times; weekends are exceptionally crowded.

Must-Try Signature Dishes

Don't miss the rasam vada and dosas with mulagapodi powder for an authentic taste.

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Quick Facts

Cuisine

South Indian

Price

Mid-range

Phone

+91 77387 51493

Address

K/1, Plot No 02, Rd Number 7, Govandi(W), Govandi West, Baiganwadi, Govandi East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400043, India

Insta-Factor

Medium

Highlights

Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Fluffy Idlis Doused in Ghee

Fluffy Idlis Doused in Ghee

Indulge in the iconic fluffy idlis at Cafe Madras, served with rich ghee and a dollop of white butter.

Find The Best South Indian Restaurants In Mumbai Here
Authentic South Indian Dosas

Authentic South Indian Dosas

Experience paper-thin, golden crispy dosas, especially those topped with flavorful mulagapodi powder.

The 26 Best Restaurants In Mumbai - MumbaiBest Places to Eat in Mumbai - Restaurants and Street Food
Iconic South Indian Coffee

Iconic South Indian Coffee

Savor the authentic 'kaapi' (South Indian filter coffee), a perfect complement to your South Indian meal.

TikTokFind The Best South Indian Restaurants In Mumbai Here
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Insider Tips

from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit

IYKYK. I love my chai but drinking filter in India just hits just hits different. ☕️#filterkappi #kappi #madrascoffee #mumbaidiaries #browngirlvibes #browngirltiktok #southindianfood
@chi.veg.girl
56 likes • 1.7K views

Avoid Weekend Crowds

Visit on weekdays to bypass long waiting times; weekends are exceptionally crowded.

Must-Try Signature Dishes

Don't miss the rasam vada and dosas with mulagapodi powder for an authentic taste.

still thinking about how incredible this meal was omgggggg 🤤 the dosa and vada were my fav but the chutneys honestly stole the show everything we ordered: - masala chai - idli vada combo - podi masala dosa - tomato onion peas uttapam #dosa #southindianfood #vada #idli #southindian
@auntiejaime_
253 likes • 4.9K views
Namaste from Mumbai! Let’s go for breakfast… of course Indian breakfast with chai!☕️ #travelwithme #traveltiktok #india #visitindia #mumbai #travellife #lifestyle #indianfood #navimumbai #ilovetravelling #travelpassion #traveltheworldwithme #followme #indianbreakfast
@emanuela.lifestyle
18 likes • 293 views

Embrace Communal Dining

Sharing tables with strangers is part of the charm and experience at this popular eatery.

Order & Pay First

You order and pay at the counter before being seated, then wait for your food.

Tips

from all over the internet

Avoid Weekend Crowds

Visit on weekdays to bypass long waiting times; weekends are exceptionally crowded.

Must-Try Signature Dishes

Don't miss the rasam vada and dosas with mulagapodi powder for an authentic taste.

Embrace Communal Dining

Sharing tables with strangers is part of the charm and experience at this popular eatery.

Order & Pay First

You order and pay at the counter before being seated, then wait for your food.

What Travellers Say

4.6
(491k reviews)

Reviews Summary

Cafe Madras is celebrated for its authentic South Indian cuisine, particularly its fluffy idlis and crispy dosas. Diners rave about the flavorful food and the iconic filter coffee. However, some customers have noted issues with customer service and long waiting times, especially during peak hours.

"Good"

Shreeram U

"Nice"

Shreya Ravichanderan

What People Like

Authentic South Indian dishes
Fluffy idlis and crispy dosas
Flavorful mulagapodi powder

What People Dislike

Slow or inattentive customer service
Long wait times
Dry rawa dosa

Frequently Asked Questions

Highly recommended are the fluffy idlis doused in ghee and white butter, crispy dosas with mulagapodi powder, and the authentic South Indian filter coffee (kaapi).

Find The Best South Indian Restaurants In Mumbai Here

Yes, Cafe Madras is very popular, especially on weekends. Visiting on weekdays is advised to avoid long waiting times.

The 26 Best Restaurants In Mumbai - Mumbai

The restaurant can be crowded, and diners often share tables with strangers, which adds to its unique and communal charm.

The 26 Best Restaurants In Mumbai - Mumbai

While sold as unlimited, some reviews mention that portions may be limited and refills can be slow to come.

Google Review

You order and pay at the counter before being seated. Some reviews suggest they might be cash-only or have limited payment options.

Yes, it's a great place to experience authentic South Indian snacks like dosas and idlis. However, be aware that some reviews mention consistency issues.

Best Places to Eat in Mumbai - Restaurants and Street FoodGoogle Review

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Ask 10 people in Mumbai to recommend their favorite idli spots, and you’ll get 10 different answers. Ask us, and we’ll tell you Cafe Madras every time. On weekends, especially, locals travel from all over the city to tree-lined Matunga to share a table with strangers for a South Indian breakfast or lunch (expect a wait), and dive into this spot’s fluffy, grainy rice cakes, with hot sambar and coconut chutney.

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Found in Kings Circle, this is Mumbai’s most cherished South Indian restaurant. If you’re bored of all the fine dining and expensive food joints around town, the unassuming interiors at Cafe Madras will surely please you. Beware, though: the eatery is perpetually crowded with college students, senior citizens and young workers.

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Situated in the old lanes of Matunga, Cafe Madras has a history of over 80 years!. People swear by the restaurant’s rasam vada, which is one of the oldest delicacies here. This is the best place in Mumbai you go to when craving for south Indian delicacies like dosas and idlis.

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In business since 1940, this place serves delicious vegetarian food. Shree Thakker Bhokanalay is another place dishing out delectable Gujarati and Rajasthani cuisines. This one happens to be one of the oldest thali restaurants in Mumbai!

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Apart from all these, Mumbai has Yoga House, Cafe Madras and Quattro, where one can treat their tastebuds with a range of delicious vegetarian delicacies. Visit yourself and experience the tasty food of Mumbai, if you love experimenting.

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Website: Sofitel Facebook: Sofitel Address: C 57 Bandra Kurla Complex Bandra East, Mumbai Phone: 61175000 Cafe Madras South Indian food in all its snacky splendour. Website: Grand Hyatt Mumbai Facebook: Grand Hyatt Mumbai Address: Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Off Western Express Highway, Santacruz East, Mumbai Contact: 66761234, 49425363 Trattoria Trattoria, the Italian restaurant in Mumbai is stylish but casual and the food is really good. Website: Vivanta by Taj President Facebook: Vivanta by Taj President Address: Vivanta by Taj President, 90, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai Contact: 66650808 212 All Day Cafe & Bar 212 is an all-day dining restaurant and they serve some tasty food like Salads, Soups, Gourmet Sandwiches & Burgers, Pizzas, Pasta, Grills and Desserts.

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Over eight decades of relevance and reigning Mumbai’s South Indian gastronomy, Cafe Madras was started in 1940 by a gentleman, Gopal Purshottam Kamath. Among the wide range of fare that the place offers, the dosa (savoury Indian crepe) and filter coffee continue to be crowd pullers. Other menu hits are the neer masala with stew, idli butter podi, pessarattu dosa (a kind of dosa originating from Andhra Pradesh made with green gram batter), malgapodi (a chutney powder made from roasted dal and dry Kashmiri red chillies), and the Madras dahi misal (a curry made of spicy sprouts and yoghurt).

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Find The Best South Indian Restaurants In Mumbai Here

Soft, fluffy and heavenly to bite into, idli at Café Madras goes one step further with dousing the ghee-soaked idlis with sinful dollops of white butter. Team this up with the delicious coconut chutney and the torchbearer of caffeine rushes, the kaapi – and you’ll have a power couple right there. If you do have to be a rebel and order one of the thin, lip-smacking dosas, don’t forget to ask for the mulagapodi powder (the same dry chilli powder we affectionately refer to as ‘gunpowder’).

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Before there is a riot, let us say in advance that there is no way to really establish the best place for a trusty old dosa in Mumbai. The reason we chose Cafe Madras is that it is the perhaps oldest south Indian establishment in Mumbai and deserves the spot by virtue of its age, along with the incredible dosas they serve. If you’ve never had a dosa, you are in for a treat: imagine a pancake made of lentil and rice batter, fried paper thin and golden crispy.

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Located in Matunga, this is one of Mumbai's all time favourite cafe for a quick bite of vegetarian South Indian dishes. The great food here keeps the restaurant buzzing at all times of the day, especially early morning for their extensive breakfast menu. Their Idli Podi and Rasam Idli quite literally melt in your mouth while the popular Set Dosa, Raagi Masala Dosa, Persattu Dosa and Neer Dosa are all relished by the folks.

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This no-frills eatery offers an extensive selection of authentic South Indian dishes, including idli, uttapam, sambar, rasam, and biryani. However, it's their impressive variety of dosas that truly sets them apart. Must-try options include the Ragi Dosa, Nai Roast (mini paper dosa), Mysore Rava Dosa, Sada Dosa, Mysore Masala Dosa, Onion Mysore Rava Dosa, and Onion Uttapam.

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For those craving authentic South Indian fare in Mumbai, head to Cafe Madras in Matunga. From fluffy idlis and Vadas to crispy dosas, zesty uttapams, and rich curries, this eatery will satiate all your South Indian food cravings. Their signature dishes include the Butter Podi Dosa, Onion Rava Dosa, Medu Vada, and Filter Kaapi – a strong South Indian-style coffee.

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Established over eight decades ago, Cafe Madras in Matunga has become an iconic destination for South Indian delicacies. Known for introducing the Rasam Vada in 1960, this eatery continues to serve traditional dishes that resonate with both nostalgia and flavor. Don’t miss their signature dessert, the panpoli—a delightful blend of jaggery and banana.

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Cafe Madras has been up and running for more than 75 years at this point. And if there’s one thing that the loyal patrons have to say about it, it’s that the food still tastes the same way it used to back in the day. And that’s saying something in a day and age where food quality at restaurants keeps on deteriorating.

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One of the oldest restaurants in the city Cafe Madras serves you the best South Indian food you could ask for. Their service is fast, food is delicious and you almost always will wait for ten minutes to get a seat because it is that popular!. Remember to try their special neer dosa, raagi masala and idli butter podi.

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A Mumbai icon since 1940, Cafe Madras in Matunga is famous for serving authentic South Indian breakfast, especially its crispy dosas and refreshing filter coffee. The Podi Idli and Mysore Masala Dosa are particularly popular among regulars. Be prepared for a bit of a wait, but the food is well worth it.

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Cuisine: South Indian Area: Matunga East Categorized as one of Mumbai’s legendary restaurants, Café Madras truly has a legacy to boast of. The restaurant celebrated its 75th anniversary last year much to the delight of its regulars. Yes, the restaurant practically has a cult following in the city.

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With over 80 years of serving, this cafe is definitely a one stop destination for all south Indian food. If you are someone who loves having south Indian food for breakfast, this place is sure to tug at your heartstrings. We recommend you all to try their Idli podi along with filter coffee.

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कॅफे मद्रास हे माटुंग्यातील लोकप्रिय हॉटेल गेली अनेक वर्ष ग्राहकांच्या सेवेत तत्पर आहे. इथे तुम्ही इडली, डोसा, पायनॅपल शिरा, नीर डोसास, रसम वडा, फिल्टर कॉफी असे अनेक प्रसिद्ध साऊथ इंडियन पदार्थ मिळतात. इथलं वातावरण अतिशय शांत रम्य असून इथे आल्यावर तुमचा मूड नक्कीच चांगला होऊ शकतो.

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For some of Mumbai’s best dosas and fluffy idlis, visit Cafe Madras, which opened its doors in 1940. Paired alongside are coconut chutney and delightful sambar. The quaint and nostalgic eatery also brews its own filter coffee, ideal for a pick-me-up in the morning.

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A post shared by Amit Singh (@amitsingh_1512) on Jan 27, 2019 at 10:44am PST. The most celebrated one in the rundown for South Indian Dosa places in Mumbai. The notoriety of Café Madras can be seen by seeing the waiting list loaded up with the names.

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Beautiful in its simplicity, the butter idli here comes covered in coconut chutney and sprinkled with Cafe Madras’ seriously addictive malgapodi. Pair it with filter coffee or a serving of their peppery rassam for the perfect breakfast meal.

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The charm of Irani Cafe culture is very well loved in Mumbai. Kyani & Co. happens to be one of the oldest Irani food joints in Mumbai, that goes back to more than a century old. The place is not too fancy with a reasonably priced menu.

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Located in the King Circle, Cafe Madras is one of the best South Indian restaurants in Mumbai. If you are a South Indian food lover, you will love this place. A simple, sober and beautiful place with affordable and tasty food.

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