Nightlife in Mumbai

Bars, Pubs, and Lounges

Since so much of Mumbai revolves around Bollywood, the most popular nightspots and watering holes are the ones with the most tinsel-town stars in attendance. The majority of the best bars and pubs are tucked away inside five star properties, mainly in the chic suburbs of Juhu and Bandra.  Pubs open either in the afternoon or around 7 in the evening.  Ask your hotel concierge for details on the hippest lounges and bars in town – new ones are anointed regularly.

Dance and Night Clubs

As the financial, commercial, and film capital of India, Mumbai has some of the best night clubs in the country. There are dozens of clubs that cater to the rich, trendy, and Bollywood folks, and some of them compare quite favorably with the most fashionable nightspots in New York or London. As with the city’s bars, many of the party spots are cocooned within the confines of luxury hotels.  Closing times vary – there are the official closing hours enforced by law, and then there are the unofficial hours which last longer.  Clubs in hotels stay open till 3 am.  Many clubs have a “couples” only policy – single men are either not allowed or charged a separate fee.  The recent popularity of suburbs like Colaba has led to an exodus of quite a few of Mumbai’s paparazzi magnets further south to the fresher party scene there.  The selection of music ranges from the usual Western chartbusters to remixed Bollywood tunes.  In recent years, Bollywood has seen a resurgence of popularity among India’s young and trendy, and this is all too clear at Mumbai’s hotspots where the Armani-clad and the diamond-drenched swing away to choreographed moves while mouthing the words to songs from the latest hit flick. Drinks at the swankiest clubs can be a tad pricey – make like the locals and down a few before heading to a club later in the night.