Colaba Causeway

कुलाबा कॉजवे

A shopping and coffee street in south Mumbai, with roadside stalls selling jewelry and clothing, flanked by century-old institutions such as Leopold Cafe and Cafe Mondegar.

Colaba Causeway (officially Shahid Bhagat Singh Road) is a commercial street that evolved from a causeway built in 1838 to connect Colaba Island to the main island of Mumbai. It runs south for about 1.5 km from near the Gateway of India. The sidewalks are crowded with stalls selling bangles, silver jewelry, printed fabrics, leather bags, spices and imitation antiques. You can bargain prices down to less than half the asking price. Under the arcades on either side are Leopold Cafe, opened in 1871 (the site of a 2008 terrorist attack, with bullet holes still visible on the walls), Cafe Mondegar (known for its Mumbai-themed murals), long-established shops selling handmade leather shoes and cashmere shawls, and government craft stores such as Cottage Industries, where prices are fixed, suitable for those who prefer not to bargain. In the lanes behind the causeway are old cafes run by Parsis and the Knesset Eliyahoo synagogue, with its blue facade.

Admission is free. Shops open about 10:00 to 22:00, and vendors are at their busiest in the evening.

Tips: Combine the Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS, open daily 10:15–18:00 except Monday, 700 rupees for foreigners, with Indus Valley civilization artifacts and Mughal miniature paintings) into a half-day route. Ordering a beer at Leopold or Mondegar and a plate of chicken fried rice is a backpacker tradition.

Notes: Vendors inflate their prices, so browse several stalls before buying. Watch for pickpockets in crowds. Do not buy counterfeit brand-name goods.

Colaba Causeway

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby