Elle Decor

October 2007 Intense heat followed by torrential monsoons that literally turn the streets into swirling rivers. Shocking overcrowding and extravagant bungalows. Devout monks and Bollywood glitz. Utter destitution and staggering wealth. The Indian city of Mumbai is a frenetic metropolis that embodies every modern contradiction---but the social restlessness and meteorological mood swings somehow work.

In case you’ve somehow missed the news flashes on the travel front, everyone who’s anyone is touching down at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport. British actress and Estee Lauder spokesmodel Elizabeth Hurley showed up here last spring to kick off the second leg of her transcontinental wedding to Arun Nayar, a software entrepreneur and heir to an Indian textile fortune. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and their children popped in a year ago when the actress was filming A Mighty Heart. Lured by a middle class made wealthy by the still-unabated manufacturing and technology boom---the Wall Street of India, Mumbai is the world’s tenth largest commercial center and the country’s financial engine--- Ferragamo and Versace opened shops here in 2006. This year, Gucci and Christian Dior have joined them in pursuit of the wallets of fashionable Mumbaikars, as the city’s 18 million residents are known. Megamalls have sprung up throughout the hip residential districts of South Mumbai, as well as deluxe northern suburbs like Juhu and Bandra, where the stars of Bollywood relax in sprawling pleasure domes. A frenzy of construction has resulted in a landscape that resembles a set from Blade Runner. Chic boutiques and restaurants are slotted amid colonial-era buildings and glass high-rises, though the march of progress has not changed one aspect of Mumbai---the beloved snack vendors known as chaat wallahs still rule the street corners, selling helpings of chaat, a tangy, fried tidbit splashed with cool yogurt.

Simply put, the teeming port that native son Rudyard Kipling described as the place where the smell of Asia begins is loud, overcrowded, and increasingly irresistible. In his new book, Sacred Games, author Vikram Chandra elegantly captures the nostalgia many NRIs (non-resident Indians) feel about Mumbai: “When you were far away from the jammed jumble of cars, and the thickets of slums, and the long loops of rail, and the swarms of people, and the radio music in the bazaars, you could ache for the city.”

For Suvir Saran, an executive chef of Manhattan’s Michelin-starred restaurant Devi, “Bombay is to India what New York City is to America,” using the British colonial name for this cacophonous spot near the center of India’s western coast. (In 1995, the Hindu nationalist party triumphed in local elections and swiftly reinstated the Marathi name Mumbai, which refers to Mumba, a Hindu goddess who was dear to fishermen and salt collectors.) Tarun Tahiliani, the undisputed star of the subcontinent’s fashion firmament---he has dressed the Indian film star Aishwarya Rai and gowned the trendsetting British heiress Jemima Khan---enthusiastically extols his boisterous hometown’s “great youthful energy, general lack of aggression, and really kind spirit.” Still, the fashion designer soberly adds, reality can bite. “The infrastructure and the services are appalling unless you are very wealthy.” Tahiliani says, “I grew up in Mumbai. I still love it, but after two days, I’m yearning for the green, tree-lined avenues of Delhi. Then I read Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found”—journalist and screenwriter Suketu Mehta’s award-winning 2004 portrait of the city—“and I fall in love with this place all over again.”

Mumbai is not a difficult city not to love, at least as far as India’s starry-eyed public is concerned. The capital of the state of Maharashtra and occupying the pointed end of heart-shaped Salsette Island, Mumbai is the home of the country’s film industry. Bollywood has played a leading role in popularizing Indian culture in the West—which, as a result, has increased the cachet of films in movie-mad India. Once-worn theaters are now outfitted with plush seating and fantastic light shows designed to get audiences revved for the featured production, typically a boy-meets-girl love story packed with marathon song-and-dance interludes and spangled costumes. “The movie theaters have become unbelievable,” says Payal Singhal, a popular bridal-gown designer who recently opened a shop in New York City. “They have reclining beds with seat service now, and I can order food and a blanket for $8 and have coffee and samosas delivered.”

Bollywood also has given the world a taste of Mumbai chic. Hotshot designers Ashish Soni, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, and Naeem Khan have turned heads at New York’s fashion week, following in the footsteps of established designers such as Malini Ramani, a purveyor of rock-star glamour and daughter of society queen Bina Ramani; Manish Arora, whose clients include Madonna and Nicole Kidman; and Manish Malhotra, a former Bollywood costume whiz who counts Sharon Stone among his admirers. Boutiques pepper the downtown business district, such as old-guard favorites Tarun Tahiliani and Abu-Sandeep, whose partners, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, are known for extravagant evening wear that has become a wardrobe hallmark of the Bachchans, a Bollywood dynasty which now includes Aishwarya Rai, who married actor Abhishek Bachchan in April. Mumbai’s prime fashion destination, however, is Kemps Corner, a high-traffic crossroads near the tony Malabar Hill neighborhood.

Before you jump into the next taxi, be forewarned: Don’t expect to find much restraint on the racks, fiscal or aesthetic. Like the city it graces, fashion here is all about flaunting it. In terms of personal wardrobes, the splendor of the maharajahs has never quite gone out of style. Colorful silk saris shimmer with Swarovski crystals, and after dark, every self-respecting Mumbai woman drapes herself in the fiery 22K-gold jewelry that is a cultural leitmotif. (Mumbaikars tend to strut their most opulent attire at weddings, which tend to incorporate marching bands, a groom seated on a white horse, and clangorous processions through the streets.) Whenever Naeem Khan’s in town, the Mumbai-raised, New York-based fashion designer can be found trolling through bolts of silk at Mangaldas fabric market—it’s near Crawford Market, a Victorian castlelike structure that has been renamed Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market—and Kala Niketan, which carries both modern and traditional fabrics.

If your interests lean more toward fine art than fashion, then head to the galleries that dot the artsy Kala Ghoda neighborhood in South Bombay—but be well aware that the demand for Indian art far exceeds the supply. According to Yamani Mehta, the head of modern and contemporary Indian art at Christie’s, the auction house’s sales of the genre skyrocketed from $15 million in 2005 to $42 million in 2006. One of the hottest names on the Indian art scene right now is Tyeb Mehta, a grand old Mumbai modernist whose work Mahisasura sold for $1.58 million at Christie’s in 2005, a record forcontemporary Indian art. Three other local names to remember are Subodh Gupta, Ravindra Reddy, and Atul Dodiya, who is a favorite of Naeem Khan. Gupta creates Duchampian readymades. Reddy combines pop and religious iconography into works that riff on temple idols. And Dodiya—who won accolades with a series of Mahatma Gandhi watercolors—combines everything from wooden cabinets to artificial limbs in a manner that seems to channel Joseph Beuys. Saryu Doshi, former director of the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai, says the subcontinental contemporary art market wasn’t always so buoyant. “I was considered crazy to be buying modern art in the 1970s and ‘80s,” says the elegant, sari-clad septuagenarian. Her passion for supporting emerging artists, however, has paid off. “In the past decade,” Doshi explains, “Dodiya’s prices have grown 100-fold.”

In contrast to Mumbai’s increasingly cosmopolitanism air are its food vendors. Whether you are rich or poor, wandering down the street with a fresh snack in hand is a way of life in this city. Literally thousands of men reign over steaming carats bursting with regional specialties that have been designed to be eaten on the run, from pav bhaji (mashed veggies with masala and a hunk of buttery, bun-like bread), vada pav (deep-fried potato fritters served in bread with chutney or chilies), and pani puri (puffed deep-fried golf ball-size puris filled with sprouted moong dal and a watery mix of onions and coriander leaves).

Make sure that aat least one gastronomic excursion is an evening at Girgaum Chowpatty, a beach along Marine Drive that bears a resemblance to Coney Island. Populated at night with snake charmers, the transgendered persons known as hijiras, and yogis midcontortion, the beach has drawn raves globally for its after-dark dining. Stalls at one end of the beach offer bhel puri, a traditional sweet-and-savory snack of puffed rice, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and chilies.

Frankly, food is one of Mumbai’s major draws, and the restaurant scene here is a celebration of regional diversity, with everything from Parsi to Goan to Frontier cuisine. When Floyd Cardoz, the executive chef of Tabla in New York, returns to his hometown, he always heads to Bade Miya kebab stand on Tulloch Road (it’s downtown, behind the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel) and Elco Pani Puri Centre, an hour’s drive north in Bandra. He also finds inspiration from all the new regional joints that have popped up since his last sojourn.

Most of the best restaurants are in and around South Bombay’s business district, tucked among microneighborhoods with evocative names such as Churchgate, Colaba, Apollo Bunder, and Cuffe Parade. According to Hemant Oberoi, the executive chef at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, the cuisine of the moment is that of Konkan, a relatively isolated coastal region known for its dramatic rocky landscape and reliance on coconuts and kokum fruit. He’s also fond of the lightly spiced seafood at Ankur as well as Mangalorean food, such as the prawn curry at Mahesh Lunch Home. But get him off the subject of fine dining and what impresses Oberoi about Mumbai is its resilience: “Even if there are riots or monsoon and flooding, it’s back to normal within 24 hours,” he says. “We are very bold. It’s the people which make the city.”

Essential Mumbai

Ferry out to Elephanta Caves. Locals love it for the breezy hour-long ferry ride, others for the series of 7th century sculptures carved into the caves on the hillsides around this monkey-populated island. Ferries run regularly from 9am-3:30pm from the Gateway of India, and back from noon to 6pm.

Take Tea at the Sea Lounge. Mumbai’s elite head here, to this sea-view cafe with big picture windows facing the water at the Taj Mahal hotel, for an elegant lunch or tea with a knock-ouot view of the Gateway of India. Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, 5665-3366.

Stroll Along the Queen’s Necklace. Walk the length of Marine Drive early evening, when the coastline is lit up like (the queen’s) jewels. Start at the Oberoi at Nariman’s Point and continue until you hit the crowds at Chowpatty Beach, and make sure you try some pistachio kulfi.

Eat at a chaat wallah’s street stall. Locals love their street food, whether it’s roasted and salted chana beans, pav bhaji (crusty bread with mashed veggies and tomatoes), toasties (stuffed masala-based sandwiches), and pani puri (deep-fried bread filled with sprouts, potatoes, and tamarind sauce). New York chef Floyd Cardoz loves the old standby kebab stall, Badimeyas, behind the Taj.

Go shoe shopping in Colaba. Fashionistas head to the Colaba district, behind the Taj, to replenish their stock of sandals, and so should you. They’re not Jimmy Choos, but for $100 you’ll leave with a handful of them well-heeled, strappy shoes, in tropical colors and studded with crystals and rhinestones.

Catch a Bollywood flick. The grand art deco Metro Cinema is where locals head for a Bollywood song-and-dance fix, though the new avatar of this red-carpet haunt is now a , jazzed-up multiplex. Warning: shows are in Hindi, sans subtitles, and often run three or four hours. M.G. Road, Dhobi Talao.

WHAT TO SEE

Mahalakshmi Racecourse (Royal Western India Turf Club), Keshavrao Khadye Marg, 2307-1401: From November through April, races take place mainly on Thursdays and Sundays.

Prince of Wales Museum, M.G. Rd., Fort: In a domed, early 20th century building built in Gothic and Moorish styles, this excellent museum contains ancient artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, Buddhist works, decorative art, ivorywork, metalware and jewelry, and a strong collection of Indian miniature paintings.

National Gallery of Modern Art, M.G. Rd., Fort, 2285-2457: Modern and contemporary Indian art in a Guggenheim-like circular building.

Kamala Nehru Park and Hanging Gardens, top of Malabar Hill: Leafy, terraced Kamala Nehru park looks out across the bay; across the street to the west is Hanging Gardens (Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens), a topiary garden that’s been a favorite among the city’s well-heeled families for over a century. It’s best in the evening, when breezes set in and the fountain gets lit up in different colors.

Malabar Hill Jain temple, Ridge Rd.: This two-story marble temple, built in 1904, is flanked by two stone elephants in front, and colorfully decorated with frescoes depicting the lives of Jain saints, as well as some Hindu gods.

Crawford Market (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market), Lokmanya Tilak and Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji Rds.: A sprawling, covered fruit and vegetable market dating to 1869 in the center of the business district. You’ll also find everything from suitcases to caged chickens. Taj chef Hemant Oberoi brought culinary icon Jean-Georges here when he came to visit.

Bombay Cricket Association, Wankhede Stadium, D. Rd., Churchgate, 2281-9910: Cricket matches take place from late fall to early spring; crowds are huge.

Jehangir Art Gallery, M.G. Rd., Khala Goda, 2283-3640: Mumbai’s most prestigious, Jehangir, open since 1952, has four exhibition halls to display the top modern and contemporary artists. Its Café Samovar is a favorite haunt of artists and locals who love the aloo parathas and guava juice.

Cymroza Art Gallery, 72 Bhulabhai Desai Rd., 2367-1983, cymroza.com: Open since 1971, Cymroza has sponsored several generations of artists and specializes in lithography, graphics, and etchings, though they’ve shown everything from oils to ceramics, sculpture, photography, and cartoons.

Pundole, 369 Dadabhai Naoraji Rd., 2284-1837: Open since 1963 by Kali Pundole, and now run by her son Dadiba, Pundole maintains a stable of artists.

Saffron Art Gallery, Industry Manor, 3rd Floor, Prabhadevi, 2436-4113, saffronart.com: This high-powered gallery and online auction house is a comprehensive resource, and online, they dominate over the big Western auction houses—a Dec 06 auction earned $15.3 million.

Sakshi Gallery, Synergy Art Foundation, Tanna House, Grd Flr, 11-A Nathalal Parekh Marg, near Regal Cinema, Colaba, 6610-3424, sakshigallery.com: Since 1984, this gallery has represented everyone from old faves Husain and Souza to pop-inspired artists like Ravinder Reddy.

Tao Art Gallery, Sarjan Plaza, 100 Dr. Annie Besant Rd., Worli, 2491-8585, taoartgallery.com: Since 2000, this gallery is housed in a modern architectural atrium in a commercial building.

Gallery Chemould, 1st Floor Jehangir Art Gallery, 2284-4356, gallerychemould.com: A more experimental gallery, since 1963 showcasing the leaders of modern Indian art, Chemould runs funky installations and supports big shots like Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar and Jitish Kallat (who distorts and enlarges photos, then paints on them), as well as video and folk art.

Art Musings, No.1 Admiratly Building, Opp. Dunnes School, Colaba Cross Lane, Colaba, 2218-2345: Owner Shanti Chopra opened this gallery in 1999 and quickly rose through the ranks, showing Angolie Ela Menon, Sakti Burman, and S.H. Raza, to become a prominent art dealer.

WHERE TO STAY

Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, Gateway of India, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, 5665-3366, tajhotels.com: Aishwarya Rai and most other notables prefer this Raj-style 1903 palace and modernist tower, with 565 rooms, a gorgeous cantilever stairway, a swanky-eclectic heritage wing decorated with serious art and artifacts, sea views, a huge pool in the center courtyard, and a slew of high-profile restaurants. Superior city-view rooms start at $385.

Taj President, 90 Cuffe Parade, 5665-0808, tajhotels.com: The 292 room in the high-rise near the harbor start at $330, and you get proximity to the stellar Konkan Café, with its fabulous Mangalorean seafood.

The Oberoi, Nariman Point, 800-562-3764 or 6632-5757, oberoihotels.com: Ranked as one of the best business hotels in Asia, the glitzy, 333-room business hotel overlooks the Arabian Sea and Queen’s necklace, so it’s no wonder Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, and other mover-shakers love it. Rooms have giant picture windows, and there’s an excellent shopping gallery below. Standard double rooms start at $450. oberoihotels.com

InterContinental Marine Drive, 135 Marine Dr., 3987-9999, intercontinental.com: This 59-room boutique-style contemporary hotel, with a rooftop lounge and pool, is right on the Queen’s Necklace (Marine Dr.), with spectacular views of the Arabian Sea. Suites start at $400.

WHERE TO EAT

Oh! Calcutta, Hotel Rosewood, Tulsiwadi La, Tardeo, 2496-3114: Revelatory Bengeali food in a sleekly elegant space. Everything is about mustard---mustard oil-marinated hilsa fish, potatoes with mustard seeds, cholar dal---and it’s all first-rate.

Trishna Birla Mansion, Sai Baba Marg, Fort, 2270-3213: Naeem Khan loves it for its “amazing” crab, as did New York Times’ R.W. Apple, who called it one of his best meals in the world. Chef Ravi Anchan’s top choices: Hyderabadi pomfret, squid chili garlic, sukha prawns in Mangalorean masala.

Chowpatty Beach food stalls: Best bhel puri experience in town, and the city’s most popular beach. Good in late afternoon/early evening, when it gets packed with locals eating kulfi, paan, and other snacks.

Chef Studio, Taj Mahal Palace & Tower: In December 2006 Executive Chef Hemant Oberoi created a dining space for six-person private parties. Diners get private access to two chefs—from the Zodiac Grill and Morimoto’s Wasabi—who cook for guests via a live video-audio hookup to the kitchen. When Angelina Jolie and Bratt Pitt indulged, Pitt, upon eating their ravioli with truffles, exclaimed, “Oh, chef, you made my day.”

Swati Snacks, 248 Karai Estate, Tardeo Rd., 6580-8405, swatisnacks@rediffmail.com: This much-loved Gujarati joint with punched-metal booths serves hands down the best meal in Bombay. The specialty is panki chatni, rice flour with turmeric, steamed inside banana leaves and served with coriander chutney. Other must-eats: baked masala khichdi (rice, moong dal, black-eyed beans, onions, and tomatoes, with a kick of heat and topped with fried onions and baked cheese), rava masala dosa, pav bhaji, sev puri topped with chick peas, and custard apple (sitafal) or roasted almond ice-cream.

Olive Bar & Kitchen: 14 Union Park, Khar, 2605-8228: Bollywood hangout in North Bombay’s exclusive Palli Hill suburb, at its trendiest and packed with movie stars and models on Thursday club night.

Indigo, 4 Mandlik Rd., Colaba Causeway, 2285-6316: The South Bombay haunt of the well-heeled and the glitterati craving excellent renditions of Nouveau Western cuisine, in a minimalist-chic setting.

Indigo Delicatessen, 5 Ground floor Pheroze Bldg, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharshi Marg, Apollo Bunder, 6655-1010, indigodeli.com: An offshoot of the original with good Western comfort food and thin-crust pizza, and good desserts, in a contemporary, high-ceilinged space.

Bachelors Ice Cream & Juice Stall, 45 Sattar Sea View, 2368-8107, Marine Dr., Chowpatty Beach: Famous for its chili, chickoo, and other homemade ice-creams. NY chef Suvir Saran loves the idlys and coconut chutney.

Café Mondegar, Metro House, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba Causeway, 2202-0591: Packed with artists and writers, and festooned with cartoons of Bombay by Goan cartoonist Mario Miranda, this café is a good drinking spot and place to unwind.

Moti Mahal Delux, 102 Level 1
CR2 Mall (Inox),
Nariman Point, 5654-6434 or 6454: The butter chicken here satisfied notables like Bill Clinton, Indira Gandhi, Nehru, the Kennedy’s, the Dalai Lama, and the Shah of Iran. Also good bets: keema bindi (minced lamb), and Afghani chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices and bbq’d in a clay oven.

Khyber, 145 M.G. Rd., Khala Goda, 2267-3227, khyberrestaurant.com: Richard Gere and Goldie Hawn visit whenever they’re in town for the excellent frontier food, the scene, and the murals painted by India’s brightest: Angolie Ela Menon and M. F. Husain.

Jimmy Boy, 11 Bank St., Churchgate, 2270-0880: Chef Floyd Cardoz at New York’s Tabla calls this old-time Parsi joint “awesome,” especially patrani machi (fish steamed in banana leaf, topped with coconut chutney), lamb with shoestring potatoes and apricots, deep-fried and spiced chicken farcha, lagano custard, dansak meat in a sweet and sour lentil-based gravy.

Konkan Café, Taj President, 90 Cuffe Parade: Ananda Solomon’s coastal, or Mangalorean, cuisine, which involves different preparations of seafood, is stellar, especially the “amazing” sautéed shrimp with mango in a curry, says Floyd Cardoz.

WHERE TO SHOP

Amrapali Jewels, Shop #62 Oberoi Shopping Center at Oberoi Nariman Pt., 2284-3687, amrapalijewels.com: This local showroom of the Jaipur jewelry house (with 750 goldsmiths) sells handcrafted traditional and contemporary gold, ethnic, and Victorian designs, from kundan and enamel work to rose cut diamonds, basra pearls, and Burmese rubies. White and red metals and gold are key for 2007. They designed original Greek-style medallions for Brad Pitt in Troy; Naomi Campbell, Padma Laxmi, Tim Allen, Ali McGraw, and Bill Clinton have pieces from Amrapali.

Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri & Sons, Hermes House, New Queen’s Rd., Opera House, 2363-3060: Since 1864, this stalwart luxe-superstore has been selling gold and diamonds to Bombay’s elite. You can find 24-karat decorative gold stud earrings for under $200, and richly embellished, heavy gold choker and earring sets for significantly more.

Ensemble, White Hall, Ground Floor, West Wing, 143, August Kranti Marg, Kemps Corner, 2367-2416 or 2367-2418 (original location, Greater Western Bldg., 130/132 Shahid Bhagat Singh Rd., 2284-3227): Architect Bijoy Jain has created a stark, slick look for the newest location of Bombay’s oldest, swankiest multi-designer boutique, owned by Tarun Tahiliani; this Kemps corner location opened January 2007. Hot designers include Vineet Bahl, Pankaj Ahuja, Sangita, and the very haute Hemant-Lecoanet, as well as Surily Goel, Anamika Khanna, and Sabyasachi Mukherjee, and old faves Manish Malhotra, Monisha Jaising, Tahiliani and Rohit Bal.

Melange, 33 Altamount Rd., Kemps Corner, 2353-4492, melangeworld.com: Twelve years ago, Sangita Kathiwada’s multi-designer boutique ushered in the first wave of fusion wear. Top designers include Rathore, Aki Narula, Raj Shroff & Neetu Gupta’s Ravâge Classic, Rohit Bal, and up-and-coming Tarpana---from couture to casual, plus ornately beaded clutches and stoles.

Poonam Soni, Altamount Rd., Rajmahal Building, 6664-2111, poonamsoni.com: Niche, red-carpet pieces by one of the leaders in Indo-Western jewelry design in a new winter 2006 showroom designed by film star Twinkle Khana. Dazzling custom pieces are accented with textures like crushed or carved gold, and embellished with compressed gems and diamonds. By appointment only.

Falguni Mehta, 9 Meera, 2nd floor, 18 L.D. Ruparel Marg, Malabar Hill, 2362-8817 or cell 98200-50007: This fabulous upstart designer sells eclectic one-of-a-kind pieces from her home to industrials and wealthy society types. Prices start around $800 for pieces studded with uncut diamonds, showers of pearls, gem stones, and mina enamel work.

Phillips Antiques, opposite Regal Cinema, Museum, 2202-0564, phillipsantiques.com: Owner Farook Issa stocks fine colonial and ethnic antiques, lamps, Victorian glass, pottery, brass instruments, engravings, and maps. Celebs and the couture set (Tarun Tahiliani), and Bombay’s privileged all shop here.

Amara, Kemps Blvd 1-3-5, Kemps Corner, 2387-2537: A second-story 4,500-sq-ft shop, opened in 2006, showcases the glitziest couture, bridal, and prêt wear by Shahab Durazi, Wendell Rodricks, Rathore, Malini Ramani, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Nisha Jambal, Nakul Sen, and Gaurav Gupta.

Payal Singhal, Shop #3, Raj Mahal, 33 Altamount Rd., 2386-9139, payalsinghal.com: This up-and-coming designer opened her own store in fall 06, showcasing eveningwear and prêt.

Aza, 21 Altamount Rd., 2353-0212, azafashions.com: In this brand new, sprawling and glittery space are clothes by Rocky S, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rohit Bal, Seema Khan, Neeta Lulla, Anamika Khanna, and Manish Malhotra, plus casual beaded tanks and jeans with sequins and appliqué.

Ravissant, New India Centre, 17A Cooperage Rd., 2287-3405, ravissant.in: The large, 3,500-sq-ft new-for-2005 location specializes in silver accessories, jewelry, goblets, and tea sets; the silver collections are designed by European goldsmiths. (36 Abhay Chambers, 131 August Kranti Marg, Kemps Corner, 2368-4934)

Soma Shop, A-2 Amarchand Mansion, 16 Madam Cama Rd., Colaba, 2282-6050, somashop.com: Stock up on tablecloths, quilts, bedspreads, and jazzy bags at this new store featuring floral or sequined Rajasthani block-print furnishings, all stamped and dyed by hand.

Chunilal Mulchand & Co, Indian Mercantile Mansion, Madame Cama Rd., Museum, 2202-0494: Open since 1925, this haberdashery shop is the place to come for expert upholstery, bedcovers, sheets, linens, and curtains. From several hundred to 1,000 Rs. Per meter.

Fab India, 137 Jeroo Building, M.G. Rd., Kala Ghoda, 2262-6539, fabindia.com: Affordable and contemporary styles in home linens and textiles using natural fibers of every color and texture---silk or cotton shirts and tunics for men, women and children. Great for gifts. They source from 8000 artisans across the country. New to the line are organic food and bodycare products.

Chimanlals, A-2 Taj Building, 210 D.N. Rd., Fort, 2077717: Handmade, artisanal stationary and paper products with Indian motifs (the Hindi script, epic tales, silk brocade borders), using eco-friendly paper and dyes.

Chor Bazaar: Trek through the swampy, odor-intense alleys of the Muslim bazaar centered around Mutton Street for antiques, car parts, furniture, and bric a brac. Start the bargaining at 60% below what’s quoted. Old Gold Film Set Decorators, 59 Mutton St., has century-old green glass chandeliers.

Be:, Kemps Corner, next to Chinese Room, 2382-5621, beonline.co.in: Open five years, this funky designer shop with ethnic separates may be the best deal in town for striking cuts and colors: crushed silk tops, raw-edged or cut-out linen kurtas, embellished panel or gypsy skirts, and dresses with brocade appliqué. Best bets: Rohit Bal and Priyadarshani Rao.

Kala Niketan, 95 Queen’s Rd., Marine Lines, 2200-5001: Textiles in every color combination and fabric, plus expert service, plus some couture wear. Think up a design; tailor Chandrikant can stitch almost anything. It’s designer Payal Singhal’s “all-time fave, with amazing new, trendy, and traditional fabrics.”

Kimaya, 2 Asha Colony, Juhu Tara Rd., 2660-5575, kimayastudio.com: If you’re in north Bombay, Kimaya’s glitzy 7,500-sq-ft store stocks 75 designers, from old-school Tahiliani, JJ Valaya, Rajesh Pratap Singh, and Rohit Bal to the playful Sabyasachi and Malini Ramani, Anshu Arora Sen.

Rajesh Pratap Singh, Store #11, Courtyard mall, 41/44 Minoo Desai Marg, Colaba, 5638-5480, pratap.ws: India’s foremost menswear designer has immaculately cut, handmade men’s shirts, with obsessive attention to shape, fabric, and detailing Naeem Khan calls him “amazing, brilliant, and talented.”

Azeem Khan Couture, 1 Usha Sadan, Colaba, 2215-1028, azeemkhan.com: Funky boutique with chic, ultra-feminine dresses by one of Bombay’s top designers---he made garments for Sharon Stone, Naomi Campbell, Hillary Clinton, Demi Moore, and Liza Minneli.

Duvet By Rocky S, F8 (B), The Grand Hyatt Plaza, Santacruz (East), 6451-9441, duvethome.com: Star designer Rocky S opened his home shop in Nov 06—the first Indian designer to do so—with luxurious limited-edition textiles. The duvets, cushions, towels, linens, throws, and curtains tend to sport intricate detailing and classic hues.

Bungalow Eight, Wankhede Stadium, North Stand, E-F Block, D Rd., Churchgate, 2281-9880, bungaloweight.com: Originally opened in 2003 by Maithili Ahluwalia, this home décor store has moved into a 4,000-sq-ft space, designed like an artsy loft, and features young, cutting-edge designers. Products are global and eclectic: glassware, shapely vases, lacquerware, and bathroom accessories from Jaisalmer.

Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills, Raghuvanshi Mansion, Lower Parel, 2495-1954, goodearthindia.com: Contemporary furnishings and accessories, and the Bombay Project, a home collection launched in January 2007, which showcases Indo pop-art pillows and special edition kites designed by Krsna Mehta and Sangita Jindal.

Manish Malhotra, 14th Road, Corner of Linking Road, Vishnu Dham Building, Shop 4/5, opposite Rajkumar Jewellers, 2605-0724, manishmalhotra.in: This Bollywood designer opened his flagship store in December 2006.

Shrujan, Saagar Villa, 38 Bhulabahi Desai Rd., opposite Navroz apt, 2352-1693, shrujan.org: Founder Chandra Shroff won a Rolex Award in 2006 for revitalizing the art of Kutch embroidery and silks, here in modern designs for unique cushion covers, handbags, and shawls.

Indian Textiles, Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, 2202-8783 or 2204-9278: High-end Pashmina shawls and Benarasi silks.