Mumbai Food: Enjoy booze with value-for-money chakna at these places

The poppadom showAsk any Mumbaikar to name a popular dive bar and Gokul and Yacht would be two of the most common recommendations But a notsorarefind in Parel is Madira It pulls in crowds from nearby ad agencies The waiters will go the extra mile to make their women patrons comfortable With the fare being extremely pocket friendly call for their masala papad 30 or our favourite the fried chana garlic 60 If you are on a really low budget they even serve fryum packets 15 with fresh coriander chutneyTime 1030 am to 245 pm and 7 pm to 1215 amAt Dr E Borges Road ParelCall 24100030Shroom timeThere are two reasons why we love going to Colaba Causeway on any given day mdash great budget fashion finds followed by a pitcher of beer at Cafe Mondegar On their menu you will find simple chakna options such as wafers masala papad and boiled eggs but their bestsellers are garlic toast cheese chilli toast and cheeseballs that remain one of the tastiest we have had in Mumbai If you are looking for something different try their garlic mushrooms 290 served with tartare sauce Similar to the prep for fish fries available across city eateries Mondyrsquos makes it crisp to perfectionTime 730 am to 1130 pmAt Metro House near Regal Cinema ColabaCall 22020591Chatpat jhatpatMuch before Kamala Mills and Todi Mills turned into restaurant hotspots Ambience Bar amp Kitchen was a saviour for the many media and corporate professionals looking for affordable alcohol post work in Lower Parel With time Ambience revamped its interiors and menu serving dishes such as bacon wrapped prawns But classic chakna items like chakli with schezuan sauce are still served Our pick is the chana chaat 120 a warm chaat sauteed with fresh onions masala and limeTime 1130 am to 12 amAt Senapati Bapat Road Lower ParelCall 30151986Military ruleIrani cafeacutes in the city are known for their mawa cakes cutlets chai and bhurji pav But Cafe Military in Fort serves beer too In operation for over 70 years it is known for its Parsi fare Walk in on any day to find it filled with lawyers on a lunch break or local businessmen looking for a quick pocketfriendly meal Being a non fussy place you can either call for bhurji pav with your beer or just plain boiled eggs 40 They also serve packets of peanuts chana and moong dal 20 chakli 40 and dal bhel 60 to munch along with beerTime 830 am to 930 pmAt Ali Chamber Tamarind Lane FortCall 22654181Free dealWith its black light and graffiti walls The Ghetto has generated a cult following Playing a game of pool with chilled beer and groovy music is a complete package The highlight though is the free popcornTime 7 pm to 130 amAt Bhulabhai Desai Road Breach CandyCall 23538418Peoplersquos choiceldquoWhen in doubt head to Janatardquo is the motto many women follow for cheap drinks in the burbs Try their green peas butter garlic fry 160 and wash it down with beer They also offer chicken chinese bhelTime 12 pm to 1 amAt Pali Naka Bandra WestCall 9920068761Shady does itOne of the many dive bars in Andheri Adarsh is a place you go to down a few rounds of daaru paired with crispy corn or mixed pakodas 160 or just ask for chakli with sauceTime 1030 am to 1 amAt Link Road Adarsh Nagar Lokhandwala Andheri WestCall 26736373Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates