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A Taste of Mumbai on Maddox Street
Written by Martin Seymour | Editor, The Mayfair Foodie | About Me
I would like to set the scene. Can I take you back to February 5th, 2026? London had seen rain every day so far this year, and the evening of the 5th was no different – in fact, it was hammering down (I had to refrain from using another adjective). Not the day for travelling into London, let alone leaving the house. However, what came next raised the spirits to such a level that I would do it again in monsoon conditions. So what changed our mood on this soggy evening? Quite simply, a visit to Bombay Bustle.
Bombay Bustle is an Indian restaurant on Maddox Street, just off Regent Street. It opened in 2017, and I’m instantly regretting that I had wasted nine years, as this was my first visit.
1 First Impressions
After trying to squeeze into a local hostelry for a pre-dinner drink – I say squeeze as early Thursday evenings the pubs in London are full of after-work drinkers; it’s actually called Thirsty Thursday in these parts – the pub was packed. Entering Bombay Bustle was actually the complete opposite of what its name suggests; it was calm, peaceful, and welcoming.
The first thing that strikes you on entering Bombay Bustle is the décor. The restaurant has two distinct dining areas: The Carriage, inspired by a traditional first-class railway coach with booths, pewter dining bar, pale green leather seating, and terrazzo flooring. This was where we were sat. It does a good job of making you feel that you are in a large, luxurious railway carriage.
The second section is The Dining Room – an Art Deco aesthetic with pink clay plaster walls and bottle green and candy pink leather upholstery.
We were told by the GM that the décor was inspired by the incredible story of dabbawalas – the delivery people who transported home-cooked lunches to workers across Bombay via the train system. I’ve actually put the full story of dabbawalas after the review; it is fascinating how the operation was run with such accuracy and precision, pre-computers.
2 Cocktails
Anyhow, on to our meal. While we took time to digest the menu, we decided our task would be to be helped with a drink, and we looked no further than the cocktail menu. My guest and friend went for a Bombay Spice: Whisky, Spiced Rum, Red Port Wine, Angostura Bitters, and Orange Bitters. The whisky arrived in a pewter hip flask. Continuing the Bombay theme, I went for a Pear of Bombay: Absolut Vodka, Passion Fruit Chutney, and Passion Fruit Juice. Mine had a nice warming kick, as I’m told did the Bombay Spice.
3 The Menu
The menu in layout is slightly different from a regular Indian restaurant and features dishes inspired by street food in Bombay, along with other regional classics. In that sense, it is closer to traditional Indian food, whereas most Indian restaurants cater for more Western tastes. One example is Chicken Tikka Masala, which was created by an Indian chef at a restaurant in Glasgow.
So, looking at the menu, the first two sections are starters, with a selection of small plates and dishes cooked in the tandoor. They also have a selection of seasonal options. The next section is the mains, with twelve curries and signature biryanis, plus side options. I think I’m correct in saying that it is more of a sharing menu, and that way you do get a chance to enjoy more dishes.
4 Our Starters
I think we all love starters, partly because your hunger is at its peak and they are often the most difficult to choose. As I mentioned, we are sharing starters, so we went with three small plates. First up, a trio of mini dosa aloo masala. I love a dosa, and these mini dosas worked so well as a small plate. A dosa is a wafer-thin pancake usually filled with a spicy potato filling. Light and perfect to kick things off. Next up was Rarah Keema Pao – this was a stunning dish, a fragrant lamb mince served with brioche buns and an onion salad. We moved down to Kerala for our third small plate: Adipoli Prawns, beautifully cooked prawns with a spicy kick. The spice creeps up on you with these tasty morsels. Our final plate came from the tandoor section – three Achari Lamb Chops, described by my guest as the best lamb chops he had ever tasted. Yes, they were that good. We needed a break after a quartet of loveliness. I think you can tell all four were incredibly good.
5 Mains
Time to choose our mains, and from the recommendation from our waiter, we decided on a signature Dum Lamb Biryani: slow-cooked lamb in classic biryani rice served with a boiled egg. And the final savoury dish was new to us – Tawa Crab. The simple description of Devon Crab Meat, Chilli, Tomato, and White Onion does not do the dish justice. The sauce was packed with intense flavour. Give me a bowl of the sauce with the flatbread that accompanied the dish, and I’m a very happy man.
I always think biryani is a dish that defines an Indian restaurant – notoriously difficult to get right. Well, this was perfect. The rice was light and fluffy, add to that a slow-cooked spiced lamb. The biryani was served as tradition dictates, with a boiled egg; it was very good, which came as no surprise because of the quality of the dishes that preceded it.
6 Dessert
If this is the first time reading one of my reviews, you might be surprised that we shared a dessert. Not because we don’t have a sweet tooth, but it’s just that after all these years, I still get over-excited about going to a restaurant and eat far too much. I secretly hope that excitement never leaves me, but it would be nice to save room for a dessert each. However, the good news is it was a cracker. It was a Rose Saffron Falooda – even my pictures make it look appealing. As you can probably tell, it was served in layers: cold kulfi, creamy milk, slippery noodles, and aromatic rose and saffron throughout.
Conclusion
It was time to take our leave from Bombay Bustle. Sadly, it was still raining; however, somehow the rain did not matter now. Our visit and experience at Bombay Bustle had given us a warm glow inside that comes from a great dining experience. Based on the quality of food, service (a big thanks to Balaji and the team that looked after us), and that stunning interior, I would absolutely recommend Bombay Bustle – and I’ll certainly be back to explore more of that menu.
7 Getting to Bombay Bustle in Mayfair
Bombay Bustle is located at 29 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2PA, just off the southern end of Regent Street. The restaurant sits between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, making it supremely accessible from anywhere in central London. The nearest Underground station is Oxford Circus (Central, Bakerloo, and Victoria lines), less than a 5-minute walk away. Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines) is also within easy walking distance, about 7 minutes south.
9 The Dabbawala System – A Remarkable Story
Well, dear reader, I promised you the full story of Mumbai’s dabbawalas, and what a story it is. This remarkable lunch delivery system has been operating since the late 19th century and is, quite frankly, one of the most impressive feats of logistics you’ll ever encounter – and all without computers.
The system works like this: every morning, thousands of dabbawalas (literally “box carriers”) collect freshly cooked lunches from homes across Mumbai. These meals, prepared by wives and mothers, are packed into cylindrical aluminium tiffin boxes. The dabbawalas then navigate Mumbai’s chaotic streets and crowded trains, delivering these lunches to office workers across the city – and here’s the remarkable part – they get them to the right person, at the right desk, at lunchtime. After lunch, the empty tiffins are collected and returned home. All this happens six days a week, come rain or shine (and believe me, Mumbai’s monsoons make London’s drizzle look tame).
What makes this system truly extraordinary is its accuracy. With over 200,000 lunch boxes delivered daily, Harvard Business School studied the dabbawalas and awarded them a Six Sigma efficiency rating – that’s fewer than 3.4 errors per million deliveries, consider that as you wait for another late delivery. This level of precision is achieved through a colour-coding system on the tiffin boxes that indicates collection points, destinations, and even which dabbawala is responsible for each leg of the journey. Each dabbawala memorises their routes and relies on this simple yet ingenious coding system.
The organisation is a cooperative, where every dabbawala is an equal stakeholder earning roughly the same wage. There’s no hierarchy beyond team leaders, and the system runs on trust, dedication, and an almost military-like punctuality. Prince Charles visited them. Richard Branson expressed admiration for their efficiency. Yet these men, many with limited formal education, have built something that puts modern tech companies to shame.
It’s this incredible story that i found so fascinating – of precision, dedication, and the daily journey of a home-cooked meal travelling across Mumbai by train – that inspired the beautiful railway carriage décor at Bombay Bustle. It’s a fitting tribute to a system that represents the heart of Mumbai: hardworking, efficient, and always delivering.
