Give VIP business guests a taste of Mumbai

You are a week away from closing a huge deal with a foreign partner and you want to make a proper impression. You've done your homework and the presentations are made, now all that's left is to really do some serious entertaining.

So, do you have any clue where to take them for a really good meal or a night of dancing, in Mumbai? This city is sprouting new restaurants and nightclubs like weeds, so we will do moneycontrol readers a favour, by narrowing down the best restaurants, bistros, nightclubs and patisseries in Mumbai for them. The food in these places is pricey and the ambience stylish, and all that adds up to a hefty bill. So don't say, we didn't warn you!

But, if you are playing in the big league, what's a few thousand bucks mean to you anyway. And if you are wrapping up a deal, that will surely impress your boss, then he/she won't mind you putting it on the company's expense account!

Or you just want to make an intimate, private moment very memorable. So go ahead and do it in a style that will be remembered, for some time to come. Go ahead and indulge...

Here's a guide to fine dining in Mumbai. We give you a category-wise break-up of the best in the business. Here they are:

Best Western/European restaurants in hotels
M at Grand Hyatt
Trendz at Intercontinental The Grand
West View at ITC, Grand Maratha
Zodiac Grill at The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower

Best Western/European standalone restaurants
Bohemia
Indigo
Moshe's
Monza
Olive Bar & Kitchen
Rain Bar & Eatery
Shatranj Napoli

Best Italian restaurants in hotels
Celini at Grand Hyatt
Corleone at Intercontinental
Mezzo, Mezzo at JW Marriott
Stax at Hyatt Regency
Trattoria at Taj President
Vetro at The Oberoi

Best Italian standalone restaurants
Casa Linga
Don Giovanni
Little Italy
Mangi Ferra
Pizza Express
Santino's
Spaghetti Kitchen

Best Chinese restaurants in hotels
Emperor's Court at Renaissance Hotel and Convention Centre
Golden Dragon at The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Imperial China at Le Royal Meridien
Ming Yang at Taj Lands End
Sampan at Holiday Inn
Shanghai Club at ITC Grand Central
The Oriental Blossom at Hotel Marine Plaza
The Great Wall at The Leela Kempinski

Best Chinese standalone restaurants
China Gate
Chinese Palace
Henry Tham's
Ling's Pavilion
Mainland China
Royal China
5 Spice

Best Pan Asian Hotel in hotels
All Stir Fry at Gordon House
India Jones at Hilton Towers
Pan Asian at ITC Grand Maratha
Spices at JW Marriott
Woks at the Intercontinental, The Grand
Far East at Rodas Ecotel

Best Pan Asian standalone restaurants
Asia Wok
Busaba
Joss
Seijo & The Soul Dish
Sidewok
Temple Flower
Tian

Best Lunch Buffet
Bay View at Hotel Marine Plaza
Brasserie at Le Royal Meridien
Citrus at The Leela Kempinski
Frangipani at Hilton Towers
Lotus Cafe at JW Marriott
Peshwa Pavilion at ITC Grand Maratha
The Glasshouse at the Hyatt Regency

Best Sunday Brunch
Citrus at The Leela Kempinski
Hornby's Pavilion at ITC Grand Central
Indigo
Lotus Cafe at JW Marriott
M at Grand Hyatt
Olive Bar & Kitchen
Trattoria at Taj President
Vista at Taj Lands End

Best Coffee Shop/All-day dining places
Brasserie at Le Royal Meridien
Citrus at The Leela Kempinski
Frangipani at Hilton Towers
Glasshouse at Hyatt Regency
Lake View Cafe at Renaissance Hotel
Lotus Cafe at JW Marriott
Trattoria at Taj President
Vista at Taj Lands End

Best Nightclubs
Enigma at JW Marriott
Insomnia at The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Lush at Phoenix Mills
Polly Esther at Gordon House
Ra at Phoenix Mills
Rock Bottom at Ramee Guestline
Squeeze
Quilla

Best Patisserie
Bombay Baking Company at JW Marriott
Gourmet Store at Grand Hyatt
Grand Delicatessen at Intercontinental, The Grand
Indigo Deli
La Patisserie at The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Sugar & Spice at Taj President
The Gourmet Shoppe at The Oberoi
Theobroma
Desserts R Us
Gaylord
Ovenfresh
Churchill
Birdy's

Now for a taste of India and some authentic Indian cooking, short of taking your very important guests home, these are some of the places, you might want to consider taking them to.

Best North Indian restaurants in hotels
Dum Pukt at ITC Grand Maratha
Kandahar at The Oberoi
WG's Kebabs and Kurries at ITC Grand Central
Nawab Saheb at Renaissance Hotel
Saffron at JW Marriott
Soma at Grand Hyatt
Kebab Korner at Hotel Intercontinental

Best North Indian standalone restaurants
Copper Chimney
Great Punjab
Jewel of India
Khyber
Mela
Moti Mahal
Shalimar
Zaffran

Best South Indian restaurants
Ramanayak Udipi
Cafe Madras
Cafe Mysore
Mani's Lunch Home
Ram Ashraya
Woodlands Garden

Best restaurants that serve thali
Bhagat Tarachand
Chetna
Golden Star Thali
Panchavti Gaurav
Rajdhani
Shree Thakker Bhojanalay
The Friends Union Joshi Club

Best coastal food restaurants
Ankur
Gajalee
Gomantak Boarding House
Konkan Cafe at Taj President
Mahesh Lunch Home
Sadichha
Sushegad Gomantak
The Excellensea
Trishna
Churchill
Salt Water Grill

Best regional fare
Aram
Goa Portuguesa
Howrah
Jimmy Boy
Oh! Calcutta
Panshikar Aahar
Rice Boat
Swati Snacks
Thackers

Written for www.moneycontrol.com