When Mumbaikars talk about fast food they mean pav bhaji and bhel puri not hamburgers or hot dogs. It is the best feature of Mumbai. The city has a great apatite for snacks, and street vendors know how to cater to this hunger. The best place to sample the city's legendary fast food is Khau Galli; a small laneway off Zaveri Bazaar packed with interesting food stalls.

Bhelpuri:

This tasty combination of crisp noodles, puffed rice, boiled potatoes, chopped onions, crushed puri, mint, coriander, chutney and chillies is a local favourite. Every visitor to Mumbai feels obliged to eat bhelpuri at Chow patty Beach once during their stay, but you will find fresher ingredients from many bhelwallahs walking the street with their wares. It's a delight to watch bhelpuri being prepared; it's either eaten by hand from paper cones or from plates with a fork. It has a crunchy complex mixture of deliciously conflicting flavors and costs around Rs.15.

Pav Bhaji:

You'll see pav bhaji being made all over the city. It's a local invention consisting of a medley of spiced vegetables- such as potato, tomato, capsicum, and peas - cooked on a griddle and mopped up with a bread bun. You will find decent pav bhaji at the strip of food stalls opposite Victoria Terminus (VT), between the Brihanmumbai Municipal Council (BMC) building and the Capitol Cinema, and near Haji Ali Mosque. It costs around Rs.35.

Panipuri:

These lightweight puffed puris filled with dhal and a runny, spicy sauce made of tamarind water is eaten whole, rather like knocking back on oyster. The best panipuri in Mumbai is made by Sindhis at the Elco Arcade in Hill Road, Bandra West. It usually costs around Rs.15.

McDonald's:

If your cravings aren't satisfied by the local fast food, McDonald's has six branches in Mumbai; the only central one has a high profile position on the corner of Dr D Naoroji and Marzaban Roads, opposite VT. A mutton Maharaja Mac costs Rs.48.