Khar, Mumbai: A Neighbourhood Guide

Neighbourhood Guides · Discover Mumbai Team · 6 October 2026 · 5 min read

Khar is the suburb directly north of Bandra, and most visitors pass through without noticing the join. It shares Bandra’s lanes of cafes, bars and small restaurants, at a slightly lower volume and with more people who actually live there. It also has two things Bandra does not: Khar Danda, a Koli fishing village that was here centuries before the suburb, and the Ramakrishna Mission, which has been a quiet corner of the neighbourhood since the 1920s.

The name comes from khara, Marathi for salty, after the salt pans that once lined the shore. The suburb itself grew up in the early twentieth century, and Khar Road station opened on 1 July 1924 to serve the new homes.

The short version

Getting there: Khar Road station on the Western line. From South Mumbai, take a cab over the Sea Link to Bandra and on north, or the train from Churchgate.
Time needed: an afternoon and an evening
Best time: late afternoon for the walk, sunset on the sea front, then dinner. Khar is a dinner neighbourhood more than a daytime one.
Good to know: Khar and Bandra run into each other. If you are told a place is in one, check the road name rather than the suburb.

A walk from the station to the sea

About 4 km, from Khar Road station to the north end of Carter Road, ending at sunset. Allow two hours with stops, or take autos between the points.

Khar Road station. Leave on the west side. The numbered roads of Khar West, 1st Road to 19th Road and beyond, run off from here.
The Ramakrishna Mission. About 1 km north-west of the station, on 12th Road (now Ramakrishna Mission Marg). The Ramakrishna order opened its Mumbai centre in a rented house in Santacruz in 1923, laid the foundation of the ashrama here in 1925, and dedicated it in December 1926. The temple is open from 5 AM to noon and 4 to 9 PM, and the evening arti at sunset, with singing, is the best time to visit. Take off your shoes and keep your voice down; it is a working monastery and the calmest half-hour you will spend in the suburbs.
Linking Road. A short walk east of the Mission, Linking Road, the western suburbs’ best-known shopping street, runs south towards Bandra. The street stalls selling clothes, shoes and bags are thickest towards the Bandra end; bargaining is expected.
Union Park. Head west through the residential lanes to Union Park, a few short streets packed with restaurants and bars (see below). It is quiet in the afternoon and busy from about eight.
Khar Danda. Just north of Union Park is the Koli fishing village of Khar Danda, one of the oldest settlements on this coast. Brightly painted boats tie up along the shore and fish is dried in the open. This is a village where people live and work, not a sight: walk through respectfully, ask before photographing people, and stay out of the way of anyone working. The Kolis of Varni Pada here light their Holi bonfire two days before the rest of the city, a custom that goes back to British times, so if you are in Mumbai in March it is worth asking about.
Carter Road at sunset. Head south to the northern end of the Carter Road promenade at Joggers’ Park, about 20 minutes on foot or a short auto ride. The sea front faces west, the sunset is the reason to time the walk this way, and the promenade carries on south into Bandra if you want to keep going.

Where to eat and drink

Khar is mostly about dinner and drinks, and the places are close enough to walk between.

Union Park

Torii: Asian small plates, sushi and dim sum with cocktails, open late.
Napoli By Shatranj: Italian, with an emphasis on cocktails and small plates.
Out of the Blue: a lively European restaurant with outdoor seating and live music, known for fondue, pizza and sangria.

Near the station and on Linking Road

All Saints: Pan-Asian food and a bar, open from lunch until late.
Once Upon A Dine: a casual Continental cafe on Linking Road, good for pizza and a group.

See every restaurant we list here on our Khar West restaurants page, and the Bandra West page for more a few minutes south.

Khar at night

After dinner, Khar is one of the best parts of the city for a night out. antiSOCIAL, in a basement on Khar’s 5th Road, is Mumbai’s best-known small venue for DJs and bands; the bars around Union Park and the lanes near the station fill up from about ten; and karaoke has taken over several Khar bars. Bars close at about 1 to 1:30 AM. Our nightlife guide has the names, what to expect at the door, and how to get home.

Practical notes

Getting around: Khar is north of the line where autos stop, so autos are the easy way to hop between the station, Union Park and the sea front. Parking is close to impossible in the evening.
Rain: the walk is not much fun in a monsoon downpour, but Carter Road in the rain, from under a cafe awning, is a Mumbai ritual of its own.
Where to stay: Khar has a few hotels, and is worth checking when Bandra is full; our where-to-stay guide compares the areas.
Getting on: Bandra is directly south, and Juhu is 15 to 20 minutes north by auto.