How BestMumbai picks the city's best businesses
The five steps BestMumbai editors follow to choose the restaurants, clinics, classes and services in every Mumbai ranking, and how lists stay current.
Mumbai has an answer for everything, and usually several. The hard part is knowing which answer to trust. BestMumbai rankings are built to make that easier, through the same five steps for every category, from South Indian restaurants and bakeries to orthopaedic clinics, interior designers and driving schools.
Covering the island city and the suburbs
Research starts by identifying the businesses that offer a service across Greater Mumbai, from the old precincts of South Mumbai to the western and eastern suburbs. A clinic in Ghatkopar or a tailor in Malad deserves as much attention as a famous name in Colaba, because most people choose close to home and would rather not spend an hour in traffic for an appointment.
Trust built over years
Mumbai customers are quick to try something new and just as quick to drop it if it disappoints. We give weight to businesses that have kept their customers through many seasons, monsoons included, and treat sudden popularity with caution until it shows it can last.
Checking address, timings and contact
An address in Mumbai can involve a building name, a lane, a landmark and a station. We confirm that each business is operating, that the address and number we show actually work, and that it is genuinely within reach for people living in Mumbai. Duplicates and closed businesses are removed.
Shortlisting the best in each trade
Every ranking pits like against like: dentists against dentists, coaching classes against coaching classes, Malvani kitchens against other Malvani kitchens. Only the clear standouts make the final list, so a short ranking is a deliberate choice rather than an oversight on our part.
Revisiting through the year
We go back to every ranking at set intervals. Places that shut down or decline are dropped, promising new names are weighed up once they have a loyal clientele, and timings and numbers are brought up to date. In a city that changes as fast as Mumbai, a list left alone for long soon goes stale.
Corrections from readers
If you notice a mistake or know a business we should consider, write to info@bestmumbai.in. Every message is checked by our editors before the guide is updated, and tips from people who know their own lane or building society are among the most useful we receive. Owners can manage their own listing through our business section.