Best seafood in India is coastal and city-specific: Mumbai for Malvani and Konkan fish rooms, plus modern dining that treats seafood seriously; other hubs grow in our directory as coverage expands. This guide starts with Mumbai, India’s densest fish-restaurant shortlist on FishRestaurants.com.
Live hubs: India directory · Mumbai.
How to order on the Konkan coast
Mumbai's serious fish rooms still sell by the fish and the cut, not by a printed "seafood platter." Point at the display, ask the weight, and confirm the cook: tawa fry, stuffed pomfret, or a Malvani gravy with dried red chilli and coconut. The gravy should taste of the fish, not of a sweet restaurant curry poured over any fillet.
Pomfret, surmai (kingfish), bombil (Bombay duck), and crabs are the usual board. Bombay duck is dried or fried until brittle; if you have never had it, order one piece beside a milder pomfret rather than making it the whole meal. Crabs are priced by size. Ask before the kitchen cracks them.
Rice and a stack of chapati or pav matter more than a starter salad. A good room refills sol kadhi or a thin kokum drink without turning it into a dessert. Skip the laminated "butter garlic" column if the day's fish is already on ice in front of you. That column is how tourist tables hide a soft fillet.
Inland cities are a different problem: the fish has travelled. Ask when it arrived and whether it is fresh or frozen. A clear answer is worth more than a sea view in a hotel buffet. Use the Mumbai listings to compare review volume, then open the India directory only after you know which coast you are actually eating on.