FORT. Popular for business lunches, Ankur offers a full range of Mangalorean seafood dishes in quiet, calm surroundings. The wood-lined interior looks vaguely Scandinavian, but the food has all the rich, spicy flavours you would expect from the west coast of India. There are also some meaty Mughali dishes for those who don't enjoy seafood. It's generally quieter in the evening and at weekends.

There are half-a-dozen restaurants in the narrow alleyways of Fort serving full-flavoured curries from the coast near Mangalore, and Apoorva is one of the best. Treats to look out for include gassi (rich fish curry drenched in coconut milk) and appam (fermented rice flour pancakes). In season, mud crabs, squid and prawns top the menu.

FORT. North of Horniman Circle, close to the old port district, this restaurant has a split personality: upstairs is the air-conditioned Excellensea; downstairs is the fan-cooled Bharat Lunch Home. Both serve tasty Mangalorean seafood dishes to crowds of hungry office workers. Fish, crab and prawns come in a variety of fragrant sauces. Try the fish tawa: slices of pomfret or surmai, fried in a crust of spices.

This family restaurant conveniently located in Kala Ghoda is marked out by the attached bookshop and craft emporium, selling block-printed fabrics and reference books on Indian arts and culture. Food here draws on the culinary history of Rajasthan. At lunchtime, the Rajasthani thali steals the show ­ choose the deluxe thali for a full spread of Rajasthani sauces and condiments.

The Copper Chimney restaurant chain started life in Mumbai in 1972. Now there are six branches ­ all serving reliable and tasty Mughlai food to crowds of middle-class diners. Sample dishes like chicken kebabs and paneer tikka in calm, modern surroundings. As well as the Kala Ghoda branch, there are Copper Chimneys in Bandra, Lower Parel and Worli.