"Awadhi cooking under a steel forest of tree-like columns — book Tote on the Turf for Mumbai's most dramatic dining room at the racecourse."
About Tote on the Turf
The columns come first. Tote on the Turf sits in a repurposed colonial-era pavilion at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, where Serie Architects — Christopher Lee and Kapil Gupta — grew a canopy of branching steel columns inspired by the racecourse's old rain trees. The design won Best Designed Bar at the 2010 Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, and the dining room today runs as Neel, an Awadhi and Mughlai kitchen.
It sits among the city's most distinctive tables. Compare the South Indian tasting room Avartana, the modern-Indian The Bombay Canteen and the Parsi institution Britannia & Co., or browse the wider Indian picks.
The Kitchen
The kitchen cooks the courtly north — Awadhi and Mughlai, with the Lucknow, Hyderabad and Kashmir lineage. The signatures are the biryanis, dum gosht and raan, alongside kakori and seekh kababs, a murgh baradari korma and Awadhi prawns, finished with the house Neel rabdi ice cream. This is slow, spice-layered cooking pitched to match the grandeur of the room.
Pricing is upper-mid for Mumbai: reckon roughly ₹2,500 for two, or around ₹1,200 to 1,500 a head before drinks. You are paying as much for one of the city's landmark dining spaces as for the food.
The Room
The room is the headline — a high, open hall where the white branching columns spread into a canopy overhead, lit to feel like dining in a steel grove. It opens onto the green of the racecourse, a rare expanse of space in central Mumbai. Service is formal and unhurried, suited to a long dinner; the mood is grand and architectural, built to impress before a plate arrives.
Not for
Not for a quick, casual bite or a tight budget — this is a grand, architecturally driven dining room at the racecourse, best given a long, occasion-minded dinner.
Frequently Asked
What is Tote on the Turf known for?
Its architecture above all — a canopy of tree-like branching steel columns by Serie Architects at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, which won Best Designed Bar at the 2010 Restaurant and Bar Design Awards; the dining room now serves Awadhi and Mughlai cooking as Neel.
What cuisine does Tote on the Turf serve now?
The dining room operates as Neel, an Awadhi and Mughlai kitchen, with signatures like dum gosht biryani, raan biryani, kakori kabab and murgh baradari korma — not the modern-European menu it once carried.
How much does Tote on the Turf cost?
Upper-mid for Mumbai: reckon roughly ₹2,500 for two, or around ₹1,200 to 1,500 a head before drinks.
Where is Tote on the Turf?
Inside the Mahalaxmi Racecourse on Keshavrao Khadye Marg, opposite Gates 5 and 6, in central Mumbai.
Who designed Tote on the Turf?
Serie Architects, led by Christopher Lee and Kapil Gupta, who built the signature canopy of branching steel columns inspired by the racecourse's mature rain trees.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Tote on the Turf
Book direct or via listings; the dining room now operates as Neel at the Tote complex.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressMahalaxmi Racecourse, Keshavrao Khadye Marg, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai 400034
NeighbourhoodInside the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in central Mumbai
CuisineIndian
PriceA la carte; roughly ₹2,500 for two, or around ₹1,200–1,500 a head before drinks
Dress CodeSmart; smart casual to smart
SeatingSoaring canopy-columned hall opening onto the racecourse; booking advised
ReservationBooking advised, especially at weekends
