Did you know that each neighbourhood in the skinny island city of Mumbai boasts a government-appointed area for vegetable and fruit sellers? If it’s cupcake moulds, antique gewgaws, wedding bangles or other Indian trinkets you’re looking for, there are plenty of other markets that will come to the rescue.

Because of the expensive real estate in Mumbai, in addition to the abundance of restaurants, pubs and clubs the majority of ground floors across local buildings are leased out to stores. That makes finding a dedicated space for shopping that’s not a mall something of an adventure—and we’re here to help.

Very few of the best markets in Mumbai are enclosed; most are simply a cluster of shops down a street selling similar things, which effectively creates a bunch of niche shopping districts. Get ready to explore them all.