Here's your Mumbai monsoon guide to read, shop and eat

Pizza By the Bay
The best part about this glass-walled, corner restaurant on Marine Drive is its location itself. No matter Where you sit, you are assured a gorgeous view of Arabian Sea and casual strollers on the promenade. With its urbane interiors and soothing ambience, it's a perfect Sunday destination to savour a classic pizza.
Order A: Classic Margherita (Rs 590)
Where: Soona Mahal, 143, Marine Drive, Churchgate, Mumbai
When: 7 AM - 11 PM
Call: 22843646

Yoga House
This laidback Bandra café has its regulars, so you may have to queue up to scoop a seat or a diwan by the window. Here, with a view of the legendary Bandra bylanes, you can finish that romance you have been wanting to read. The chairs are not meant for long relaxation spells, so for that full aaram feeling, head to the balcony upstairs.
Order a: Bombay Chai (Rs 110)
Where: Nargis Villa, Sherly Rajan Road, Bandra
When: 8 AM - 9.30 PM
Call: 33126014

Cafe Universal
Even on a gloomy rainy morning, the light trickles in from all corners into this art nouveau-inspired café. The arched French windows, curtained by fancy grills that surround this space, keep you airy and warm at once. Reading the newspaper with a glass of tea at a table next to one of these windows, is what we describe as ‘small joys'.
order a: Irani Black Tea (Rs 75)
Where: Shop 299, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Ballard Estate
When: 9 AM - 11 PM
Call: 22613985

Wayword & Wise
It's always a luxury to steal some quiet reading time inside a cozy space, even as the rest of the world rushes past. At this little SoBo bookstore, such comfort is granted. Just pull out a cane stool and take the best spot, offering the glass door view and witness Ballard Estate unfold on a rainy day, while soaking in some good literature.
Where: Strategic House, 44, Mint Road,
Ballard Estate, Fort
When: 11 PM - 7.30 PM
Call: 66349946

Mockingbird Cafe
If you are looking for an inspiring nook, then this café's window seats might just do the trick. The windows overlook a herb garden - which looks sprightly this season - and a low verdant hedge that should cut you away from the crowd outside.
order a: Cappuccino (Rs 170)
Where: 80, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate
When: 9 AM - 12.30 AM
Call: 60226023

The Great Eastern Home
Less like a shop for fine interiors and more like a sprawling luxury wonderland, you can stroll through the wide collection of chandeliers and knick-knacks at this Byculla store. Assisting your indulgent saunter is an unobstructed view of the pretty lane outside, through large windows.
Where: 25-29, Dr Ambedkar Road, Byculla
When: 10.30 AM - 8 PM
Call: 23770079

Theobroma (Fort)
New in town, this patisserie is a rather gorgeous offshoot of its parent café, thanks to its pleasant, English-cottage style interiors. The large glass windows offer a stunning, cinematic view of the narrow bylanes of the Fort area. And, it gets even better on a quiet, wet Sunday afternoon.
Order: A Classic Walnut Brownie (Rs 65)
Where: Plot 47, Mehta Building, Fort
When: 8 AM to midnight
Call: 33956177