A wrap of spiced filling (chicken, mutton, paneer or vegetable) rolled in a thin flatbread, with masala onion and house spice mix. Mumbai's answer to the kati roll, invented in 1969 and still a city staple.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
The Frankie was invented in 1969 by Amarjit Singh Tibb at Tibb's Frankie in Bombay. He adapted the Lebanese shawarma format into a Mumbai-style wrap with masala onion, a thin maida-based flatbread and his own house spice mix. The format spread to street counters and chains across the country, but Tibb's still runs across Mumbai and remains the most recognised name on the dish.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg
Tip from the editors. Use a thin roti, not a thick paratha; the wrap must stay light. Add a drop of mint chutney for the canonical Frankie taste.
Bademiya's Tulloch Road stall runs until 03:00 daily. Charcoal kebabs, baida rotis and tikka rolls. Mumbai's canonical after-club queue forms here from 23:00.
Try: Seekh kabab, baida roti, chicken tikka roll
Order: Mutton seekh in a baida roti and a chicken tikka roll for the road.
Tip: Cash and card accepted at the stall; sit-down rooms close at midnight.
Indigo Deli runs eggs benedict and an all-day brunch counter near the Gateway. Open from 11:00 daily; the bakery has fresh croissants and sourdough at 11.
Order: Eggs benedict and a sticky toffee.
Cream Centre opened at Chowpatty Seaface in 1958 as a vegetarian sweets and snacks counter. The channa bhatura is the canonical dish; the hot fudge sundae.
Signature: Channa bhatura, Sizzler, Hot fudge sundae
Order: Channa bhatura with a Spanish omelette sizzler and a hot fudge sundae.
Tip: Family-friendly with a high-chair stock; weekday lunches are quietest.
More cities are in research. Want frankie covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.