Bollywood's equivalent of Beverly Hills, Pali Hill, is the topnotch residential enclaves of Hindi film stars. But a walk down the hill, though the market area, will bring you to Pali Naka, the centre of all fun activities in Bandra, literally. From pubs to eateries to shopping places, this place has it all. Add to that a crowd that never seems to lose out on enthusiasm and vibrance. Overall, a perfect place to spend your evening with friends, catch up with your colleagues or dine with your folks.

As you enter the Naka you will be greeted by a small shack called Candies, which offers some of the most delectable Goan food, cold coffee and nimbu paani. For the collegians, there is the all-time favourite Toto’s, which is always running to a full house—not caring about the recession’s impact. With retro and jazz music and pitchers of beer doing the rounds, this is a great place to drown your stress, meet new people and make new friends. However, on a Saturday or a Sunday, even getting your foot inside would be quite a task. A tip: Befriend the watchman. It always works. A little ahead is Boat Club, which comes a distant second in terms of night club culture.

If partying is not your cup of tea then take your pick from any of the restaurants situated right next door. While something like a Pali Residency would induce yawns, it is the awesome foursome in restaurants—Five Spice for Chinese, Café Basilico for Mediterranean, Thai Ban for Thai and Papa Pancho for North Indian cuisines—that are worth a visit. “It is the vibrance of the place and the diverse ambience of each of these restaurants that makes these restaurants a must visit,” says Ankur Chauhan, a regular at Basilico.

Also, each restaurant has its speciality which makes the experience even more unique. “Crispy Chicken and Death by Chocolate at Five Spice, the gnocchi at Basilico and the Butter Chicken at Papa Pancho are probably the best I’ve tasted,” says Gargee Deshmukh, who makes it a point to dine at Five Spice at least once a week. While most of these are indoor dining places, Basilico also offers al Fresco dining. There is also Da Vinci’s, an Italian joint which is easy on the pocket.

Situated opposite these restaurants, is the star-studded Gold’s Gym and if you are lucky you could also catch a glimpse of

John Abraham and Bipasha Basu, who are regulars there.

For shopaholics too there is lots there. For some really beautiful designer wear walk into the Tarun Tahiliani store situated off Ambedkar Road. Casual chic at H2O, is also raving about. From funky dresses to sweatshirts, racer back tops and cotton trousers, this shop is a great place to increase your wardrobe quantity without burning a hole in your pocket.