Old Bandra — the lanes around Mount Mary Church, Ranwar Village, and the coastal areas — preserves the heritage of the East Indian community, a Catholic community native to the Salsette Island area who are distinct from the Goan Catholics further south. Their distinctive Portuguese-influenced wooden houses with carved verandahs, called "gaothan" houses, survive in clusters between the modern buildings, particularly around St Andrew's Road and the old fishing village lanes.
The East Indian community's food tradition — particularly the Bottle Masala (a complex spice blend unique to the community) and the seafood curries — is accessible at a handful of traditional restaurants in old Bandra. The community church festivals and the Bandra Fair in September connect the neighbourhood's present-day cosmopolitan character to its deeper Catholic-fishing village roots.