Traveling to Bangalore: Where to Eat and Drink
Leafy and lovely, the Garden City quietly stays ahead of the game. Be it molecular gastronomy or pub culture, boutique stores or cool cafés, it happened in Karnataka’s cosmopolitan capital, Bangalore, first. Currently its food scene is dominated by Asian cuisine and its pub culture is as vibrant as ever.
WHERE TO EAT
The Fatty Bao. Since its opening, chef Manu Chandra’s popular restaurant has branched out to Mumbai and recently to New Delhi but the original outlet in Bangalore’s food hub, Indiranagar, remains unmatched thanks to its rooftop location. Enjoy the city’s lovely weather on the open terrace as you marvel over house favorites such as crispy fish bao and pork belly with miso jam. There are plenty of snacks as well as mains such as curries and rice, but we suggest you stick to ordering a large variety of starters including the grilled meats, pot-stickers and, of course, open and closed baos. Everything is delicious.
Dakshin. As you would expect, there are many decent places for South Indian cuisine in the city – from the no-frills Mavalli Tiffin Room to the café-style South Indies – but if you’re going to have one local meal, head to the old-world ITC Windsor hotel on Golf Course Road for their South Indian restaurant. With staples from Kerala, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, anything you opt for at Dakshin is going to wow your palate. Light-as-air appams with delicately flavored stew, crisp and flaky parotas with spicy fries – it’s a world of culinary delight. Save room for the refreshing elanneer payasam, a dessert of tender coconut in coconut milk.
DYU Art Café. You can’t come to Bangalore and not visit one of its small, quirky cafés, an intrinsic part of the city’s socio-cultural fabric. Located in an old bungalow in Koramangala, DYU is an open-air space that serves a dual purpose, as an art gallery and a café. Combining books and food, shopping and food, art and food is typical in Bangalore, with its young crowd patronizing any establishment that deviates a bit from the norm. At DYU, you can view an exhibition, sit and work as you order a sandwich and coffee, or meet an old friend over a breakfast of their fluffy omelets.
WHERE TO DRINK
Bang. It's anyone’s guess whether this rooftop bar got its name from its location bang in the center of the city, at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore on Residency Road, or from the jolt you get as soon as you step out on to the terrace thanks to the fabulous, sweeping views over the city. A fairly new addition to the city’s nightlife scene, this is the spot for heady cocktails and celebrity DJs. There’s even a fire-pit for those occasional chilly nights in the southern city, around which you can huddle with your friends and celebrate a special moment – or just life.
Monkey Bar. “Come thirsty” is the war cry from Bangalore’s favorite MoBar, which has already become an institution. Crazy interiors match crazily named drinks such as Goose’s Bum (spirits and gooseberry) and Monkey Mule (spirits and hops) at this bar in posh Ashok Nagar, and the vibe is always energetic with lively music and loud chatter. Monkey Bar is famous for introducing the cocktail Mangaa to Bangalore, as well as the delectable MoBar Burger. In fact, the food’s so good it's hard to decide whether to come back for the grub or the cocktails.
High Ultra Lounge. Routinely rated the best new bar-lounge in the city, High Ultra Lounge has replaced Skyye Bar in UB City as the ultimate party destination. It helps that it sits 420ft high at the top of the World Trade Centre building and offers equally stunning views. Catch the last rays of the sun at High View and then head to High Mix where you mixology is practiced like an art form.
Light Solidad is a Software quality assurance analyst who loves to visit remote and exotic places around the world. Have a look at his other journey on Vacation Now’s Blog.