Shrooms with Prosciutto pizza at Brick Oven in Whitefield, Bengaluru.
Despite enormous hardship in the hospitality industry over the past several months, exceptional new restaurants continue to open across Bengaluru. These includes a charming pizzeria that dares to make its own cheese every morning, some old favourites and a restaurant with a menu based entirely on harvest from its own farm.
If you are looking to make up for over a year of quarantining, here are the eight newest spots to eat out in Bangalore.
1. Farmlore
Locavore food is what this restaurant housed in a 37-acre farm at Sathnur Village, Bagalur, specializes in.
The 10-course tasting menu, conceived and executed by three chefs – Johnson Ebenezer, Mythrayie Iyer and Avinnash Vishaal, is entirely harvest-driven and changes almost every day.
The butters and ice-creams are churned using milk from the indigenous Hallikar cows, and all the food is cooked either on the giant wood-fire oven or the pit-stove.
A tart and refreshing kombucha signals the start of the meal, followed by Malabar oysters, Bannur-Bun-Broth, horsegram and mapillai samba, and mango cheesecake.
Price: Rs 5,000 per person
Address: Survey No. 67, Sathanur Village, Uttarahalli Hobli, Bengaluru.
For reservations call: +91 98845 79214
2. K-OS GameBar
How about mixing dining with some darting? This game bar in Koramangala is spread across 3,000 sq ft and features 10 dart lanes. Additionally, there is a collection of party games in the outdoor section. When hunger strikes, there are fries, nachos, satays and sliders. If you stay longer and throw darts till your arms hurt, there are larger plates of loaded pizzas and creamy pastas with a choice or vegetables and poultry. There are cheesecakes and mousses, too. The interiors are done up in grey and black with woody accents.
K-OS GameBar, Bengaluru.
Price: Rs 1,800 onwards (games and food included)
Address: 80 Ft Rd, Koramangala. Same building as Fenny’s/Starbucks.
For reservations call: +91 99721 04540
3. The Old Madras Baking Company
The distinct aroma of freshly baked warm bread hits you when you walk into this minimalistic space. But it’s not just the breads that are tantalizing.
Baguettes at the Old Madras Baking Company.
Brioches, buttery croissants and warm Danish pastries are on the menu too. Looking for a sandwich? The Grilled Chicken Melt with gouda, cheddar, mozzarella and ginger pickle is our pick. The highlight of the menu is undeniably the coconut bun, filled with coconut shavings.
Wooden boxes stacked against a black wall showcase artisanal products made by small and local manufactures. That’s your cue to stock up on jams, preserves, Andhra pickles, pasta, honey and chocolate sauces.
The Old Madras Baking Company, Bengaluru
Price for two: Rs 300-400
Address: RK Plaza, Site No 5A, RMV 2nd Stage Dollars Colony, Ashwath Nagar, New BEL Road, Bangalore.
For reservations call: +91 80234 12480
4. Mahesh Lunch Home
This fabled Mangalorean restaurant that started with one outlet in Fort, South Mumbai, has grown into a network of restaurants in India and abroad. There’s now one in Indiranagar too. The interiors, as with all their restaurants, has traces of sea – fish, water, crab, etc. Given Bangalore’s beautiful weather for most of the year, 70% of the restaurant seating is al-fresco.
Mahesh Lunch Home, Bengaluru.
Crab is always a stellar choice at Mahesh, no matter which outlet. The squid ghee roast (there are chicken and mutton options, too), Mangalorean sukka, kori roti, pulimunchi and the evergreen Mangalorean gassi (gravy in kannada) with neer dosa are some of the other dishes you could try. Based on personal experience, you might want to reserve the rest of the day for a leisurely siesta.
Crab at Mahesh Lunch Home.
Price: Rs 2,000
Address: 2011, 1st Floor, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru
For reservations call: +91 74063 11101
5. Brik Oven
Pizzas have never felt so luxurious. The Neapolitan pizza here is made from sourdough fermented for 24 to 48 hours. It is then cooked in a wood-fired oven and topped with fresh mozzarella cheese made inhouse every morning. The best seller is the Shrooms Pizza with San Marzano tomato sauce, wild mushrooms and tangy Prosciutto Di Parma. The calzones with melty cheese is happiness inside and out. Keep space for Kouign Amann, a delicate French pastry. Wash it all down with a creamy thick shake.
Brik Oven, Bengaluru.
Cost for two: Rs950
Address: Ground Floor, Santosh Tower, Whitefield, Bengaluru.
For reservations call: +91 80481 45609
6. Biryani By Kilo
On days when you want to indulge in a decadent meal of dum-cooked biryani, head to the Koramangala outlet of Biryani by Kilo.
Biryani by Kilo, Bengaluru.
Whether you like the Hyderabadi Biryani with a spike of spices, the stock-enhanced Lucknowi or the Kolkata biryani with the unmistakable egg and potato – BBK has it.
The standout biryani for the vegetarians is the Kathal (jackfruit) biryani. All the biryanis are cooked in dum style in individual earthen handis sealed with dough.
Also read: Is veg biryani even a biryani?
Don’t miss the kormas made with yoghurt, cashew paste and freshly ground spices. Another strong contender for your stomach and wallet are the melt in the mouth galouti kababs.
Cost for two: Rs 700
Address: 1st Floor, 6th Cross, Koramangala Club Rd, 6th Block, Bengaluru.
For Reservations call: +91 95552 12212
Food spread at Biryani by Kilo, Bengaluru.
7. Chowman
This popular chain of Chinese food restaurants from Kolkata is now in Bangalore with a dine-in outlet at Kalyan Nagar. The menu has offerings to suit both timid and adventurous palates, from the familiar Kung Pao Chicken, Roasted Chili Pork to the bold and adventurous Crispy Corn with Kaffir Lime, Sesame Prawn Balls and Spicy Orange Chicken. For the mains, the Prawn in Red Curry and the Lamb in Hunan Sauce are excellent choices. The portions are hearty, which means you won’t have to scour the fridge back home for a midnight snack.
Price for two: Rs 1,200
Address: 404 no -4 GM BBMP east, HRBR Layout 2nd Block, Kalyan Nagar.
For reservations call: +91 80415 21019
8. Geist Brewing Taproom
Do Bangaloreans need more taprooms? Why not, if it comes with a restaurant overlooking the Orion Mall lake and a great selection of bar bites.
Geist Brewing Taproom, Orion Mall, Bengaluru.
The Puliyogare Corn Grits and Mango Meen Moilee are great accompaniments to the freshly brewed beer. The breezy setting with a sunroof and lots of greens is intentionally designed to leverage two of Bangalore’s best attributes: the weather and craft beer culture.
Cost for two: Rs 2,000
Address: Orion Mall, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru
For reservations call: +91 88677 07102
Bar bites at the Geist Brewing Taproom.
