India’s Innovation Powerhouse: Bangalore’s Best Cultural Restaurants

Karavalli Restaurant at The Gateway Hotel is amongst the most coveted dining experiences in the city and an excellent introduction to South Indian cuisine from the western coast. Chef Naren Thimmaiah heads up this prestigious Bangalore restaurant kitchen to bring to the table the best of South Indian food with a focus on the regional diversity of the southwest communities. With as many tastes and flavours as there are distinctive dialects and languages in the region, Chef Naren Thimmaiah has spent decades researching the foods from southwest India, from Mangalore to Portuguese-Goa. Featuring fresh seafood, Karavalli showcases the best of coastal South Indian cuisine.

Address: Karavilli Restaurant, Gateway Hotel No. 66, Residency Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560025 India.

The Grasshopper restaurant promises dinners an unhurried meal in a lovely ambiance far removed from the bustle of urban life. Launched by the design duo Sonali Sattar and Himanshi Dimri, Grasshopper is a fusion of design and food, where the multi course meal becomes a sensory experience. The restaurant and store are housed at a small farmhouse with a lovely outdoor dining option and live music. Surrounded by the lush garden, diners can easily spend several hours at the Grasshopper enjoying the relaxing atmosphere over the wonderful European-style seven course meal.

Address: The Grasshopper, 45, Kalena Agrahara, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, Karnataka 560076.

The Market at the Ritz Carlton, Bangalore, which opened in late 2013, is headed up by Michelin star chef Anupam Banerjee who has worked in major kitchens in Singapore, London, Geneva and Washington DC. The Market brings together the best of foods from around the world in a stylish buffet that offers something for every palate; with dishes from East Asia, Europe and India in a contemporary space designed by Japanese architecture firm Super Potato.

Address: The Market at the Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, No. 99 Residency Road, Bangalore 560025.

Edo Restaurant at the ITC Gardenia brings authentic Japanese cuisine to Bangalore with a wide range of luxurious Japanese dishes. The relaxing ambiance is minimalist yet comfortable, with an open sushi bar where diners can watch as the sushi chefs display their skilful sushi making techniques. From bento boxes to fresh sushi and sashimi created from fish sourced directly from Japan, Edo combines artful presentation of dishes with outstanding flavours. Be adventurous and try a range of sushi and sashimi, as well as Edo’s shabu shabu, a Japanese-style hotpot. For those preferring a sweeter broth, opt for the flavourful sukiyaki.

Address: Edo Restaurant and Bar, ITC Gardenia, 1, FM Cariappa Rd, Bangalore 560025.

Considered one of Bangalore’s top seafood destinations, The Fisherman’s Wharf brings the traditional tastes and flavours of the Goan kitchen to the table, which specialises in its excellent preparation for seafood from India’s western coast cooked with coconut milk, local spices and served with rice. The Fisherman’s Wharf’s menu includes a selection of Goan style prawn, fish and chicken dishes such as king prawn recheado and Goan fish curry though the vegetarian options are more limited. Diners can unwind under the covered patio dining and enjoy a leisurely meal complemented by live music and fine food.

Address: The Fisherman’s Wharf, #26, Ambalipura Village, Haralur Rd, RT Nagar, Bangalore 5601013.

Dining at I & Monkey is an eclectic and fun experience set against the clean minimalist decor of the restaurant, which offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is quirky and unusual, combining Kerala and Western cuisine with unexpected desserts like Mississippi Mud Pie; many of the menu items come with quirky names like ‘Kenny Boys Kanjee’, which is barley broth with chunky vegetables with or without chicken, and ‘Bang! Bang! Prawns’, prawns fried with hot chilie sambal & mellowed with green peppers & onions; all adding to the sense of adventure.

Address: I and Monkey Restopub, 968, 12th Main, HAL, Indira Nagar, 2nd Stage, Bangalore, KA 560038.

Home of the best burgers in Bangalore, Café Thulp! is a favourite hangout spot amongst Bangalore locals who come for its delectable gourmet beef burgers that range from the regular to the adventurous. Favourites include the Café Thulp! classic Moo burgers and the decadent Gonzeshwara burger that comes with fillet steak wrapped in bacon, cheese and egg. Vegetarians need not despair, as Café Thulp! also offers veggie-friendly options of falafel veggie burger or crispy sweet corn and tofu burger.

Address: Cafe Thulp!, 998, 1st Main Rd, Koramangala 1st Block, Cauvery Colony, Koramangala Bangalore 560095.

Affordable and friendly with a homely charm, Imli Café and Restaurant is housed in a sunny converted bungalow with ample outdoor seating in its comfortable outdoor terrace. Imli Café’s menu features traditional home style North Indian vegetarian cuisine with an eye on sourcing fresh, quality ingredients. The café’s extensive menu includes North Indian classics like Aloo Ki Gotiyan, Pav Bhaji and the Phulkha combo and a rich selection of garam chai.

Address: Imli Cafe & Restaurant, 5th Main Rd, Hoysala Nagar, Indira Nagar, Bangalore, KA 560038.

A Bangalore institution, Shree Sagar is renowned for its incredible butter masala dosai, also known as benne dosa, a popular South Indian snack food made or rice batter and lentils with the appearance of a pancake. A favourite amongst locals, the butter masala dosa is, by all accounts, delicious with a perfect combination of thickness and crispy texture. Other specialties of Sri Sagar are its maddur vada, a savoury fried snack traditional to the Karnataka region, and its melt-in-your-mouth idlis.

Address: Sri Sagar, Margosa Road, 7th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore 560003.

Whilst not strictly a restaurant, established in 1948, Amrut Distilleries has a history that stretches back to the founding of the independent Indian state, and has become one of the most successful of India’s distilleries. Amrut Distillery is particularly famed for its own-brand single malt whisky, the first to be produced in India, which has received critical attention and praise. According to one critic, ‘India’s Amrut distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky – that it was just cheap Scotch whisky blended with who knows what and sold as Indian whisky. Amrut is making whisky, and it’s very good’. Visitors to the distillery can also tour the facilities and learn about the history and process of Amrut Distillery’s whisky production.

Address: Amrut Distilleries Ltd, (N.R.Jagdale Group), # 41/1, 72nd Cross, Rajajinagar 6th Block, Bangalore 560010.

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