blr.wiki

a local's guide to falling in love with bengaluru.

OG Spots

the institutions. eating here is a rite of passage.

Umesh Refreshments

4.4

Vegetarian restaurant · Indiranagar

standing-only darshini done right since forever.

Chichabas Taj

3.9

Biryani restaurant · Cooke Town

frazer town biryani institution. go hungry.

Bengaluru Oota Company

Karnataka restaurant · Ulsoor

gowda and mangalorean thalis by reservation only. plan ahead.

Oota Bangalore

4.3

Karnataka restaurant

heritage karnataka food with white-tablecloth energy. order the donne biryani.

MTR 1924

Tiffin room · Shantinagar

where rava idli was invented. literally.

Koshy's

Old-school restaurant · Central Bengaluru

st. mark's road forever. mutton cutlets and history.

Airlines Hotel

Drive-in darshini · Central Bengaluru

eat a dosa on your car bonnet under the trees.

Shivaji Military Hotel

3.8

Donne biryani institution · JP Nagar

donne biryani ground zero. go before noon, it runs out.

Veena Stores

4.3

Breakfast restaurant · Malleshwaram

idli so soft it feels illegal. standing room only.

Nagarjuna

4.2

Andhra restaurant · Central Bengaluru

andhra meals on banana leaf. the chilli chicken is law.

Hotel Empire

4.2

Late-night kebabs · Central Bengaluru

the 1am kebab-and-ghee-rice institution.

Hotel Fishland

4.0

Seafood restaurant · Vasanth Nagar

mangalorean seafood institution. order the ghee roast.

Appaji Mane

Mangalorean restaurant

homestyle mangalorean thali. unfussy and real.

Dosas and Darshinis

benne, butter, crisp. stand, eat, repeat.

Stuffs of Idli

4.7

Idli & dosa

idli maximalism. temporarily closed — check before going.

Vidyarthi Bhavan

Benne dosa institution · Basavanagudi

since 1943. the benne masala dosa is the whole point.

CTR (Shri Sagar)

Benne dosa institution · Malleshwaram

malleshwaram's crispiest benne dosa. cash only, no apologies.

Brahmin's Coffee Bar

Idli-vada counter · Basavanagudi

idli, vada, that chutney, filter coffee. done.

The Rameshwaram Cafe

4.3

South Indian restaurant · Indiranagar

the ghee podi idli has a fanbase. queues move fast.

Taaza Thindi

4.6

South Indian restaurant · Jayanagar

dosa for pocket change. zero frills, all soul.

Gourmet

for when you want to dress up a little.

LUPA

Italian restaurant · Central Bengaluru

manu chandra's italian stunner on mg road. date-night certified.

Sarposh

Kashmiri restaurant · Indiranagar

wazwan-style kashmiri food. get the gushtaba.

Rumi

Restaurant · Indiranagar

moody lighting, shared plates, good wine.

Fireside

Live-fire restaurant · Hennur

everything cooked over open flame. theatrical in the best way.

Klaa

4.3

Goan restaurant · Indiranagar

goan home food you cannot get anywhere else in town.

Pizza 4P's Indiranagar

4.8

Italian restaurant · Indiranagar

the famous burrata pizza. book ahead, always.

Fervor Restaurant

4.6

Restaurant · Hennur

worth the drive north. inventive menu.

Nāvu

4.3

Restaurant · Ulsoor

modern south indian tasting plates.

Kopitiam Lah

4.3

Malaysian restaurant · Indiranagar

kaya toast and laksa like you're in KL.

Lucky Chan

4.4

Japanese restaurant · Indiranagar

dimsum and ramen, lively as hell.

Tokyo Ramen Suzuki

Ramen restaurant · HSR Layout

legit tonkotsu by a tokyo-trained chef.

Soo Ra Sang

4.1

Korean restaurant · Indiranagar

the OG korean spot. banchan refills forever.

Dam's Kitchen

4.2

Korean restaurant · Hennur

korean comfort food, family-run.

Phobidden Fruit Vietnamese Kitchen

4.3

Vietnamese restaurant · Indiranagar

pho and banh mi from a home kitchen gone pro.

Moplah's

Malabar restaurant · Koramangala

malabar biryani and pathiri. kerala on a plate.

Si Nonna's

Sourdough pizza · Koramangala

sourdough pizza with a permanent queue.

23rd Street Pizza

4.2

Pizza restaurant · Richmond Town

ny-style slices, open late.

Maffei Kitchen

Italian restaurant · Vasanth Nagar

handmade pasta, neighbourhood feel.

Sando Club

4.6

Restaurant · Central Bengaluru

japanese sandos that sell out. go early.

Naru Noodle Bar

4.1

Ramen restaurant · Shantinagar

the hardest table in town. set an alarm for reservations.

Farmlore

4.7

Fine dining restaurant

tasting menu on a working farm. plan a month out.

Karavalli

4.5

South Indian restaurant · Central Bengaluru

three decades of appams and crab. the fine-dining OG.

Salvadore's Fine Dining

4.3

Fine dining restaurant · Central Bengaluru

rooftop fine dining. gorgeous space, food backs it up.

Pinocchio

4.8

Italian restaurant · Central Bengaluru

cosy candle-lit italian. quietly romantic.

Pizza No Cap

4.3

Restaurant · Ulsoor

no-frills pizza that backs up the name.

Mai Prathum

4.7

Cafe · JP Nagar

thai cafe with the real flavours. get the curry.

Gam's Kitchen

4.3

Assamese restaurant · Koramangala

assamese & northeastern home cooking, rare in the city.

Coffee

the specialty coffee capital of india, no contest.

Still Coffee

4.6

Coffee shop · Old Airport Road

quiet, minimal, serious pours.

anāma coffee

4.7

Cafe · Indiranagar

tiny menu, huge care. the flat white is the move.

ARAKU Coffee

4.1

Coffee shop · Indiranagar

single-origin from the araku valley, gorgeous space.

Tribal Brew Daily

4.8

Coffee shop · Indiranagar

no-fuss specialty brews from tribal-grown beans.

The Craftery by Subko

4.2

Coffee shop · Koramangala

subko's blr outpost. croissants go fast.

Muru Muru

4.4

Coffee shop · Indiranagar

coffee and calm. great pastries too.

Paper & Pie

4.2

Coffee shop · Indiranagar

coffee + books + pie. stay a while.

Chai Days

4.4

Tea house · Indiranagar

chai, but make it third-wave.

WIP

Cafe · Shantinagar

work-in-progress cafe energy, solid brunch.

The Hole In The Wall Cafe

4.3

Cafe · Koramangala

the all-day breakfast legend. weekend queues are part of it.

Sakura Matcha Bar

Matcha bar · Richmond Town

ceremonial-grade matcha, zero gimmicks.

Maverick & Farmer Coffee

Coffee shop · Ulsoor

estate-grown, farm-to-cup. try the experimental brews.

Champaca Bookstore Cafe

4.5

Book store · Vasanth Nagar

books upstairs, filter coffee in the courtyard.

Nerlu

Cafe · BTM Layout

nerlu means shade in kannada. slow coffee, no rush.

Fresh Factory

4.3

Restaurant · Indiranagar

neighbourhood specialty brews, always something new on the menu.

Kinya

4.5

Coffee shop · JP Nagar

quiet specialty coffee. minimal and calm.

Sweet Tooth

dessert is a separate stomach.

Lavonne Café

4.3

Cafe · Domlur

the patisserie that trained half the city's bakers.

LICK by Lavonne

4.0

Ice cream shop · Indiranagar

small-batch ice cream from the lavonne folks.

Acai Theory

4.8

Dessert shop · Indiranagar

acai bowls that justify the hype.

Juny’s Bakehouse

3.6

Patisserie · Jayanagar

cult bakes, drop-based. follow them on instagram.

K A W A I I

Dessert cafe · Indiranagar

japanese desserts, softest soft-serve in town.

Corner House Ice Cream

Ice cream parlour · Whitefield

death by chocolate. a non-negotiable bengaluru rite.

Lakeview Milk Bar

4.1

Ice cream shop · Central Bengaluru

sundaes and fruit salad since the 1930s.

Milano Ice Cream

Ice cream parlour · Indiranagar

vv puram's legendary scoops. cash ready, queue long.

O.G. Variar & Sons

Sweet shop · Rajajinagar

the mysore pak moves fast. ghee for days.

Nenapu

Dessert shop · JP Nagar

nostalgia in dessert form — nenapu means memory.

Harley's

Patisserie · JP Nagar

patisserie bakes worth the sugar rush.

Fathima Bakery

Bakery · Richmond Town

old-school bakery, everything fresh out the oven.

Pints

brewery capital of india. drink local.

Toit Brewpub

4.5

Brewpub · Indiranagar

the brewpub that started the scene. tintin toit on tap.

Arbor Brewing Company

4.4

Brewery · Central Bengaluru

american-style ales, og of the craft beer wave.

Bob's Bar

Dive bar · Indiranagar

the people's bar. cheap pints, boiled peanuts, zero pretense.

Geist Brewing Factory

Taproom

east bengaluru taproom energy. the witbier slaps.

Date Plans

places that do half the talking for you.

ZLB23 Speakeasy

Speakeasy bar · Old Airport Road

hidden bar at the leela palace. password vibes, kyoto cocktails.

Dali and Gala

Cocktail bar · Central Bengaluru

surrealist cocktail bar. order whatever sounds weird.

Cubbon Park morning run

Park run · Central Bengaluru

8am run followed by dosa at airlines hotel. the canopy does the rest.

Blossom Book House

Bookshop crawl · Central Bengaluru

three floors of secondhand books. lose track of time together.

Nandi Hills sunrise

Sunrise drive

leave at 4:30am. worth it every single time.

Museum of Art & Photography

4.5

Art museum · Central Bengaluru

art museum date, then coffee on the terrace.

Skandagiri sunrise trek

4.5

Tourist attraction

night trek, sunrise above the clouds. book the slot ahead.

Things to Do

beyond eating (but also, eating).

Lalbagh Botanical Garden

Botanical garden · Shantinagar

240 acres, a glasshouse, and a 3000-million-year-old rock.

KR Market flower market

Flower market · Basavanagudi

go at 6am. the marigold mountains are unreal.

Ranga Shankara

Theatre · JP Nagar

a play a day, every day. tickets cost less than your coffee.

Bangalore Palace

Palace · Vasanth Nagar

tudor castle cosplay in the middle of the city.

Church Street stroll

Street wander · Central Bengaluru

cobblestones, bookshops, and a snack every 50 metres.

VV Puram food street

Food street · VV Puram

one street, forty stalls. go hungry at 7pm.

Avenue Road book stalls

4.2

Book market · Shantinagar

haggle for secondhand books stacked to the sky.

NGMA Bengaluru

4.3

Modern art museum · Vasanth Nagar

colonial mansion full of modern art. quiet and lovely.

Turahalli forest

Forest

the city's last forest. morning cycle rides.

Indian Music Experience Museum

4.6

Museum · JP Nagar

india's first interactive music museum. block a couple hours.

HMT Heritage Centre & Museum

4.5

Heritage museum · Jalahalli

watches and machine-tool history in jalahalli. a niche gem.

Rezwan Razack's Museum of Indian Paper Money

4.6

Museum · Central Bengaluru

the world's first paper-money museum. free and fascinating.