a local's guide to falling in love with bengaluru.
the institutions. eating here is a rite of passage.
Umesh Refreshments
4.4Vegetarian restaurant · Indiranagar
standing-only darshini done right since forever.
Chichabas Taj
3.9Biryani 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
4.3Karnataka restaurant
heritage karnataka food with white-tablecloth energy. order the donne biryani.
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
3.8Donne biryani institution · JP Nagar
donne biryani ground zero. go before noon, it runs out.
Veena Stores
4.3Breakfast restaurant · Malleshwaram
idli so soft it feels illegal. standing room only.
Nagarjuna
4.2Andhra restaurant · Central Bengaluru
andhra meals on banana leaf. the chilli chicken is law.
Hotel Empire
4.2Late-night kebabs · Central Bengaluru
the 1am kebab-and-ghee-rice institution.
Hotel Fishland
4.0Seafood restaurant · Vasanth Nagar
mangalorean seafood institution. order the ghee roast.
Appaji Mane
Mangalorean restaurant
homestyle mangalorean thali. unfussy and real.
benne, butter, crisp. stand, eat, repeat.
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
4.3South Indian restaurant · Indiranagar
the ghee podi idli has a fanbase. queues move fast.
Taaza Thindi
4.6South Indian restaurant · Jayanagar
dosa for pocket change. zero frills, all soul.
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.
Fireside
Live-fire restaurant · Hennur
everything cooked over open flame. theatrical in the best way.
Pizza 4P's Indiranagar
4.8Italian restaurant · Indiranagar
the famous burrata pizza. book ahead, always.
Soo Ra Sang
4.1Korean restaurant · Indiranagar
the OG korean spot. banchan refills forever.
Phobidden Fruit Vietnamese Kitchen
4.3Vietnamese restaurant · Indiranagar
pho and banh mi from a home kitchen gone pro.
Naru Noodle Bar
4.1Ramen restaurant · Shantinagar
the hardest table in town. set an alarm for reservations.
Karavalli
4.5South Indian restaurant · Central Bengaluru
three decades of appams and crab. the fine-dining OG.
Salvadore's Fine Dining
4.3Fine dining restaurant · Central Bengaluru
rooftop fine dining. gorgeous space, food backs it up.
Pinocchio
4.8Italian restaurant · Central Bengaluru
cosy candle-lit italian. quietly romantic.
Mai Prathum
4.7Cafe · JP Nagar
thai cafe with the real flavours. get the curry.
Gam's Kitchen
4.3Assamese restaurant · Koramangala
assamese & northeastern home cooking, rare in the city.
the specialty coffee capital of india, no contest.
ARAKU Coffee
4.1Coffee shop · Indiranagar
single-origin from the araku valley, gorgeous space.
Tribal Brew Daily
4.8Coffee shop · Indiranagar
no-fuss specialty brews from tribal-grown beans.
The Craftery by Subko
4.2Coffee shop · Koramangala
subko's blr outpost. croissants go fast.
The Hole In The Wall Cafe
4.3Cafe · Koramangala
the all-day breakfast legend. weekend queues are part of it.
Maverick & Farmer Coffee
Coffee shop · Ulsoor
estate-grown, farm-to-cup. try the experimental brews.
Champaca Bookstore Cafe
4.5Book store · Vasanth Nagar
books upstairs, filter coffee in the courtyard.
Fresh Factory
4.3Restaurant · Indiranagar
neighbourhood specialty brews, always something new on the menu.
dessert is a separate stomach.
LICK by Lavonne
4.0Ice cream shop · Indiranagar
small-batch ice cream from the lavonne folks.
Juny’s Bakehouse
3.6Patisserie · Jayanagar
cult bakes, drop-based. follow them on instagram.
Corner House Ice Cream
Ice cream parlour · Whitefield
death by chocolate. a non-negotiable bengaluru rite.
Lakeview Milk Bar
4.1Ice 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.
Nenapu
Dessert shop · JP Nagar
nostalgia in dessert form — nenapu means memory.
Fathima Bakery
Bakery · Richmond Town
old-school bakery, everything fresh out the oven.
brewery capital of india. drink local.
Toit Brewpub
4.5Brewpub · Indiranagar
the brewpub that started the scene. tintin toit on tap.
Arbor Brewing Company
4.4Brewery · 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.
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.
Museum of Art & Photography
4.5Art museum · Central Bengaluru
art museum date, then coffee on the terrace.
Skandagiri sunrise trek
4.5Tourist attraction
night trek, sunrise above the clouds. book the slot ahead.
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.
Church Street stroll
Street wander · Central Bengaluru
cobblestones, bookshops, and a snack every 50 metres.
Avenue Road book stalls
4.2Book market · Shantinagar
haggle for secondhand books stacked to the sky.
NGMA Bengaluru
4.3Modern art museum · Vasanth Nagar
colonial mansion full of modern art. quiet and lovely.
Indian Music Experience Museum
4.6Museum · JP Nagar
india's first interactive music museum. block a couple hours.
HMT Heritage Centre & Museum
4.5Heritage museum · Jalahalli
watches and machine-tool history in jalahalli. a niche gem.
Rezwan Razack's Museum of Indian Paper Money
4.6Museum · Central Bengaluru
the world's first paper-money museum. free and fascinating.