Gulping and Grooving

3 G’s Gulp & Groove

What to look out for –
Open space seating

Phone numbers –
91 8073464389

Cost –
₹1000 for two

Address
343, 8th A Main Road, Milk Colony, Subramanyanagar, 17th Cross, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru

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Located at a prime vicinity, 3G’s attracts a lot of young crowd. We opted for this place as it had an outdoor seating on the third floor. There was valet parking, which is such a relief. The ambience is sort of comfy, but can be improved. We sat outdoors initially, but as it was a smoking zone, we were choked and had to move indoors.

The service is swift and friendly. Portions can be increased a bit. We had ordered a manchow soup which was spicy and hot. We like it. Then there was paneer kebab. It was the best among the things we ordered. The paneer was soft and had soaked well in the masalas. Then came the peri peri chicken which was good too.

Frankly speaking, I had no issues with the food. But, I do feel that the ambience can be a bit lively. I give this place 3 out of 5 stars.

The London Curries

The London Curry House

What to look out for –
Good Vegetarian Food, Nice Plating

Phone numbers –
080 22209090

Cost –
₹1200 for two

Address
The Royal Senate hotel, 19/2, Kumara Krupa Road, Off Race Course Road, Bengaluru

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It was a special day. We were officially adding someone to our family. Our crazy family! So, we wanted a special place. Was intending to go to this place since long. And it was my birthday too!!! So, we finally were at The London Curry House. They do not book tables in advance, so had to be there early and wait outside till they opened.

The place has a very welcoming ambience. Lots of greenery, wood and coziness. The staff were very friendly and helped us choose our drinks as well as food. We ordered some mocktails and the menu called them as toddlers. Well, so much for following a healthy life. There was a strawberry refresher, videshi shooter and a maza ma life (of course the last one was mine).

Then for starters we ordered paneer chilly dry, the perfect veg seekh kebab and tandoori mushrooms with rocket leaves. The place is well known to have given the Indian food a facelift. Each one of the starters tasted good and came in unique plating that I loved. Too bad it was dark and no bright lighting to get good pictures.

For main course we ordered assorted breads with Birmingham balti sabzi. The main course was yumm too. The curry was spicy enough to hold against the soft breads.

And finally the dessert. A kulfi falooda, an Oreo brownie avalanche and a fried ice cream. All the desserts were too good. We loved all the food and the overall experience. Will certainly be going back to try out other crazy stuff on the menu. Will give this place a 4 out of 5 stars.

Eating like a Bakasur

Bakasur

What to look out for –
best buffet

Phone numbers –
080 49652909

Cost –
₹1200 for two

Address
23, 4th Floor, Indraprasta Equinox Building, Near Sony Signal, 100 Feet Inner Ring Road, Ejipura, Koramangala, Bengaluru

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Seldom do we find a place that is named after our inner beast. Bakasur is definitely one place that we all can relate to, both in its name and the food that it serves. Located in a prime vicinity, this place offers one of the best buffet for people who love desi cuisine.

The ambience is nice and cosy. It has a typical buffet seating arrangements. We were given our complimentary mocktails as soon as we sat down. We got to choose from a list and they were pretty good. Then, we were introduced to their menu and we began our dinner. The staff were surely friendly and helped us with our orders and selections.

I loved the spread of items that they offered. There was chicken kebab, fish fry, mutton seek and many more non vegetarian items. The vegetarians had their chats, salads, and savories.

The main course was good too. There were breads, gravies, biryanis and rice varieties for all kinds of eaters. I have to admit that the best part was surely the desserts. There were all kinds of desi desserts like the shahi tukda, jalebi, rabdi as well as ice creams.

This place is surely a value for money and I give it 4 out of 5 stars. If you are a large crowd with different likes, this is your destination.

 

Gilly’s lunch

Gilly’s Restobar

What to look out for –
Nice drinks and desserts

Phone numbers –
080 49652862

Cost –
₹1200 for two

Address
4th & 5th Floor, Sree Premprasad Complex, Opposite Ramaiah Hospital, New BEL Road, Bangalore.

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The New BEL Road has many options when it comes to food. After having tried almost all of them, we went to this place called Gilly’s. The place is rated very high on all food apps. So, we thought it’s gonna be a fun day. But to be honest, the ambience itself was a letdown. Hygiene is something that I look for in a place I eat out at. This place surely lacked cleanliness. No that it was completely messy, but you know when a place isn’t well maintained.

We got a table that was overlooking the road. The view was pleasant. But I will have to say this, the service was the worst. There were no people to take orders and the orders taken were not served until we reminded them of it at least a couple of times. We had to wait fifteen minutes to get drinking water! That too when the place was almost empty with no other people to attend to. That really was not a nice thing.

Coming to the food, we had ordered chicken kolar, creamy spicy chicken and chicken tandoor. Food was okay, nothing extraordinary. The fact that the orders were brought in late had killed our appetite. So, we didn’t find them much tasty. The chocolate volcano dessert was the only saving grace as it was yumm.

I give this place a 2.5 out of 5 stars. Visit if you want a laid back lunch.

taking the green path

Green path – Forgotten Food

What to look out for –
Desi village ambience, good service and authentic age old food.

Phone numbers –
+91808722871117

Cost –
₹1200 for two

Address
The Green Path Organic State, Opposite Mantri Metro station, Sampige Road, Malleshwaram, Bangalore.

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It is the auspicious week of Navaratri. Why not indulge in some desi, healthy and festive food that we can find nowhere else than ajji mane. True, all the authentic foods that we ate when we were little kids are slowly vanishing. We no longer eat healthy food that was also tasty. There is a serious need to preserve all the age old foods that we no longer at our homes. The green path is doing a wonderful job in this way.

Green path – Forgotten food is a wonderful place that has the essence of our state, our villages and our culture. Right from the ambience to the food, everything is authentic and indigenous. Located at a convenient spot, just opposite the mantra square, you can easily access the place. The place is surprisingly huge. At the ground floor there is an organic store that is a must visit after the lunch. You get some really cool organic and natural products at reasonable prices.

On the next level, the buffet seating area is located. The entire ambience of the space is colorful and green. There is use of natural elements like wood and plants. Props that are used in villages are hung over walls to give it a native feeling.

We had gone there for a buffet lunch. The staff were very friendly and helped us by introducing us to the various food items on the menu. They even brought us freshly made rotti and dosas to our table. First we were served a mild soup. It was made of drum stick leaves. It had a tangy flavor and I loved it.

Then came the starters made of potato, corn and various other vegetables. There were veg kebabs and barbeques. For main course, there were dosas and rottis made of millets of various types. They were not just healthy, but tasty too.

What I loved the most were of course the deserts. There were fresh fruits, ice cream, brownies, melt-in-the-mouth mysore pak, jackfruit payasa, rave unde and all the sweets that you get to eat only at your ajji mane.

Over all, we loved the experience. This place has become a favorite for our family as most of us love vegetarian food. I give this place 4.5 out of 5 stars. A must visit if you want to try out something different, yet Indian.

pizza at vinny’s

Vinny’s

What to look out for –
colourful ambience, good service and yummy pizza.

Phone numbers –
918041999113

Cost –
₹800 for two

Address
No 22,1st Floor, MSR Nagar, New BEL Road, Bangalore

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Weekend is just around the corner and you cannot wait until it comes to indulge in some sinful food. The beauty of sinful food is that it is also soulful. Pizza! The name itself sends excitement all over our body. Probably no other generation loves this food as much as ours. While our elders still binged over desi chats, our younger generation has fancy fusion food. We in the middle are the ones that truly stayed loyal to this Italian dish all through our growing years.

So, here is a place that serves some awesome pizzas in Bengaluru. Vinny’s has three branches and we were at the BEL road outlet. This pizzeria is located on the busy street that is filled with action all time of the day. The place is colorful. Period. There are all colors of bottles, glasses, graffiti, chairs and tables. It is surely a lace for the younger lot. But, we also saw an old couple at one of the tables. That is the magic of good food. It isn’t limited with any age group.

We ordered a cream of tomato soup. Why? I really don’t know. My husband has this habit of ordering the craziest things. Soup in a pizzeria, biryani in a cafe or coffee at a sports bar. As long as the menu has what he wants, I really don’t mind. So, coming back to the soup, it was scrumptious. Then came in their huge chicken burger. It was my husbands, but I managed to eat half of it. Sly wink. The burger was juicy and delectable. And then the show stopper pizza came in. it was a pizza whose 3 toppings we could choose. We chose corn, mushroom and olives. The pizza was cheesy and yummy.

The caramel banana smoothie that I ordered was mind blowing. I kept on sipping it until the end of the meal. This was really one of our favorite meals with good food and fun talk. I give this place a 4 out of 5 stars. Staff is friendly and courteous.

lunch in a patio

Patio 805

What to look out for –
great ambience, good service and yummy south Asian food.

Phone numbers –
080 49652875

Cost –
₹1000 for two

Address
805, Ground Floor, 35C Cross, 9th Main, 4th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore.

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If at all you are in the Jayanagar shopping region, I highly recommend that you visit a place called patio 805. Normally I do not give high recommendations. I just explain how my experience in a place was and leave the rest to the readers. But, this is a must visit bistro. They serve the healthiest and tastiest food that you can find in the region.

I was in no mood for vegetarian but my sister dragged me to this vegetarian bistro. I thank her for introducing me to this wonderful place. The restaurant is on the main road near the Jayanagar bus stand. It consists of two floors, but we sat on the ground floor. The décor is south Asian and very cozy. I loved their hanging table lights.

The staff are friendly and were very helpful in making food choices. We ordered a tomato ginger soup which was yummy. Then came the threaded paneer which was good. We also ordered a Vietnamese style sauce over crispy noodles. It was unique and tasty too. It consisted of deep fried crispy noodles that came with crunchy vegetables and stir fried sauce. It was amazing.

For main course there was vegetable balls with hot garlic sauce along with vegetable fried rice. We loved the piping hot combination. It was a cold day and hot Asian food was just so lovely. It was a perfect meal with wholesome food that was delicious too. We loved everything about the food – quality, quantity, plating and taste. This is definitely a place I will be visiting again. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

coffee and breakfast

Indian coffee house

What to look out for –
breakfast spread, good coffee, old world charm

Phone numbers –
080 25587088

Cost –
₹200 for two

Address
19, Ground Floor, Brigade Garden, Church Street, Bangalore.

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I am a sucker for elaborate breakfasts. It is probably my favorite meal of the day. I love enjoying my breakfast. Especially the south Indian ones that consist of idli, dosa and vadas. Sunday breakfasts are a ritual for us as a couple. Long walks in the gardens and then a hefty breakfast at some iconic place. That’s my ideal Sunday morning.

One such Sunday, we went to this very ancient place on Church Street. It is called as the Indian Coffee House. This place was on my must visit bookmark for a long time. Because at some places, you don’t feel like you’re going for food, it is almost like a pilgrimage. This is one such place. It is a legendary outlet that is small, old and almost messy these days. But, there is an old world charm to the place and that is probably what everyone who walks in seeks.

In south Indian we ordered the masala dosa and some vadas. The dosa was crisp, but nothing extraordinary. We loved the vadas. Then came the bread toast with rich butter. There was also an omlette. While the toast was good, the omelette could have had some more salt in it.

How can you not drink coffee when you are at a coffee house? So we drank some filter coffee and it was divine. This place has value for money, the service is friendly and swift and you get various breakfast options too. The ambience is mediocre, like any of those old tiffin rooms. Do visit if you love anything old and retro. I give this place a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

 

stories of food

Stories

What to look out for –
rooftop seating, good food

Phone numbers –
080 49652998

Cost –
₹1000 for two

Address
15, 24th Main Road, 1st Phase, JP Nagar, Bangalore.

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There is something about names. If you ever plan to open an eatery, mark my words – select a good name. Because good names are enticing. I have based my restaurant selection on the name most of the times even though I did not know much about the place. This is one such time. I liked their name ‘Stories’, so one windy afternoon we set out to find the place. Located at a good place in J P Nagar, Stories also has branches in Rajajinagar and Electronic City. The place is simple, colorful and cheerful. Just like how college goers would love. The décor is mainly to attract the younger lot, considering they are their biggest customers. I loved their ambience as it was nothing dramatic, hi-end or posh.

The staff were friendly and enthusiastic to serve us. First the drinks came. Virgin Gauva and Tropical Mango. They were good. Especially after all the afternoon sun we had walked around in. then came the starters. There was Chicken Parmigiano tenders and chicken wings. The former was creamy and sober while the latter was spicy and juicy. Both were extremely good in their own ways.

Finally came the Dum Murg Biryani which is on their must try list. It is certainly a must try dish in stories. It is spicy, flavorful and exotic. We loved the food in the stories. I would give this place a 4 out of 5 stars for its rooftop ambience, good service and wonderful food.

 

Rogue Elephants hunting for food

The Rogue Elephant

What to look out for –
open dining space, old world charm and interesting menu

Phone numbers –
080 49652849

Cost –
₹1000 for two

Address
93, Near Generation School, Opposite Krishna Rao Park, Basavanagudi, Bangalore.

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It’s been a while since I am away from home and I am missing those lunch dates with my sisters. So, here is a memory of a wonderful lunch I had with my sisters, not very long ago. I had seen on social media, pictures of a place. It was in Basavanagudi and was ironically called The Rogue Elephant. Ladies and gentlemen, you can never find a place whose name describes me so very perfectly. I loved the name and so had to be there.

So, one afternoon we set out finding the place. It isn’t a very hard place to find because it’s located on the main road of the area. The space belonged to the old houses with large gardens that we no longer see. The garden part is strategically reconstructed to make a small, cozy, open air restaurant. There want much rush because it was already 3 PM. So, for once we got a table of our choice. The ambience is very low key. It seems like you are seated in your own garden, it is that simple.

There was fresh mango smoothie and Nutella strawberry smoothie. I loved the latter one. For starters there was paneer pakoda and grilled baby corn with lemon butter. They both were mild in taste and I was seriously disappointed with their quantity. But, I loved their lemon butter sauce.

The soup of the day was a pumpkin soup and we loved it. Main course was pasta a la rogue, which was a creamy pasta with tomato sauce and veggies. It was the best among all the food we ordered. Then came the oriental veggie roll, which was fine. The desserts took the cake when it came to taste. The chocolate brownie with ice cream was just yumm. The carrot cake with ice cream was tasty too.

This place gets a 3.5 for its ambience, service and selection of food for the menu. The quantity and taste can certainly be improved. Do visit if you love old world restos. There is also a boutique inside the place which is worth a visit.