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LUPA, MG Road

Bangalore places I like to eat at and order from [2023 Edition]

November 3, 2023

This list is a v2 as I completed two years in the city and is updated as of Nov 3, 2023. Apologies for the 2-months delay in updating this list. Figured no better day than my birthday to finally get this out.

It’s now been made alphabetical and also includes a NEW tag to signify places that are new additions to the list. I’ve eaten at or ordered from 208 places (up from 123 last year) in the city during this time — 65 places make the cut this year (up from 58), with 19 entrants and 11 drop-offs.

You can view the 2022 edition here.

Sahil Khan's Bangalore food stats for 2023

[Oct 27, 2022]: Pleasantly surprised by how popular this got. Because of which, Deccan Herald wrote about this list! Much thanks to Barkha Kumari and everyone else.

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What are your favorite places to eat at? DM me on Twitter or Instagram?

Thindi fans, do forgive me for my choices. To the rest, happy eating! :)

Breakfast & Cafes

  1. Benki Coffee, JP Nagar, take-away or delivery only, pretty solid coffee, open early morning
  2. Blue Tokai, Koramangala and other outlets, best coffee in town as of now, Koramangala outlet with the sky light is the prettiest outlet, get the iced pour-over in light roast
  3. NEW Humble Bean Coffee, Indiranagar, the combination of decent coffee and a decent food menu along with the garden view at the back of the cafe makes it good change of scenery from other cafes in the area
  4. IDC, Residency Road is my preference but has multiple outlets, ghee masala thatte idli and ghee masala dosa, think they let the ghee in the dosas brown just a little bit more to have that nutty flavour making all the difference for me compared to other places
  5. Maverick & Farmer, Ulsoor and Koramangala, good spot, parking can be tough, decent coffee, get the Mazagran, beef pastrami with double filling, Turkish eggs
  6. NEW Nerlu Cafe, Crescent Road and Indiranagar, they showcase the wide variety of coffee roasters the country has to offer while managing to make good cups, and regularly host coffee events and home brewers/baristas
  7. Raghavendra Tiffin, Koramangala, primarily a convenient vicinity spot
  8. NEW Subko, Indiranagar, while we wait for the full-fledged space to open, the mini format inside Bombay Shirt Co has been good to grab their pourovers, cortado if Minakhi is around, Subko Lavender, and their Ulo collab ice cream sandwiches
  9. NEW Shades of Coffee, HSR, you’ll really need to keep your eyes peeled looking for it, good flat white, better here than the other prominent names if you’re in the area
  10. Taaza Thindi, Jayanagar, as much as I like them for the crisp wadas and excellent chutney, really appreciate the speed at which they move the crowds at
  11. Umesh Refreshments, Seshadripuram, now in Indiranagar as well, but prefer the older outlet just for the abundant tree coverage while the crowd stands on the streets and downs their excellent ghee podi dosas
  12. Veena Stores, Malleswaram, love their idlis for the slight fermented notes, just god damn too far

Lunch & Dinner

  1. Arirang, Kammanahalli, Korean fried chicken, beef bulgogi hot pot with a crack cocaine of a soup
  2. Brik Oven, Indiranagar and other outlets, Pizza Bakery, Indiranagar and other outlets, for pizzas (Pizza Bakery also does excellent stuffed garlic breads)
  3. Boteco, Ashok Nagar, Brazilian, get the pao de queijo, escondidinho, carne na pedra, and the popcorn G&T featuring Bonomi’s cold brew
  4. Chinita’s, Koramangala, burritos and burrito bowls
  5. Daily Sushi, Indiranagar, chicken katsu donburi
  6. NEW Farmlore, Bagalur, absolutely worth the trek, a wood-fired kitchen that sources >60% of the ingredients from the 40-acre property it sits on, this seasonal tasting menu is worth every penny and more, I just wish they did better coffee which you may need to drive back but best to avoid
  7. Go Native, Lavelle Road but multiple outlets, good coffee, quite like the stuffed guntur idlis and raw mango rasam wade
  8. Harima, Residency Road, Japanese, bento boxes for lunch at 575rs is fantastic VFM, get the yakitori, sushi, and tanshio
  9. homely, delivery-only, quick, convenient, and decently priced home-style food
  10. Kebapci, Koramangala, Turkish, get the gazia kebab and chicken mandi rice
  11. Khazana Food Paradise, Richmond Town for beef biryani, Sharief Bhai, Mosque Road and other outlets, for mutton biryani
  12. NEW Kuuraku, Brigade Road, all their yakitori, mango beer (a shandy technically), almond jelly with mango sauce, and of course the ambiance
  13. Leon Grill, multiple outlets but I’ve only gotten delivery, and Toast & Tonic, Richmond Road, for fried chicken burgers
  14. Luckhnow Street, Koramangala and St Marks Road, (erstwhile Tunday Kababi) this isn’t the one from Lucknow, but I’m from Lucknow, and they do pretty decent job at the galouti kebabs and mutton korma
  15. NEW LUPA, MG Road, Manu Chandra’s new space after leaving the Olive Group, get the steak tartare, seabass ceviche, pressed half brick chicken, papperdalle oxtail ragu, tuna tataki, chili pork tacos, tiramisu, and the Notorious Fig cocktail
  16. NEW Maffei Kitchen, Koramangala, the softest pita bread with lamb mince hummus, get the Turkish coffee
  17. NEW Malgudi Mylari Mane, Koramangala and Nelamangala, get the mylari dose and mutton chops
  18. Naati Cafe, Koramangala, mutton/chicken curries with neer dosa
  19. Naru Noodle Bar, Kengal Hanumanthaiah Road, an eight-seater ramen bar at The Courtyard (a very popular events space), reservations open on alternate Mondays at 8pm, check their Instagram for reservation and my IG reel for slurping noises
  20. NEW Nāvu Kitchen, Domlur, a surprise entry for me — when I moved to Bangalore and they were still at BIC, it was a popular recommendation but even after multiple meals, it never sat right with me — but in their new avatar, they’ve got a hit on their hands, order everything off their menu, and absolutely get the Caulifower Brulée
  21. NEW Popeyes, multiple outlets, for their fried chicken burger, though I wasn’t fond of it initially, has really grown on me, with their use of potato buns and pickles
  22. Portland Steak House, Ashok Nagar, and Burger Seigneur, Indiranagar for beef burgers
  23. Shaap or Salt Mango Tree, Indiranagar, for casual-dine Kerala food, the first one being a little hole in the wall
  24. Soora Sang, Indiranagar, Korean bbq, aunty’s sweet but will judge you hard if you pretend to know things
  25. Al Taza, Koramangala, only decent shawarma so far, shame that Al Badia shut down, been meaning to check out King of Taste
  26. Tenzin Kitchen, Koramangala, Tibetan, juicy af pork momos, have the beef shaptak with garlic fried rice
  27. NEW Thai Hub, Brigade Road, or Thai Alley, Kammanahalli, for well, thai food, depending on what’s convenient
  28. Wabi Sabi, Oberoi, MG Road, get the Peking duck

Desserts & Bakes

  1. KP Bakery, Shivaji Nagar, go by an auto, the hole-in-the-wall bakery is surrounded by garages, death by khoya naan, kheema naan available in the evenings
  2. Magnolia Bakery, Indiranagar and other outlets, tres leches and classic banana pudding
  3. NEW Mäki Patisserie, Indiranagar, pre-orders or walk-in from 12-5pm, get the basque cheesecake and eclair, and grab a seat at their next Butter Fingers popup with Taiyaba Ali to experience what Lucknowi and French food together can be
  4. Milano, Indiranagar and other outlets, gelato/sorbet, get the raspberry or strawberry sorbet with the dark chocolate gelato
  5. NEW Nari & Kāge, Koramangala, prettiest storefront, run by the sweetest duo who want to their customers to learn the world of cheese, excellent edam and camembert
  6. NEW Omm Nom Nomm, Koramangala, delivery-only ice creams that contain egg, almost always have their French vanilla and wildberry cheesecake variants in my freezer
  7. NEW Old Madras Baking Co, Koramangala and other areas, their bagel and egg puff are regular orders but their chocolate babka and (massive!) coconut bun are a must get
  8. NEW ULO, Indiranagar, delivery-only, when not in Koramangala and need to order in ice cream, this is the default go-to, bonus points for the Subko collab for their ice cream sandwich
  9. Sour House, Koramangala, mostly a delivery clientele so a quiet unassuming spot, excellent breads and other bakes, love the passionfruit cruffin and honey sea salt croissant, always have a sourdough loaf from them in my kitchen, serves Blue Tokai coffee

Bars & Pubs

  1. Arbor Brewing Co, Ashok Nagar, apart from the excellent beers get the beef burger with bacon
  2. Biere Library, Koramangala, love their IPAs
  3. Record Room, Ashok Nagar, excellent music but gets very loud, Geist and Toit on tap, can’t wait for GSA to be available soon, get the popcorn G&T featuring Bonomi’s cold brew, if Francis is around ask for the off-menu drink made with Asahi, gin, and clarified Greek yoghurt
  4. Seven Rivers Brewing, MG Road, good beers, lovely poolside seating inside the Taj
  5. NEW Spirit Forward, Lavelle Road, I like small cosy bars and while this has newly opened, it has potential that I’m hoping it meets — get the Southern Star, Rage Against the Coffee Machine, and Pisco Sour, the food needs some work — especially the plating to match the place
  6. Windmills, Whitefield and BLR T1, love the space, prefer sitting at the bar if not in a large group, shame their beers aren’t available at more accessible places

Brunch & Meals

  1. Bengaluru Oota Company, Cambridge Layout, exceptional Mangalorean/Gowda food, incredible how they maintain a sustained level of quality through the meal, reservations mandatory
  2. Besaveshwar Khanavali, Koramangala, very affordable North Karnataka veg meals, do get the holige (this is at the Wipro Park signal and is not the same as the more popular chain that serves the same cuisine and is more upmarket)
  3. The Conservatory, Kengal Hanumanthaiah Road, terrace kitchen + seating at the The Courtyard, not a regular restaurant but they keep hosting exceptional chefs on a regular basis, keep an eye on their Instagram
  4. Kappa Chakka Kandhari, Koramangala, for fine-dine Kerala food, fixed menu options of various sizes for you to choose from
  5. Nagarjuna, Indiranagar and other outlets, Andhra meals, please don’t eat before visiting, wear something with a relaxed fit

Drop Offs

Places that were on the list previously but have dropped off either due to not being a regular/favorite or have simply shut down have been moved here.

  1. SHUT Bengali Dhekur, Koramangala, that begun bhaja will take me back
  2. Caffeine Baar Cafe & Roastery, Jayanagar, if I’m in the vicinity (I’d just drive a little extra to Benki.)
  3. Daddy, Indiranagar, good old fashioned and whiskey sour (Just not my vibe to warrant a return.)
  4. SHUT Fat Cat Pizza Company, Indiranagar
  5. Lavonne, Indiranagar and other outlets, good spot for breakfast and coffee, possibly the only place that can entice me with chocolate desserts — get the caramelized milk chocolate croissant and coffee & milk berliner (While still a worthy recommendation for someone new to the city, somehow I’ve been there only a couple of times the past year.)
  6. SHUT Little Kitchen, Koramangala, Kerala veg/chicken/fish meals (This is now has been replaced by a place serving a mostly similar menu, but I’ve been there only once so far.)
  7. The Reservoire, Koramangala, good cocktails (Standards have seem to fallen.)
  8. Royal Afghan, ITC Windsor, Vasanth Nagar, excellent kebabs and tandoor (A little too posh for me to keep it around on the list.)
  9. Sathya’s, Koramangala, friendly neighbourhood bar (Has since moved to a new location, along with which came a new vibe and what feels like a new audience as well — the butter chicken and the vibe isn’t the same any more.)
  10. Sri Srinivasa Pork Hotel, Ejipura, 160rs for a plate for coorgi pork chilli masala and chapatis, pricing makes it look risky but have survived without any issues (With age comes reduced red meat intake unfortunately.)
  11. Toscano, Church Street and other outlets (Between the other pizza places that I frequent, this is no longer top of the mind.)