5 must-dos in Bangalore

1.SEE GREEN

Bangalore – also known as Bengaluru – has been described as having an Elvis-like flamboyance, perhaps due to its image as a fast-paced technology city. But in reality, the heart of the city is quiet and green.

Known as the garden city, it is one of India’s greenest areas, with numerous parks and gardens. Lalbagh Botanical Garden and Cubbon Park, the two largest parks, are practically Bangalore institutions. Bird watching, nature walks, people watching – take your pick of what you would like to do on a cool morning or late evening. Or just take a book with you and relax on one of the benches.

2. USE YOUR LEGS

Bangalore is full of hidden nooks of history, and organised walks are an excellent way to uncover them. Try Bangalore Walks or INTACH, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, for walking tours that spotlight the culture and heritage of the charming city. For a different mode of sightseeing, Art of Bicycle Trips offers cycling tours beyond city limits. Try the Nrityagram Dance Village Safari, a leisurely pedal along the countryside that brings you to Nrityagram (above), a school for Indian classical dances.

3. BEER CHEER

While New Delhi and Mumbai have their share of watering holes, the arrival of new beer spots on Bangalore’s landscape has firmly established it as the beer capital of the country. The Biere Club on Vittal Mallya Road, the first microbrewery in the city, has garnered many loyal admirers in the few months it has been open. Toit Brewpub is where the young and restless of Bangalore gather to drink and be seen. There are also old favourites like Windsor Pub (7 Kodava Samaja Building, 1st Main Road, Tel: 91 80 2225 8847). But be warned: This city shuts down early, so you are likely to be out on the streets by midnight.

4. STYLISH INNS

Minimalism as a design concept is fairly unknown in India but several new hotels, showcasing clean lines and large white spaces, have brought a new aesthetic sensibility to the city. At Svenska Bangalore – in the heart of the information technology belt in the south Bangalore area – you can enjoy an authentic Indian meal at Soul, their signature Indian restaurant, or have Japanese cuisine at their rooftop restaurant Sensen. Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield boasts bright and airy rooms, close to the business hub of International Technology Park Limited. The hotel also has a funky lounge, Re:mix(SM), and a fine Mediterranean restaurant, Estia, perfect for entertaining friends and business contacts.

5. GOOD EATS

Masala dosa served with coconut chutney is one of Bangalore’s original eats. Residents like to argue over the best place to have them, but one option is Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) which has been serving them since 1924. Other eateries to try are Vidyarthi Bhavan (32 Gandhi Bazaar, Tel: 91 80 2667 7588), where political bigwigs are often spotted, and New Krishna Bhavan (33/39 Sampige Road, Tel: 91 80 2344 3940), also known for their ragi (millet) and akki (rice) dosa. For the health conscious, there is the option of idli (steamed rice cakes) found everywhere.

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The essential quick guide for discerning travellers – published in the June issue of Silverkris, the Singapore Airlines inflight magazine

Breakfast in Bangalore – 4

Remember my Breakfast in Bangalore series? 1, 2, 3. So this time, another Bangalore institution – Koshy’s (and not least because it has its own Wikipedia entry).

Bangalore Burrp gives it four stars, various assorted websites call it the ‘pride of Bangalore’, youtube videos sing its praises and Wikipedia claims that dignitaries like Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Nikita Khrushchev and Queen Elizabeth II have dined there. (Well, it also claims that Koshy’s won MTV’s award for the Most Stylish Place in Bangalore. Um, really?). However, Wikipedia does get this bit right – Koshy’s is a very popular restaurant and hangout on St Mark’s Road, Bangalore, which is a meeting point for journalists, artists, theatre persons, students and foreigners. Founded in 1940, it retains an old-world charm with huge pillars and large fans.

Inside Koshy’s, there is a non-smoking, ‘family’ area and the smoking (friends?) area. It is where visitors are taken when they want to be shown the real Bangalore, it is also where locals head when they want to catch up over a cuppa and appams with stew. Koshy’s has all that is typical of these Bangalore hangouts: old building in the heart of the city, rude waiters who will spot you only when they are ready and willing, mostly average food, lots of eager and cheerful crowds – but then you don’t go there for the food. You go there to discuss or overhear discussions about the state of the city, the world, politics, arts, literature and most other things under the sun. For, Koshy’s is in equal parts cafe, soapbox, theatre and adda.

So head there one Saturday evening or Sunday morning with loads of time on your hands to experience this slice of Bangalore life.

[Cellphone images all - better ones may follow but don't hold your breath on that one].

Also check out this fantastic sketch by Jai Iyer.

Breakfast in Bangalore – 3

Another Bangalore favourite this time – Vidyarthi Bhavan – the king of masala dosa since 1943. Go there on a Saturday for the best Bangalore experience. VB is close to the Gandhi Bazaar circle and was initially meant as a mess for students and bachelors living in that old part of Bangalore. And the interiors are nothing fancy – but who goes there for the decor? And here is a tip – there are those who will argue that the MD at CTR (Central Tiffin Room) in Malleswaram is better. Listen to them politely and then just smirk. And head straight to VB.

If you reach any time after 8 am, you will have to jostle with the locals for a table. It is not an orderly wait but involves standing by the tables which look like they are going to get free and grabbing a space even before the plates are cleared away. The waiters are just a blur as they whizz around with a pile of plates of masala dosa. Don’t rush them, don’t try to catch their attention or ask for random things like upma or rava idli – I am told that they are available on request but stick to their specialty, I say!

Be patient, for good things come to those who wait. One of them will eventually stop by your table for a few nanoseconds to deposit the plates in front of you. The masala dosa is to die for – brown and yummy, with the whiff of ghee – and no sambhar please, only chutney. Enjoy maadi!

Breakfast in Bangalore – 2

Presenting the second in this series, after MTR – New Krishna Bhavan in Malleswaram. NKB, as it is known, is tucked away in a quiet street near the Mantri Mall and is where the mamas of Malleswaram meet every morning for filter kaapi and local gossip. NKB is a local adda and they acknowledge this – so there is no rush to finish your “tiffin” and run out. Here, it is acceptable – indeed it is expected – to sit back and linger over your coffee.

The first time I was introduced to NKB (circa 1954), the introducer raved about the green masala idlis – ignore the startling green colour and tuck into these capsicum-spiced mini idlis. Indeed, one of the best things about NKB is the quirky boards everywhere listing their “specials” (also called “Unusuals” here). NKB serves yummy Karnataka specials like neer dosa and ragi dosa – and it is one of the few Bangalore places that has got its sambhar right (I like it the thick spicy Tamil way, okay?). Add to that the fact that the waiters here are friendly and actually smile at you – there is none of that attitude that MTR throws about liberally – and you can see why this is a winner.

A newer addition (I presume) is Gopika, the air-conditioned restaurant inside the building that serves North Indian and Chinese (yes!) food – avoid that and stick to traditional South Indian at NKB. You cannot go wrong here.

Breakfast in Bangalore – 1

Lingering over a hot dosa / upma + filter coffee breakfast is one of the simple pleasures of a Bangalore weekend morning. Not so much the lingering in some places but in general, there is an air of what’s-the-big-hurry on these occasions. This being the general air in Bangalore. Which suits me fine sometimes. Just sometimes. The problem is that the waiters in these places also have the same attitude – what’s the big hurry? Add to this the other major chip-on-shoulder that these guys in old Bangalore eating places carry, viz. be grateful for what and when I serve you, and sometimes it turns out to be a patience-testing meal. Think: India Coffee House. Grrrr.

Anyway… here, the first in a series on these wonderful ‘Bangalore Breakfast’ options.

I may as well start with the legend: MTR. High on the list of the aforementioned waiters-with-attitude Bangalore places. It’s a bit like being in the Tirupati temple (I am told, I have not been there) – there is always a huge crowd, people waiting have the same look of eager devotion on their faces and they are generally pushed around by the man in charge of the “here is where you sit” arrangements. Defy him and you don’t get served any food – I kid you not. Add to this the fact that MTR always has only limited options at any meal – take it or leave it.

So strictly speaking, not a favourite favourite with me – I like the food there. What am I saying, I love their dosa. I respect the fact that it is an old Bangalore tradition – established in 1924. I like the way people head to MTR after their morning walk at Lalbagh to undo any good the exercise may have done, with a dosa soaked in ghee, followed by the special sweet of the morning. I like the way they serve their filter coffee (wonderful pick-me-up!) in silver glasses, with that warm froth on top. I like how large families come there for a together meal, any day of the week. I just don’t like the way they push me around – but then, you win some, you lose some.

And I am overjoyed by the existence of the new MTR on St. Mark’s Road – nicer seating, friendlier staff (well, they don’t actually snarl) and more choice of what you can actually eat.