All posts filed under: Bars & Gastropubs

Chilis – American Grill and Bar @ 100ft Rd (Indiranagar)

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Chilis, the Tex-mex chain of restaurants, first opened in Bangalore in a nondescript building on Old Airport Road. Bearing testimony to the fact that location makes a difference, they have now reopened on 100ft Road in Indiranagar to bring the action to the masses. The Casual dining space is known for its killer cocktails and American portions of deep fried goodies. Old timers who miss the action of TGIF on Airport Road might find the vibe in Chilis, familiar and comforting. A sunny Saturday lunch quickly turned into a languorous three hour shindig, thanks to the skies opening up and flooding the roads. Thankfully for us, the Indian experience of eating hot pakoras and drinking tea on the balcony, was easily replaced with margaritas and nachos. Chilis is spread across three floors of a building that is designed to let the upper floors look into the happenings of the floors below. People watching can be quite the hobby with a couple of drinks for company. The lower floor is designed to allow more crowds to …

Getting Fatter – New Menu @ The Fatty Bao (Indiranagar)

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The cool thing about The Fatty Bao, is that they keep it interesting. A year into opening on 12th Main and they already have a fan cult following. I unashamedly am one of the suckers who’s drawn there time and again for their unbelievably scrumptious Char Siu Bao. The Ramen lover in me also subconsciously nudges me to their Asian candy land, every time I’m in Indiranagar. (Which is no mean feat considering the plethora of dining options on that charmed road!) A new menu obviously grabs my attention and the girls and I land up on a sunny Saturday afternoon to get a little fatter.

Going Street – Church Street Social (Church Street)

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Street Food. The way to my heart. Pani Puri, Pav Bhaji, Bhajjis, Rolls, Kulfi – you name it and I have a soft spot for it all! There hasn’t been a day that I’ve passed a Pani Puri vendor and not wanted a plate of Puchkas. Not to get morose, but I’ve always said my last meal if on death row, will be chaat and biryani… mutton biryani of course. You can easily suss out the character of a city with the street food that’s on offer. Think of the practical and filling Vada Pav of Mumbai, the steeped in history decadent Nalli Nihari of Delhi, the traditional light Idlis of Chennai and the fuss-free hot Balekai Bajjis of Bangalore. Street food is comforting, tasty, inexpensive and above all woven in our DNA.

Cocktails and Conversations @ Drinks (MG Road)

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The old maketh way for the new and Bangalore sees ‘Drinks’ occupy the space that was the erstwhile Couch, on MG Road. The elegant and comfortable lounge is spread across two floors and you will see floor to ceiling paintings of gentlemen in top hats and ladies in snazzy gowns invoking the gangster vibe from downtown New York or Chicago in the 60’s. Encouraging you to play catch up over expertly fashioned cocktails by award winning bartender – Alfonso del Portillio, Drinks is a place that will appeal more to the suave office goer than the teeny boppers that litter Church Street. If Classic is the vibe you are after – Drinks is the place to be. Considering they named the place ‘Drinks’, it is only fair to expect a heightened focus on the liquid menu! Thankfully with Alfonso manning the bar, that’s not a problem. The extensive cocktail menu has separate sections for concoctions with Vodka, Rum, Gin, Tequila and Whiskey. You can also skip the cocktails and pick straight from their lineup of …

Shaking things up – Smokehouse Deli’s New Menu (Indiranagar)

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My sister and her husband are the biggest fans of Smokehouse Deli. They love the food, the ambiance and the fact that SHD always has some fun weekend offer on drinks 😉 Every chance they get, they run there for a couple of drinks and grub. I like the place myself, but haven’t exhausted the menu like they have! So this post is dedicated to them – they’ll be happy to know that Smokehouse Deli has launched a new menu. If my change-averse sister is reading this – relax … they still retain some of the old favorites.

Cruising Around – Fiat Caffe-Car-O-Bar (Domlur, Inner Ring Road)

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Fiat Caffe has been reinvented as Fiat Caffé-Car-O-Bar, which should tickle our Indian sensibilities. For all those who assume that Fiat Caffe is a cool looking car showroom – it is. But it also has another level which functions as a bar and café and the ground floor transforms into a space for performances and live gigs after dark. And if you want to dance the night away – they have a cool DJ console fashioned in the hood of a dismembered fiat! How’s that for sticking to the automobile theme?

10 years and counting – Olive Beach (Wood Street)

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Olive Beach didn’t shut shop. They just moved the iconic blue door a couple of feet to the right. They also decided to do away with the pebbles – because they obviously care for your stilettos. And they added a Tuscan Kitchen with a brick oven – just to indulge you with the perfect wood fired pizza. They placed large ornate mirrors that reflect the soft candle light – to make you glow as you dine under the stars. They even upped the ante on plating – pretty flower garnishes never hurt anyone. And the massive bar at the back – well, that’s kinda self-explanatory, right? The little white villa on Wood Street comes to you in a spruced up avatar in its 10th year in Bangalore. They haven’t dispensed with the underlying theme of Olive – a large (sunny in the daytime) courtyard will still greet you as you enter and the whitewashed walls echo the charm of a Mediterranean villa. But…they’ve opened up the space – both literally and figuratively! The ‘new’ Mediterranean …

Lunch @ The Black Rabbit (100ft Rd, Indiranagar)

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I don’t know what it is that made me think of Alice in Wonderland and the ticking pocket watch when I heard of The Black Rabbit. I’ve always thought it was a strange thing to show a kid the craziness of a disappearing cat and a mad hatter in junior school, though it was cleverly disguised as a cartoon. I had decided that I never wanted to be Alice, if wonderland held such scary things as the Jabberwocky. The fact that I enjoy the book now, is altogether a different story. Maybe I took the magic portion after all 😉