September is a particularly good month to be in Bengaluru. The weather gives you every reason to stretch an evening out, and the city has a fresh crop of restaurants and bars to match it. What makes this round of openings particularly interesting is the range- there are places built around one very specific kind of cocktail, a new generation of ice cream, specialty coffee programmes, 72-hour sourdough, and beer-led neighbourhood spots. There is something for almost every kind of appetite, with several new addresses choosing to do one thing very well rather than trying to cover every base. These are the places worth knowing right about now:
There are few better places to begin than MoonJar, the 28-seater bar that opened above Chef Rahul Sharma’s Nila in August. Designed by Prachi Joshi’s Designworx, the room has a glass ceiling framed by tree cover, curved seating and a turquoise bar lined with fermentation jars, giving the whole place the feeling of a very stylish treehouse built for the moon.
The drinks are the main compelling reason for making the trip, with Head of Bar Sibasish Palai building the nine-cocktail menu around the eight phases of the moon, with Helios representing the sun. The pours lean low-ABV, drawing on soju, vermouth and wine, with flavours doing much of the heavy lifting. Elixir No. 3, made with milk whey, cumin, curry leaf and coriander, is essentially a clarified chhaas with a little more mischief, while Pink Moon combines soju and rose cordial, a nod to Palai’s childhood love of rose milk. The shrimp wontons with peanut butter and chilli oil and the avocado pâté with burnt spring onion make good companions for the drinks.
Scoop Room is a place for people who are serious about the thought that goes into their desserts, and perhaps a little bored of the same old ice cream scoop. Founded by hospitality entrepreneur Pallavii Gupta, the new vegetarian and eggless ice cream brand has more than 30 flavours, with the emphasis on ingredients, balance and technique rather than an avalanche of toppings. It is the latest venture from Gupta, who also founded The Kind, and gives ice cream the sort of attention usually reserved for coffee or chocolate.
The flavours are designed to let their primary ingredients come through clearly, making this a place for people who want to jazz up their usual dessert routine. Try Cookie Dough Hour, Paan-Tastic, Pick Me Avo or Nutty Basil, and work your way through the menu rather than treating the ice cream as an afterthought to dinner.
Kura in Indiranagar is every coffee lover’s dream. Founded by cousins Kiran Vijayakumar and Prajwal Venugopal, the café combines specialty coffee, an in-house bakery and pâtisserie, and a full-day food menu. Its interiors, with dark wood, rattan-backed chairs and moss green accents, have a slightly colonial character that makes a welcome departure from the minimalist café template.
The Japanese brew tower at the omakase bar is the centrepiece, producing a small batch of cold brew over 12 hours for a mellow, nutty cup. Once a week, Kura also hosts a coffee omakase that moves through a single espresso, a signature cloud-foam drink, a frost cold blend and a mocktail. The food deserves equal attention: the oyster mushroom fritters are crisp and umami-rich, the spicy vegetarian burger comes in a house-baked bun, and the Nutella cuboid, made with Italian mascarpone, is a silky little monument to excess.
Druma, a new 60-cover vegetarian restaurant in Jayanagar, was created around the idea of starting with the produce and letting the cooking flow. The 2,100-square-foot restaurant draws from Kannada culture, South Indian architecture and traditional Indian patterns, while the menu moves between Indian, South Indian, Pan-Asian and Western influences.
Take your vegetarian friend here and make them very happy. There is Ghee Roast, Chettinad Paneer, Gongura Paneer Koora and Alleppey Mango Curry, alongside Mapo Tofu, Thai Curry, Tofu Katsu Curry and Mushroom Ricotta Ravioli. The more playful side of the menu brings Corn Saag Quesadilla, Jackfruit BBQ Slider and Kathal Biryani to the table. Chef Consultant Vikram Udaygiri keeps the produce at the centre of the cooking, using technique to bring out flavour and texture rather than overwhelm it.
Serious Slice has taken its 72-hour sourdough to a third Bengaluru address, opening on 12th Main in Indiranagar on August 16. The 1,600-square-foot space has an open pizza kitchen, an outdoor balcony and the brand’s first wine programme, alongside the wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas that have made its RR Nagar and Cunningham Road outlets popular.
The menu is the brand’s most expansive yet, with pizzas, fresh pasta, grill plates, cocktails and wine. The OG Margherita is the place to start if you want to see what the three-day fermentation is doing, while the Farmhouse Burrata adds a more indulgent turn. The pasta deserves room on the table too, particularly the miso butter linguine with charred corn, black garlic cacio e pepe and hot honey and Gorgonzola gnocchi. With wine now joining the table, Serious Slice has made its Indiranagar address particularly well suited to long lunches and dinners.
Hyderabad’s Vivaha Bhojanambu has brought its Telugu feast to Bengaluru with a new Marathahalli branch near the Kia showroom on the Outer Ring Road. The restaurant draws from Telangana, Andhra and Rayalaseema cooking, with a menu of generous, spice-heavy dishes that is best approached with a hungry table and plenty of time. The Bengaluru address is now open at KBR Complex and runs through lunch and dinner.
The Raju Gari Bhojanam makes for a comprehensive introduction, bringing together mutton curry, chicken fry, Royyala Vepudu, Chepala Pulusu and Avakai Kodi Guddu. There is more to explore in the form of Golconda Kodi, Bheemavaram Stuffed Peethalu, Bamboo Chicken and Rajahmundry Royyala Vepudu. Bamboo Chicken is one of the signatures to look out for, while the broader menu makes Vivaha Bhojanambu a good place to get acquainted with Telugu food in Bengaluru.
Kay Koy is the new all-day café, restaurant and nightlife address in Sarjapur, giving the neighbourhood a place that changes character as the day moves on. There is coffee and light food during the day, a contemporary diner serving international dishes and local flavours, and a nightclub later in the evening. Its beer programme includes Belgian whites, hefeweizens, IPAs and saisons, with DJ nights and live events rounding out the calendar.
The sprawling format makes Kay Koy particularly suited to the Sarjapur crowd, with enough going on to move from a daytime coffee to dinner and drinks without changing addresses. Its events calendar has already included themed parties and music-led nights, making it as much a social space as a restaurant.