BANGALORE (Bengaluru)

(Bengaluru)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
●Adiga’s – Sampige (Malleswaram, at 17^th Cross); 011-91-080-2334-2131; adigas.in; juices.
●Café Coffee Day (also called Square) – 23/2 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-093-4371-2942; cafecoffeeday.com; among few places in world where you can sample several different, single-origin Indian coffees; coffee servings come topped with whipped cream and mint chocolate cookie on side.

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
●Biere Club – 20/2 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-4212-4383; thebiereclub.com; Bangalore’s 1^st micro-brewery.
●Blue Bar – Race Course Road (at Taj West End Hotel); 011-91-080-2225-9281; tajhotels.com; teak floors, tiled roof, setting amid gardens and pools; best bartenders in town.
●I-Bar – 14/7 Mahatma Gandhi Road (at Park Hotel); 011-91-080-2559-4666; theparkhotels.com; fashionable IT types fill leather banquettes in intimate space; looks like Indian-mod bordello; try Curry Flavors (citrus vodka spiced with fresh curry leaves) and/or Wasp Sting (gin mixed with tamarind and green chile).
●Koshy’s Jewel Box & Parade Café – 39 St. Mark’s Road; 011-91-080-2221-5030; best coffee; also, try prawn biryani; in evenings, has widest beer selection in city.
●Library Bar & Lounge – 23 Airport Road (at Leela Palace Kempinski); 011-91-080-2521-1234; theleela.com; techies, American and otherwise, come to sip Cognac and single-malt Scotch; clubby, filled with antiques and vintage books next to lovely courtyard.
●Liquid – 1/1 Swami Vivekananda Road, Ulsoor; 011-91-080-2555-8888; istahotels.com; mellow outdoor terrace; great for serene evening of long drinks and gourmet snacking; great music.

HOTELS
●Ista – 1/1 Swami Vivekananda Road, Ulsoor; 011-91-080-2555-8888; istahotels.com; clean, minimal look, with white walls, spintered glass accents, and stainless steel fixtures; 143 rooms, slightly small; large windows, even in bathrooms; spa; October (for Diwali, India’s biggest holiday) or August (when giant Ganesh statues immersed in Lake Ulsoor) are best times; Suite 529 has private terrace garden overlooking pool, as well as lovely lake view; penthouse suites sublime.
●ITC Royal Gardenia – #1 Residency Road; 011-91-080-2211-9898; itchotels.in.
●ITC Windsor – 25 Windsor Square; 011-91-080-2226-9898; itchotels.in.
●Leela Palace Kempinski – 23 Airport Road; 011-91-080-2521-1234; theleela.com; 352 rooms; pink stone façade and gilded domes (built in 2001 to evoke south India’s centuries’ old royal architecture); best spa in town; ask for 5^th floor room (Royal Club level).
●Taj West End – Race Course Road; 011-91-080-6660-5660; tajhotels.com; founded in 1887; city’s oldest hotel; ask for Taj Club floor room (1^st floor of Reginae wing); 2 pools and spa.

RESTAURANTS
●Adiga’s – Sampige (Malleswaram, at 17^th Cross); 011-91-080-2334-2131; adigas.in; dosas in cleaner, modern atmosphere than other area shops.
●Egg Factory – St. Mark’s Road (White House); 011-91-080-4211-0041; theeggfactory.in; known for frittatas and omelets; but with egg vindaloos and curried sauces, not typical breakfast place; even pasta and Mexican-inspired dishes; try cold coffee (south Indian version of milkshake) or fresh lime soda.
●Hotel Janatha – 8^th Cross (Malleswaram, at Sampige); 011-91-080-2334-5609; for dosas.
●Karavalli – 66 Residency Road (at Taj Hotel); 011-91-080-6660-4545; tajhotels.com; indoor-outdoor restaurant wowing guests and winning awards for more than decade now; sit in open-air courtyard under huge rain tree’ canopy on wrought-iron garden chairs, or inside, in what resembles Mangalorean home, with high ceilings, antique furniture, and walls adorned with old seafarer maps and grandfather clock; for seafood lovers (Goan baby lobster, Mangalorean black pomfret, and pearlspot caught off Kerala.
●Kebabs & Kurries – 1 Residency Road (at ITC Royal Gardenia); 011-91-080-2211-9898; itchotels.in.
●Koshy’s Jewel Box & Parade Café – 39 St. Mark’s Road; 011-91-080-2221-5030; best coffee; also, try prawn biryani; in evenings, has widest beer selection in city.
●Masala Klub – Race Course Road; 011-91-080-6660-5660; tajhotels.com; Indian barbecue.
●Meghana Foods – Residency Road; 011-91-080-4130-8080; meghanafoods.net; specializes in Hyderabad-style biryani; numerous locations.
●New Sri Sagar – 154 7^th Cross Road (Malleswaram, at Margosa Road); 011-91-080-2331-7531; 63 years-old; commonly known as “Central Tiffin Room”; among Bangalore’s most famous dosa places; table service but no menus; just order benne masala dosa (potato-stuffed crepe) and South Indian coffee (frothy).
●Olive Beach – 16 Wood Street; 011-91-080-4112-8400; olivebeachkitchen.com; flickering candles, open-air dining, Miami-esque vibe; great bar; Mediterranean menu with global perspective; twice-monthly gourmet bazaar that sells cheese, cured meats, pasta; 2^st Wednesday of every month – fab flea market.
●Persian Terrace – 26/1 Dr. Rajkumar Road (Malleswaram-Rajajinagar, at Sheraton Bangalore Hotel); 01191-080-4252-1000; starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/dining/index.html?propertyID=3110; authentic Indian-Persian cuisine in upscale location.
●Raj Pavillion – 25 Windsor Square (at ITC Windsor); 011-91-080-2226-9898; itchotels.in; British and Indian food.
●Umerkot – 80 Fort Main Road, #30 (Koramangala, 4^th Block); 011-91-080-2550-0426; classical recipes from Mughal Emperor.

SERVICES
●Personal Shopper – Manjusha Maheshwari; 011-91-98-8633-3980; fixture on social scene with rolodex filled with Indian designers’ names, as well as local artists.
●Tours – Jackfruit Research & Design; 011-91-080-2580-0733; jackfruitresearchdesign.com; Annapurna Garimella, Columbia University art history Ph.D., creates unique tours that encompass archaeology, history, and science; ask to visit Melukote (1K year-old town).

SHOPPING
●Abraham & Thakore – Embassy Classic (2^st floor), 14 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-4132-9316; abrahamandthakore.com; tailored clothing in natural fabrics, incorporating Indian style in Western designs; also, home line.
●Ananya – 94/1 West Park Road (between 16^th & 17^th Streets); 011-91-080-2344-0409; ananya.uk.com; silk skirts, drawstring bags, contemporary semi-precious stone and silver jewelry from Jaipur-based, cult favorite, Amrapali; proceeds portion goes to Action Aid India, which improves young Indian women’s lives.
●Atmosphere – Embassy Classic (1^st floor), 14 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-4112-0820; cushions, premade draperies, and textiles.
●Cauvery Karnataka State Arts & Crafts Emporium – 49 Mahatma Gandhi Road; 011-91-080-2559-7511; cauverycrafts.com; government-run handicraft shop.
●Cinnamon – 11 Walton Road; 011-91-080-2221-2426; contemporary Indian clothing and small selection of vintage objects from villages in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
●Good Earth – 24 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-2211-2878; goodearthindia.com; interior design objects with Indian-Western theme.
●Kanya – 32 6^th Main Road; 011-91-080-2334-5231; set in historic bungalow and founded in 1940s; sells cotton and silk saris from across India, especially from Kanchipuram, in southeastern Tamil Nadu state.
●Kimaya – 24 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-4173-8920; kimayastudio.com; Mumbai-based, luxury Indian couturier (more than 100) retailer.
●Maya Organic – 15 Bannerghatta Road; 011-91-080-2659-4547; mayaorganic.com; founded in 1989 by engineer Solomon Jaya Prakash, Maya elps alleviate poverty by providing work for nearly 500 Bangaloreans; artisans and workers build self-sustaining businesses that produce high-quality objects and services, like home accessories, apparel, and children’s furniture.
●Pause – 22/12 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-4112-1025; specializes in inlaid, wood furniture from Mysore, as well as modern garden ornaments (collapsible canvas deck chairs and sandstone planters).
●Rajesh Pratap Singh – Embassy Classic (2^st floor), 14 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-4132-9314; pratap.ws; tailored clothing, incorporating Indian style in Western designs.
●Ritu Kumar – 8 Papanna Street (off St. Marks Road); 011-91-080-4112-0278; ritukumar.com; contemporary clothing.
●Shimmer – 33/1 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-2213-2580; owners, Jamila and Seema Malhotra design movie costumes (Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love); here, they sell Indian bridal gowns, as well as home and Western-style evening accessories.
●Sumukha – 24/10 BTS Depot Road; 011-91-080-2229-2230; sumukha.com; 5K square feet of custom-built space; supports young, Indian talent; canvases and sculture.
●Tasveer – Sua House, 26/1 Kasturba Road Crossing; 011-91-080-2212-8358; tasveerarts.com; country’s 1^st private gallery dedicated to showcasing contemporary Indian photographers.
●Time & Space Gallery – 55 Lavelle Road; 011-91-080-2212-4117; gallerytimeandspace.com; Indian contemporary art.
●Tulsi – Embassy Classic (2^nd floor), 14 Vittal Mallya Road; 011-91-080-4132-9318; owned by Neeru Kumar; unique tunics, knee-length jackets, and shawls made by ancient weaving techniques.
●UB City: the Collection – 24 Vittal Mallya Road; shopping mall styled as Venetian plaza; Western designers (Armani, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, etc.), alongside Indian designers.
●Vimor – 49 Victoria Layout; 011-91-080-2555-1514; owned by Pavithra Muddaya, who works with local weavers to revive heritage designs, using antique furniture for inspiration.

SIGHTS & SITES
●BluO Bowling Alley – Dr Rajkumar Road (Orion Mall, 3^rd Floor); 011-91-088-6168-8800; pvrbluo.com; cocktails and snacks, as well as bowling; karaoke lounge and henna tattooing, too.
●Cubbon Park – Mahatma Gandhi Road (city center); 011-91-080-2286-7440; horticulture.kar.nic.in/cubbon.htm; created in 1870, by Major General Richard Sankey, British Chief Engineer of Mysore; 300 acres; landscaping creatively integrates natural rock outcrops with thickets of trees, massive bamboos, with grassy expanse and flowerbeds; well laid-out walking paths in tranquil natural environment.
●Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple – Lakshmipura Main Road (Gavipuram-Guttahalli), about 3 kms southwest of city center); every January, devotees gather to witness sunlight shine thrugh granite bull’s horns and fall upon Lord Shiva’s image.
●Chowdiah Memorial Hall – 16^th Cross Road (Malleswaram, Gayathri Devi Park Extension, Kodandarampura); 011-91-080-2344-5810; www.cmh.co.in; red, violin-shaped building; built in 1980 to honor Tirumakudalu Chowdiah (Karnataka native and among India’s most famous violinists).
●Lavelle Road – around intersection of Lavelle and Vittal Mallya Roads, in city center; 1 of Bangalore’s most exclusive enclaves; city’s chicest shopping spot.
●Malleswaram – northwest; historic, walkable neighborhood; shops with bright awnings line leafy streets where food vendors sell snacks and flower garlands; start at Chowdiah Memorial Hall (16^th Cross Road), red, violin-shaped building built in 1980 to honor Tirumakudalu Chowdiah (Karnataka native and among India’s most famous violinists); wander over to Sampige Road, notable for cafes that serve dosas.
●Tipu Sultan’s Palace – Chamrajpet (City Market); 011-91-080-2670-6836; constructed in 1791 and set in mud-brick fort; former warrior leader Tipu Sultan’s summer, teakwood palace.