Where to eat this August… in Bengaluru

This month, Bengaluru welcomes a bar that focuses exclusively on low-ABV drinks with creations inspired by the phases of the moon. The city has never shied away from opening large-scale breweries, and Bellandur now has a brand-new one. And just adjacent, on Sarjapur-Varthur Road, is another that brings a touch of Spain to the city. We also have a new vinyl bar that will make Gen Xers (and all those who love the music of that era) happy, and, to round up the new launches, a new eggless, all-vegetarian gourmet ice cream spot.

Openings & launches

Moonjar, Cambridge Layout

Moonjar sits atop Nila (Tamil for ‘moon’), the degustation-menu-only restaurant, keeping with the trend of a conceptual space-within-a-space. Once upstairs, the glass wall and ceiling, with a raintree gently brushing against them, show you exactly why this spot is perfect for a sundowner or a full-moon night. Keep your fingers crossed for the apartment complex next door to lose power for a few seconds to make the space all the more magical.

Moonjar is home to low-ABV-forward cocktails, focusing on sake, vermouth, white wine, and sober spirits. There are eight drinks to mirror the phases of the moon, and one grand culmination as a nod to the sun. Head of bar (and curator of the music) Sibasish Palai has created a very repeatable drink in Dust of Selene—rhododendron, juniper, grapefruit, and rim of sumac. The Penumbra is a take on the Kalimotxo—red wine, cherry, cola, and pomegranate—and is nostalgia with an upped cool factor. You may never want your buttermilk any other way once you have had their Elixir #3.

The food, by chef Rahul Sharma, is what bar food should be: a series of satisfying plates. The chana aioli with pickled apricots and charred shoestring-sliced leeks as well as the shrimp wontons with peanut butter and chilli oil are great. The tofu curd with Italian noodles and Chinese chilli oil can change the minds of tofu-avoiders. Butterflied prawns are made delectable with burnt lemon and Japanese mayo. And for that if-it-is-one-dish-only, there’s the scallops, plated in a way that they are hidden under a light tahini foam in which you have to dig around a bit to find them.

Kahaani, Whitefield

If you’re not in Whitefield and need a compelling reason to make the trip (IYKYK), Kahaani may be it. The new progressive Indian vegetarian restaurant at Essensai067 is built around the idea that Indian ingredients have wandered far and wide. Being Indian saved founder Haresh Mirpuri’s life during the 1998 Jakarta riots, and also led to the realisation that Indian ingredients, techniques, and flavours had travelled the world long before they were recognised.

Chef Sibin Lal, who travelled through Indonesia while developing the menu, builds those connections into the food itself, from paneer ghee roast wrapped in Levantine bread and momos in Sri Lankan curry to lotus stem and burrata chaat. Also on the menu are banana galouti kebab, stuffed chilli bajji, and desserts such as the gulab jamun tiramisu and gulab jamun cheesecake.

Scoop Room, Indiranagar

One more reason to scream for ice cream. Hospitality entrepreneur Pallavii Gupta, who brought in an elevated coffee culture with The Kind, now turns her attention to ice cream. The premium vegetarian, eggless parlour balances comforting classics with playful new-age flavours. There’s Cookie Dough Hour for those who like to keep it familiar; Paan-tastic, which captures the flavour of the quintessential end to an Indian meal; Pick Me Avo, which may well change how you think about avocado in a dessert; and Gingersnap, which just may bring Christmas a little early. Even the waffle cones, cookies, brownies, and sauces are made in-house. Between scoops, wander through a bright, playful space dotted with pops of neon, mirror-finished steel, vintage telephones, and quirky corners that are fun. Brownie points for the pet-friendly outdoor seating.

Helen & Lorena’s Place, Sarjapur-Varthur Road

Walk into Helen & Lorena’s Place on a sunny afternoon, and you’ll find whitewashed walls, blooming bougainvillea, and a courtyard made for lingering. Return after sunset, and the mood shifts. There is shadow play from the fairy lights that are strung overhead, giving the thatched doorways of this Porto-Spanish crafthouse a distinct character.

Inspired by the coastal traditions of Porto and the countryside kitchens and bakeries of San Sebastián, the newest restaurant from the team behind Roxie, Roxie & Barry and Helen’s Place builds its identity around two distinct personalities. Helen’s kitchen serves up Portuguese comfort food, from red-wine-braised chicken and pork chorizo to hearty coastal fare, while Lorena’s panadería celebrates Spanish baking with its Cutie Pies, Cuddle Puffs and pastries, before ending on crema Catalana, cherry amaretto tiramisu and a tableside crêpe Suzette. Cocktails such as Bougainvillaea Balcony and Pineapple Postcards come with interesting narratives, giving the diner something to explore every time.

Malties, Radisson Blu Hotel

At a time when vinyl bars are everywhere and Spotify algorithms decide what comes next, Malties makes a case for something more personal. The reopened bar at Radisson Blu Bengaluru Outer Ring Road is built around the music of the ’60s through the ’ 90s and will make those who grew up with Glenn Frey, Chicago, Foreigner, and Def Leppard on repeat very happy.

The soundtrack begins with jazz in the afternoon before moving through nostalgic ballads, soft rock, country, and, finally, unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll. Around you sits a collection of memorabilia personally sourced by the Roach family, owners of the hotel, over the years: from a 19th-century German accordion and a functioning radiogram to vintage film canisters, old correspondence, classic radios, and black-and-white films that begin screening after 7 pm. The hearty menu matches the mood, with Kiev croquettes, bacon bombs, Holy Squid, Tangra-style crispy chicken, a Parsi-inspired Bombay masala scramble and Cajun smashed potatoes completing the evening.

Uno Izakaya, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru

One of Bengaluru’s most dependable Japanese restaurants has had a complete rethink. Uno Izakaya at JW Marriott Bengaluru has reopened with a speakeasy-inspired makeover, a progressive new menu by chef Subham Dhar, and a cocktail programme by mixologist Dev that brings the same ingredient-led philosophy from the kitchen into the glass.

The mood is more intimate now, with warm stone arches, carved Jizo-inspired figures, oversized drum lamps that reveal ink-wash landscapes when lit, and flashes of pop art. Behind the bar, expect cocktails built with miso, wasabi, umeboshi, and sakura, from a savoury Miso Manhattan and the wasabi-laced Golden Koi to a crystal-clear Silent Bloom Negroni, alongside a five-label sake programme. On the food front, don’t miss the gindara misozuke, marinated in miso for 72 hours, yaki niku made with Kerala rib eye, and hotate ceviche with Hokkaido scallops and passion fruit leche de tigre. If you’ve not been in a while, this feels less like a refresh and more like an entirely new restaurant.

Brahma Brews, Bellandur

Eight years after opening in JP Nagar, Brahma Brews has expanded to Bellandur with a 17,000 sq ft microbrewery inside Ecospace, bringing one of Bengaluru’s longest-running craft beer brands to the city’s eastern corridor. Designed as a tropical escape with soaring glass facades, lush greenery, and room for more than 700 guests, the new space is built as much for after-work drinks and weekend brunches as it is for large celebrations.

The menu is just as ambitious. Alongside six freshly brewed house beers, there are more than 100 cocktails and 180 dishes spanning European, Continental, Asian and Indian cuisines. We were particularly intrigued by the menu’s playful cross-cultural creations: banana galouti kebab, crumb-fried ghee roast paneer roll, paneer ghee roast pita, momos in Sri Lankan curry, lotus stem and burrata chaat, and stuffed chilli bajji. Desserts continue the East-meets-India theme with gulab jamun tiramisu and gulab jamun cheesecake. If the original became a JP Nagar institution, Bellandur looks set to give east Bengaluru a neighbourhood brewery of its own.

SPECIALS, EVENTS, LIMITED-TIME MENUS

Pompeii’s Gian Marco Carli takes over Siciliana

Siciliana’s first international guest chef collaboration brings Pompeii-based chef Gian Marco Carli to all its Mumbai and Bengaluru outlets this August. Having honed his craft at Michelin-starred restaurants including Don Alfonso, Quattro Passi and L’Anima, Carli has created a menu that celebrates the generous, rustic flavours of southern Italy rather than fine-dining theatrics.

Start with a fritto misto all’Italiana of saffron arancini, and mozzarella in carrozza and potato croquettes, or tuna tartare with tomato gazpacho, before moving on to tortelli alla pollo with chicken Genovese ragù and pecorino foam, Mediterranean stuffed peppers, or Australian lamb chop cutlets with rustic potatoes. There’s also a slow-fermented gorgonzola and pear pizza and focaccia barese fresh from the oven. Round off the meal with torta Caprese, inspired by the chef’s hometown, or bomboloni filled with vanilla custard. Available only through August, this is a rare opportunity to taste southern Italy through one of its own chefs.

A one-night shoyu experience at The Oberoi Bengaluru

Most of us think of soy sauce as the finishing touch. At Kioke Dojo, it’s the reason for the meal. For one night only, Wabi Sabi at The Oberoi Bengaluru will host Japan’s Kioke Dojo, bringing together Yamaroku Shoyu’s lead brewer Yasuo Yamamoto and Tokyo’s Namida chef Yoshifumi Tashida for a seven-course dinner that explores the depth and complexity of traditionally brewed kioke shoyu. Kioke shoye is a rarity today, with less than one per cent of Japan’s soy sauce still made in centuries-old wooden barrels. Yamaroku’s flagship Tsuru Bishio is double-brewed and matured over four years, developing layers of umami more akin to a fine wine than a condiment.

Expect an onion velouté enriched with Tsuru Bishio, fresh hiramasa dressed with kioke soy ponzu, agedashi-style paneer paired with atsuage and the brewery’s signature shoyu, chutoro, served over Tsuru Bishio rice, grilled rice cake with ghee soy sauce, and an espresso crémeux finished with kioke soy caramel. Each course showcases a different expression of shoyu, demonstrating how the ingredient can shape a dish rather than simply season it. At The Oberoi Bengaluru on August 22.