Filter coffee still reigns supreme in Bengaluru, despite the advent of hipster cafes and big coffee chains. Traditional restaurants in Bangalore almost always get their filter coffee right. It’s not too thick, the milk in coffee doesn’t usually roll off your tongue, and freshly brewed coffee with a generous chicory infusion always lifts your mood. While new-age roasteries and cafes have taken Bengaluru’s coffee snobbery to new heights, old-school restaurants and eateries remain popular spots for good old filter coffee that you can smell from afar.
Here are the 10 best places to filter coffee in Bangalore:
1. India Coffee House: Church Street
This prestigious institution may be inspired by nostalgia but it still works. The odd cup can be affixed and staff uniforms haven’t evolved to keep up with the city’s transition from Garden City to an IT hub. Not much has changed since the 1950s, thankfully, that includes coffee. Established by the India Coffee Board (the state produces over 70% of India’s coffee), it is India’s first coffee chain and shows no signs of slowing down.
2. CTR, Sri Sagar Hotel: 7th Cross Road, Malleswaram
If I had to pick one place for the crunchy bene (butter) masala dose, it would be this iconic establishment in Malleswaram. But that is not the only reason why you should stop here for breakfast or anytime, filter coffee is also present.
3. Brahman Coffee Bar: Shankarpura, Basuvanagudi
In many ways, it is the forerunner of the 2010 style food truck. There are no seats here, crowds of standing customers always spill out onto the sidewalks around the restaurant. Brahmins were founded in the 1960s; It was coffee that first brought customers here. After a few decades, the family also held on to its now trademark Coconut chutney. The menu has not changed in four decades – Idli, Vada, Kara Bath and Meetha Kesari Bath. But it’s the coffee that ties the menu, it’s fun to watch their coffee ‘masters’ churn out never-ending tumblers of coffee with assembly-line precision.
4. Filter Coffee: HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar
Name is a gift. This Restaurant Has Built Its Reputation Almost Entirely Around Its Perfectly Made Tumblr filter coffee. It’s not just the coffee (the restaurant also offers healthier coffee options like Karupatti Coffee) that brings back regulars, the restaurant’s Chennai-style dosas (try their murunga elai/drumstick leaves) are also a big draw.
(Also read: The Ultimate Guide To South Indian Filter Coffee And How To Make It At Home)
5. MTR 1924: St. Mark’s Road
Mavli Tiffin Room has been an integral part of Bangalore’s food culture for almost a century. From a single restaurant where diners had to wait for days for reservations, MTR is now one of the most successful chain restaurants in the city. filter coffee Here is fail-proof and their beneficial (butter) dosage as well.
6. Student Building: Gandhi Bazar Main Road, Basavanagudi
A Bengaluru dining icon from the 1940s. It’s impossible to stop a table with long lines leading up to the busy Gandhi Bazaar on a Sunday morning. I always enjoy watching the juggling skills of the waiting staff tiptoe into the cramped dining area with heaps of masala dosas and tumblers of freshly brewed filter coffee.
(Also read: Filter Coffee: Is the traditional hot brew losing its popularity in South India?)
7. Airlines Hotels: SBI Road, Ashok Nagar
Another iconic venue that is high in nostalgia, this open-air space remains relevant even after decades. You will see old-timers side by side with young bikers on weekend mornings. The sultry weather of Bengaluru ensures that this place stays in the mix at any time of the day. Savor a cup of invigorating coffee with Bisi (Hot) Idli under a banyan tree or simply have a tall glass of hot tea next door chocolate fudge Sundays at Corner House, one of Bengaluru’s favorite country ice cream destinations.
8. Veena Store: Margosa Road, Malleswaram
You can catch and go or you can catch and stop on the sidewalk. This is what most regulars do at one of the most popular eateries in Malleswaram. They will also ask you to reach here early – be it breakfast or evening tiffin. Their crunchy vadas and savage (vermicelli) baths are usually the first items to be finished. Most of the diners indulge in their famous coconut chutney. But filter coffee is something that is usually available throughout the day.
(Also read: Best place for filter coffee in Chennai)
9. ITC Windsor: golf course road
Most luxury hotels in Bengaluru struggle to get their filter coffee fix. ITC Windsor is one of those rare exceptions. South, their exclusive South Indian restaurant always serves a great glass of frothy filter coffee. Same is the case with their all-day meals and in-room meals.
10. Kotha Coffee: Sampige Road, Malleswaram
Kotha has been one of the oldest established filter coffee brands in the city. This small cafe serves quite a few varieties cold coffee But it is the filter coffee that is the mainstay. You can also buy their filter coffee at this outlet, their range includes various coffee blends: chicory, which includes restaurant-style coffee blends where the chicory content goes all the way up to 40%
.