Church Street, One of the busiest streets in Bengaluru Central Business District, receives heavy footfalls from Bengaluru’s youth and veterans alike. A mix of great pubs and eateries alongside some unique shopping opportunities on the street are big crowd pullers. Most restaurants also serve drinks through the day, which makes them, even more, inviting for the youth. Park your vehicle on Museum Road or find a spot on MG Road before taking a stroll on this famous strip.
10:00 a.m. – Begin your day with gourmet coffee
The best thing about Matteo Coffea is their comfortable red sofas and the congenial environment. The coffee rates aren’t anything to complain about either. At 140 rupees for a tall glass, the Espresso Shakerato gives a visitor value for money and an hour or two to chat with friends. This milk and ice-cream blend comes topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon, which makes it really yummy. Our second coffee pick would be Caramel Shakerato priced at 150 rupees. This one not only has a caramel sauce topping but is also blended with some. But surprisingly, it is only moderately sweet, despite all the caramel. That’s the reason why we love it. If you prefer a hot cup of Joe, try the Caffe Latte. Matteo claims to use only top 10% of quality Arabica beans to maintain their standards and it reflects in the taste of the coffee. A chocolate croissant or a cinnamon roll for 80 rupees each should go well with your coffee.
If you are hungry, there’s a range of pasta, omelets, salads, burgers, wraps and more. Penne Pasta Bolognese comes highly recommended.
Address: 2, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Open on all days from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Call at: 080 43336000
11:00 a.m. – Go bowling at Amoeba
One of the few bowling alleys in Bengaluru, this one is quite popular among the youth for a number of gaming activities it offers. If you visit before 5 pm from Monday to Thursday, you pay 245 rupees for 20 throws. The rate shoots up to 270 after 5 pm and even further on weekends and public holidays when you pay 320 for one game. For those who prefer video gaming, there is a whole section for you with a choice of about 200 games. Buy a card and get going. Once you are done and feel up to a drink, grab a seat at 20 Feet High, an eatery in the same premises and choose from a range of hard and soft drinks available. A Mojito or Long Island Ice Tea for 325 and 400 rupees each come recommended. Overall, it is a great place for enjoying a game and a drink with friends.
Address: No.22, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Phone: 080 2559 4631
1:00 p.m. – Have Malayali food at Coconut Grove
Anyone who has been there even once can’t stop raving about this very traditional restaurant, which also has drinks on its menu. Climb up to the first floor and you will find yourself in a completely green setting, with tall trees within the premises reaching out to you. The green, breezy and quiet ambiance is inviting and the soft traditional music adds to the flavor of the Kerala cuisine. The waiters are also soft-spoken and impeccably dressed in green kurtas and white lungis. Food is served in plantain leaves places in plates. Appams are a must try – they serve two for 90 rupees plus taxes. Kerala paranthas are perfect and the buttermilk is spiced well. If you are a non-vegetarian, you will find Kozhi Nadan Curry, a chicken dish in brown gravy, simmered in traditional spices, really smooth. For vegetarians, I would recommend the Kadala Curry, which is the way chana curry is made in Kerala.For those interested only in drinks and continental food, the ground floor serves the purpose.
Address: 86, Spencers Building, Church Street, Bengaluru
Timings: 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
2:30 pm – Buy a bestseller at Bookworm
Church Street is a complete delight for book lovers with four bookstores in the entire stretch. Besides Blossom Book House, Gangarams Book Bureau and Goobe’s Republic of Books, Bookworm, which was originally on MG Road moved to Church Street a few months back. Over a sprawling two floors, the store has racks of old and new books. Most of them are available at a 20% discount – yes, even the new ones – and some used ones are priced at 150 rupees each. It’s a pleasure to smell and read those old copies and buy them for your bookshelf. A variety of children’s books come at dirt-cheap prices. If you are lucky, Bookworm could be conducting a free book launch event and you could get to meet an author you love.
Address: 1, Church Street, opposite Starbucks Coffee, Bengaluru
Timings: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Call 9845076757 for any information
3:30 p. m. – Pick up merchandise at this comic book store
If you are a fan of comic books, television shows like Game Of Thrones and Harry Potter films, look no further than The Entertainment Store for merchandise. The store is a delight for comic book geeks. Captain America, Wonder Woman, Batman, Manga, Star Trek and The Beatles are just some of the few that adorn apparel, mugs, posters, keychains, statues and many more collectibles on sale at the store. Pick Motu Patlu figurines for 299 and a Star Trek wallet for 749 rupees. If you miss out on something, don’t fret. Order online at https://www.entertainmentstore.in.
Address: 47, Prestige Eureka, Opp. Hotel Empire, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Call 080 4151 1492 for any questions.
Check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheEntStore/
4:30 p.m. – Buy ethical accessories at Ethik
Cruelty-free merchandise a.k.a. leather free accessories are available at this one-of-a-kind store on Church Street. “Ethik leather-free” has a host of eco-friendly accessories for men – yes, only for men. All products are made of “leather”, a high tensile strength material, which is durable, comfortable and even waterproof. As far as the comfort goes, the brand differentiates itself by using extra cushion around the rim of the shoes. Pick a keychain for 300 rupees and a wallet for 1200- 1600 rupees. Belts cost 1000 rupees, while shoes range between 2600 to 5000 rupees.
Online sales for the store start soon through their website www.ethik.in.
Address: 50/1, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Call the store at +91 80 4115 7459.
5:00 p.m. -Connect at Church Street Social
Church Street Social is one of the biggest crowd-pullers of the street. The décor is quirky with menus printed on tabloid- sized sheets, glasses painted with “Paani” and beer mugs with “Thandi Beer” in Hindi. A section of the joint is used as a co-working space with a bar and music and the rest of the space is for visitors. Food is served in unique ways too – beakers, syringes, paper cones – they are quirky and fun! Some of the all-day breakfast platters such as Sid’s Very Posh Breakfast and Hardy’s Bhai Ishtyle Breakfast – are named quite creatively after some of their staff.
The cocktail Aacharoska, which is caipiroska in a pickle, vodka, fresh mint, sweet and sour mix and Indian lime pickle, comes recommended and so does the Longest Long Island Ice Tea. The eatery also has a separate smoking zone. Everything about Church Street Social invites you for real world interaction, which is what their mission is. All you need to do is look around, observe and connect, to have a fun dining experience here.
Address: 46/1, Cobalt Building, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Timings: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
For any information, call 080 40515253
6:00 p.m. – Grab a pack of these bite-sized treats
Bite Me Cupcakes may be small in size, but they are so scrumptious, they can be almost addictive. Pick any variety- whether it is the Choco Centre, Blueberry or Red Velvet, each one is equally soft, adequately juicy and flavourful. It is likely that you’ll polish them off in one go, so be grateful about the bite-size. For 45 rupees a piece, it may not come too cheap, but is good for your health. Vegetarians can happily order too, the cakes are eggless.
6:30 p.m.– Get inked at Bramha Tattoo
Bramha tattoo has got over 60,000 tattoo designs to choose from. Prasad, the tattoo artist and owner of the studio uses anesthesia to numb the area for painless tattooing. He is an expert at reading aura and can also give you enough gyaan on the energy the tattoo emanates, what it means and where it should be placed on the body. The minimum rate for a small design is 3,700 rupees while the hourly rate for tattooing is 24,000 rupees.
Address: 50/1, Church Street, Off M.G.Road, Below State Bank Of India, Haridevpur, Shanthala Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru.
Phone: +91 94482 00145
Website: http://bramhatattoostudio.in
8:00 p.m. – Time to pick up a box of chocolates
A trip to Church Street is incomplete without a visit to Zoroy Luxury Chocolate, a gourmet chocolate parlor with top quality Belgian chocolates on sale. Get a box of beautifully packaged chocolates and while you are there, do give their signature Belgian Chocolate Shake (149 rupees) a try.
Read our review of Zoroy here. (Please insert link)
Address: 44, Near K C Das, Off Brigade Road, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Opening hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p. m. Open all days.
8:30 p.m. – Have a Bengali dinner at Oh! Calcutta
One of the best Bengali restaurants in Bengaluru, Oh! Calcutta has a range of seafood, which demands multiple visits to the eatery.
The décor is beautiful and even the crockery and cutlery has a stamp of Kolkata. Plates are printed with scenes from the city. But the best part is the food, which is finger-licking good. Mochar Chop, Fish Fry, Smoked Hilsa and Murshidabadi Murgi Fry are some of the signature starters. Hing Aloor Dom, Maacher Paturi Mochar Ghanto are the best of the main course. For dessert, Nolen Gurer Ice Cream (which is rarely available) and Mishti Doi are a must-try.
Address: 2nd Floor, 14, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Timings: 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
10:00 p.m. – Go Frogging!
Now that you are done with dinner, it’s time to hit the dance floor. Blue Frog offers you an opportunity to tap your feet till 1:00 a.m. Parties often begin at 10:00 p.m. and go on until it’s time for them to shut down. But the best part about Blue Frog is its music nights six days a week. Popular national and international bands and rock stars perform live for an audience on Thursdays and Sundays. Entry charges are different each time. Fridays and Saturdays are DJ nights when a cover charge of 1000 rupees per male and 500 rupees per couple, redeemable against food and drinks inside, is to be paid. Females can walk in free for the music! Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually meant for recorded music and in-house DJs. Food and drinks are expensive, but Shotgun Chicken and Grilled Stuffed Chicken are recommended eats.
Mark your calendars for the performance of the outstanding Chilean bassist, composer, and producer, Christian Galvez who will be at Blue Frog on September 14.
Address: 3, Ground Floor, Church Street, Bengaluru.
Timings: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m., Mondays closed
Phone: 080 69999549
Priti Salian |Contributing Editor
Priti is a well traveled freelance writer/journalist who is happiest when immersed in an assorted set of assignments. Currently exploring the history and heritage of Bangalore, Priti has covered a plethora of subjects in her articles including arts & culture, fashion, food, health, travel and social and women’s issues.
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