This dusty little gem has been sitting pretty at St. Mark's Road since 1940 and has in its time served the likes of Jawaharlal Nehru, Nikita Kruschev and Queen Elizabeth II. It's easily the oldest establishment mentioned on this blog and I'm proud to be writing about it.
For those younger and more stylish than I, you might be wondering why I'm not writing about the latest microbrewery that's opened up in Bangalore. I'd like to bring to your attention that Koshy's is very stylish and if you don't believe me, according to the restaurant's website Koshy's is the winner of the MTV's most stylish in Bangalore award. Turns out MTV has better taste than I gave it credit for.
Looks Like
Housed in an statuesque, old building covered with vintage typography, Koshy's is solid in a way buildings just aren't anymore. Enter and you'll enter into high ceilings, slow, bulky ceiling fans and naturally sepia tinted photographs. Make yourself comfortable. It's quickly apparent that it's been a while (probably since Nehru last dropped by) since any of the staff felt the need to rush, so expect your menu and consequently your order to follow at a stately and dignified pace. It made me happy to see that the restaurant, though old isn't rickety or dilapidated, though not hep is not populated only by nostalgia hungry geriatrics and though relaxed is not inefficient or irrelevant. We need to show places like this more love.
Tastes Like
Whilst there are Indian options available, I was looking for a filling breakfast and decided to go in for the Indian "club" food genre. Buttery, hot, Fried Eggs cooked perfectly with just enough runny yolk to mop up with thick slices of Minced Mutton Toast. The toast was comprised of the fattest slices of soft, white bread topped with generously spiced mutton mince and dotted with curry leaves. I added a side of meaty, pork sausages, crackling bacon and washed the entire thing down with a refreshing fresh lime soda made the old fashioned way. That's when they give you a glass, with lime juice and sugar syrup and the soda by the side.
In the evenings the local young people and some not so young people gather to drink Iced Tea and Rum (a combination I'd never heard of before) and catch up on the day while the owner bustles around proudly, making sure the crowds, (or equally likely) the staff aren't overwhelmed.
Feels Like
The large hall, minimal foofery and hardcore nostalgia make this place impossible to forget. There was an India before microbreweries and malls and it may not have had wifi but it had grace and authentic charm. The liveried waiters, old ceramic crockery and white table linen hark back to a time when it feels like we had much more class.
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