Brahmins Coffee Bar is an age old traditional South Indian eatery. I hesitate to name it a restaurant as true to its name its more like a bar – one stands and grabs one’s bite and drink. Situated near the Shankara Mutt at Shankarapura in the South Indian city of Bengaluru, Karnataka this eatery serves pure vegetarian saatvik food and doesn’t entertain any reservations.

The name plate (or name board) painted on the overhead wall appears ancient and dulled in color yet the place attracts huge crowds owing to the vegetarian delicious meals.

People flock in to this eatery from as early as 6am to get their morning meal of the satiating idli (steamed rice cakes), Vada (fried lentil dumplings) and upma / khara bhath (a dish of cooked semolina). The meals are served in simple metal plates called thalis and the price friendly items make their way down the stomach accompanied by the finger licking coconut chutney.

With no seating arrangement everyone stands with their plates in hand and eats while upright. Despite that this simplistic place attracts people from various parts of the city.

The chutney server is stationed right outside the eatery and one can take in complimentary servings of the chutney. The filter coffee too is yet another popular item obviously as the place is primarily a coffee bar. No one stays there for very long – eat while standing and make your way out is the concept.

There’s a shed across the road where some people opt to go to eat their meal when the premises gets too crowded. One has to cross the road to go to the other side.

Fortunately there is little bit of seating available in the shed so some guys actually enjoy taking their plates over there. The concept a bit alien to me was interesting nonetheless.

Sikiladi