At <4kg per person, India’s meat consumption is the lowest in the world. Not just that. Growth of average annual consumption per person has been flat since 1961. While Bengaluru is certainly cosmopolitan, you can imagine the plight of options for steaks in the most vegetarian country there is. Fortunately, all hope is not lost with the recent rise in Steakhouses and Cafés serving continental cuisine in gentrified neighbourhoods of the city.
If you’re looking to smash some kickass steaks in the city, put on your seat belts.
🤯 Must Try 👇🏽
Kobe’s Sizzlers - Koramangala
Privy to Kobe’s for more than a decade, their consistency after all these years is enviable. Fish Shashlik is my favorite on the menu. I’ve tasted 7 Steaks on the menu and they all tasted great. Even the Vegetarian Steaks were cooked to perfection. If there’s anyone in the city that knows how to cook a luscious steak on a bed of vegetables, it’s got to be Kobe’s.
Kobe’s is great at hospitality. The staff makes sure to check up on you and gets what you need preemptively. They are well-wersed enough with the menu to elaborate on the nuances of dish preparations. Portion size of steaks are generous for one person.
Back in the hey day when Kobe’s was one of the handful expensive places in JNC road, it had long waiting times on the weekends. It was where the wealthy went for their weekend dinners and family gatherings. Back then, Kobe’s had a total American vibe with the booths like in American breakfast places.
Many might think steak originated in America as it’s such an American culinary dish. You may be surprised to learn that the word steak was first used mid-15th century Scandinavian and made popular in Florence, Italy.
The Only Place - Church Street
In 2009, my friends wanted a legendary and cool place for a special occasion. Low and behold, they picked The Only Place. That brunch at The Only Place is one my fondest memories of Bengaluru. It felt like a cool European Cafe with great music and excellent steaks. Back then, there weren’t very many places like that.
Whether you want a medium rare or a well done, they can make the perfect steak for you. Though I love their Chateaubriand, Fish & Chips is really my favorite. The crowd is a bit mature, ones that have learned to appreciate the nuances of their steaks. With an open air top, the cool breeze and calming ambience makes this an excellent place for conversation.
The word Biryani is derived from the Persian word, Birian, which means ‘fried before cooking’ and Birinj, which means ‘rice’. At the time, rice was fried in ghee, without washing, to give it a nutty flavour and prevent it from clumping. Dum Biryani refers to the traditional Persian cooking method that uses a slow breathing oven known as Dum Pukht method.
Olive Bar & Kitchen - Richmond Road
Olive is easily one the finest, if not the best fine dining destinations the city has to offer. What used to be a vintage villa was morphed into a stunning lounge bar and a romantic dining experience. You’d frequently run into the urban high class celebrating their anniversaries and birthdays here. This is a classic table cloth restaurant with an expensive menu where the chef truly cares about the aesthetics of dishes. Simply put, Olive is one of my top 3 places overall.
The menu curated by Manu Chandra, one of the country’s best chefs, is nothing less than extravagant.
The first Olive was started in Bombay in 2000 by the couple AD and Sabina Singh. Today, there’s an Olive in every major city in India. The brand quickly made a name for itself and expanded their footprint adding some really hip and popular places across the country. Others you might recognize include SodaBottleOpenerWala, Guppy and the Poke Bar, Hello Guppy, The Fatty Bao, Monkey Bar, Toast & Tonic, Olive Goa, The Grammar Room, Serai, Ek Bar and The Hoppery.
Sector 7 Café - HSR Layout
Nithin is a first generation entrepreneur who dreamed of starting a hip cafe and actually did it. Sector 7 is a cozy cafe with chic interiors and delectable menu at decent prices. Though this not a steakhouse, they make some really fine steaks. Nithin personally crafted the menu and the interiors to his liking. Sector 7 Café made a name for itself quickly and is quite popular among the young that work and live around HSR and South Bengaluru.
Peri Peri
The word steak or steik is from mid-15th century Scandinavian origin. Other pronunciations include the Middle English dialect stickna’ and the Old Norse word ‘steikja’.
