MAVALLI TIFFIN ROOMS

Hello everyone,

This week I visited the Mavalli Tiffin Rooms or MTR as they call it,one of the oldest and most well known restaurants in Bangalore. Started by three brothers from Udipi this is the place I feel one should visit if one wants to eat authentic South Indian food. Generally I speak about monuments or places of interest in Bangalore. But this time I decided to visit a restaurant because this is not just any normal restaurant.With a legacy that dates back to 1924, this restaurant has literally been feeding Bangalore out of its hands.

Situated in Lal Bagh Road just beside Lal Bagh Main Gate,the restaurant opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes by 11:00 a.m. in the morning. I came know about this restaurant when it was documented in Discovery Travel and Living and indeed when I visited this restaurant this weekend I was very impressed. I come from a city where there are many old cafes like MTR and whenever one visits these places whether in the early mornings or evenings one can come across a lot of old people discussing everything from politics to their dwindling health conditions and this cafe is no different.

The restaurant is well located and one can easily spot this restaurant as soon as they reach Lal Bagh Main Gate, as there is always a crowd of people in front of this restaurant. MTR is housed in a two story beige coloured building and as soon as you reach the entrance of this restaurant you can see a group of octogenarians sitting outside on the stone benches sipping coffee and engaging themselves in light conversation.

The food over here was very good probably the best dosa I have had till now. The restaurant is full of activity at all the times it is open and what was different was the costume of the waiters. Many of them were wearing red and beige coloured shirts teamed with a traditional South Indian vesti. This shows that MTR wants to show its heritage and South Indianess through not only its food but also through their waiters.On the ground floor one will first come across the parcel counter, right to which is the coffee room where only coffee is served . If you proceed further through the square framed arch you come across the general dining room where you can sit down  and eat.  There is a dining hall in the second floor and one has to come with a family or be in a group to access the dining hall.

But more than the food, what really enchanted me was the atmosphere. It again and again reminded me of my city Kolkata and my North Kolkata neighbourhoods, where almost every locality has a generation old restaurant like this. This restaurant has stayed true to its heritage and that is the essence of this place. There is a certain old world charm in this place and you get a feel of the real Bangalore a few decades ago. As I was sipping coffee I could see some images of southern beauties etched on smoky glass. Also there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the second floor.

All this just makes Mavelli Tiffin Room a must visit for anyone visiting Bangalore and I would certainly head out again to this restaurant on another Sunday
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