Bengaluru, for all its tech-driven vitality, isn’t precisely a metropolis that by no means sleeps. Unlike Mumbai’s 3 am vada pav stalls or Delhi’s all-night paratha joints, most of Bengaluru winds down earlier than midnight. Late at night time, the roads empty, streetlights hum in solitude, and even the town’s well-known cafés shut their doorways. But throughout Ramzan, just a few pockets of the town defy this drowsy routine.The air is thick with the scent of grilled meats, the streets hum with chatter, and each nook has one thing scorching, smoking, or being stirred in a large pot. On the night of March 14, we go on an Iftar stroll throughout three distinct neighbourhoods — Shivaji Nagar, Frazer Town, and Koramangala.
Shivaji Nagar (7.30pm to eight.45pm)
If you assume Bengaluru’s site visitors is overwhelming, you haven’t skilled Chandni Chowk Road Cross in Shivaji Nagar throughout Ramadan. It is a sensory overload — a feast of sights, sounds, and, most significantly, smells. The space, named after the Maratha king Shivaji, is thought for its historic attraction, however tonight, even the warrior king may need discovered the chaos an excessive amount of.
Smoke from scorching meat fills the air, mingling with the scent of spices. Vendors yell over honking automobiles, beckoning passersby with guarantees of one of the best kebabs on the town. At one stall, we watch as paththar ka gosht— meat cooked on scorching stone slabs — sizzles to perfection. Nearby, pizzas are being baked in kulhads (mud cups), a unusual fusion of Indian and Italian. It is a carnival of meals.
An individual making paththar ka gosht
| Photo Credit:
Ravichandran N
Ananya Rao, a 28-year-old software program engineer from Chennai, is right here for the primary time. “Bengaluru is not just about tech parks and traffic,” she says, “It’s about moments like these — where history, culture, and food collide.”
The warmth and smoke make us thirsty, so we discover solace at Malabar Kulukki Sarbath Stall, run by Hassan Sinan, a espresso store proprietor from Indiranagar who units up his Ramadan stalls throughout the town. The Kulukki Sarbath, a Kerala specialty, is a mixture of lemon juice, uncooked mango, crushed ice, and basil seeds, with a touch of inexperienced chili for an surprising kick. It is sort of a punch to the style buds: candy, bitter, spicy, and cooling abruptly.
Refreshed, we comply with Hassan’s advice to Shalimar Restaurant, run by Abdul Rahman, for our first actual meal of the night. Their particular pepper prawns pack a fiery punch, whereas the traditional sheekh kebabs are juicy however a tad too salty. Abdul chuckles, saying, “This is just the beginning. Come back in an hour, and you won’t be able to walk here.”
He isn’t joking. When we return to our scooter, it takes us 20 minutes simply to squeeze it out from a sea of parked automobiles. By 8.45pm, we’re en path to Frazer Town, hoping for a barely calmer expertise.
Frazer Town (9.15pm to 10.30pm)
Frazer Town, traditionally the epicentre of Bengaluru’s Iftar scene, is present process a change. Once well-known for its Ramzan Food Festival on Mosque Road, the realm now operates underneath new restrictions — no pop-up stalls, solely in-house restaurant setups.
Arjun M, a advertising govt and long-time Ramadan meals walker, seems to be round and sighs. “It’s quieter, but the spirit is still alive.” The highway building and stall ban have stored issues extra organised, however regulars like him miss the celebratory chaos of previous years.
For eating places, enterprise is down. “Sales have halved,” says Akbar Ali, supervisor at Savoury Restaurant. Despite this, their menu stays a crowd-puller, that includes slow-cooked haleem, juicy kebabs, and Mohabbat Ka Sharbat — a candy, rose-flavoured Ramadan staple.
Iftar Walk meals stall in Frazer Town
| Photo Credit:
Ravichandran N
We dig into idiyappam with rooster rogan josh, a shocking however scrumptious pairing, adopted by Mahalabia, a Middle Eastern milk pudding topped with pistachios. The first few bites are divine, however as soon as the nuts are gone, the dessert turns into a bit too candy and one-dimensional.
At Empire Restaurant, one other staple of the realm, a supervisor tells us their Ramadan gross sales are down by 80%. It is obvious that many meals lovers have migrated elsewhere this 12 months. And from what we hear, that ‘elsewhere’ is Koramangala.
By 10.30pm, we’re prepared to seek out out if the rumours are true.
Koramangala (11:10pm to 12:15am)
Koramangala is not like the opposite two stops. It is neither as overwhelming as Shivaji Nagar nor as subdued as Frazer Town. Instead, it’s a energetic combine of school college students, IT professionals, and weekend partygoers.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect Ramadan vibes to hit this hard here,” says 19-year-old Aisha Khan, a university pupil and first-time Iftar walker. “It’s not as chaotic as Shivaji Nagar, but it’s buzzing. You’ve got kebabs on one side and cocktails on the other — it’s like two worlds colliding, and somehow it just works.”
Mr Kulukki stall in Koramangala
| Photo Credit:
Ravichandran N
We make a beeline for MR Kulukki, run by Hamza, a former Empire Restaurant worker who claims to “know the pulse” of Koramangala’s crowd. His stall caters to a youthful demographic, providing flavoured tiramisu, baklava, and kunafa alongside Ramadan classics like rabdi and phirni.
Intrigued, we attempt Hyderabadi shahi thukda, a thick milk-soaked bread pudding with nuts, and a custard roll, each indulgent and totally satisfying. Nearby, a Kashmiri tea stall serves aromatic kahwah, and a kebab vendor shouts his rhythmic chant: “Chicken, mutton, kebab… chicken, mutton, kebab.” The night time is alive, however differently from the outdated Ramadan hotspots.
As we sip our final drinks (yet another mango kulukki sarbath), we look at our telephones. It is 12.15am. Somewhere between our first kebab in Shivaji Nagar and our final sip of kulukki sarbath in Koramangala, March 14 had became March 15.
And similar to that, our Iftar stroll had crossed not simply three neighbourhoods, but in addition two totally different days.
Published – March 20, 2025 04:31 pm IST
