Drunk on innovation

If you're not innovating fast enough, you're losing out — that seems to be the current mantra of Bangalore's food and beverage industry. And we're not even referring to the food and drinks. From cocktails being served in jars to food arriving in a tiffin box — major investments are now being made in decor, designing of crockery, menus, among other things. The only catch — you have to get it absolutely right.

Food aficionado Aslam Gafoor, who believes that when it comes to eating out, Bangaloreans are quite flirtatious, says that the only way a concept restaurant can work in the city is by getting the idea right. "It also has to be practical. Most people are looking for places that are contemporary and where they can be comfortable; places that break the pattern. In the past, there have been restaurants and bars that have experimented with different ideas and failed. But in the recent years, Bangalore has seen an entrance of restaurateurs who've raised the bar when it comes to being different - be it with their design, food and drinks or price points."
Early this month, Whitefield saw the opening of 153, Biere Street. Call it a mini-high street, this address provides a visitor with a brewery, a restaurant, a florist, a niche bakery, and a store for bespoke menswear. There is even an open performance area.

Columnist/actor/stand-up comedienne, Rubi Chakravarti, who's made a pit stop or two at 153 Biere Street, says the place lends itself a quaint charm that makes it very attractive a place to hang. "Yes, it is in Whitefield in a cul-de-sac but if one can spend at least three for hours over there, doing different things, I don't see why people shouldn't go there. You can eat there, have a few drinks, browse the shops, which I am sure will increase in number with time, and not be rushed to come back. I'd say it brings back a lot of romance in the whole idea of 'hanging out'."
March also saw the opening of Social, Bangalore newest watering hole on Church Street. Industrial style interiors, eye-popping prices, quirky crockery, it's clear that the city is ready for heavy doses of creativity in the F&B space. Ask Riyaaz Amlani, the brain behind Social, as to why would he open such a place and he has just one thing to say, "I want people to come here and hang out with their friends, and have a good time."

One of Bangalore's favourite gastro-pub, Monkey Bar is all set to open its second outlet in Indiranagar. When it first opened a couple of years ago, it won rave reviews because of its innovative way of serving drinks, and a menu that was actually different from any other pub in the city. With price points that attracted the youth easily, Monkey Bar soon saw people across ages making it their second home. Something had clearly worked for them. "Monkey bar was an experiment; it was created to fill the mid-market segment which is currently the most exciting segment, that is where the volume lies. And when it comes to innovation, we've always tried to push the envelope," says chef and restaurateur Manu Chandra.
Talking about the future of concept outlets, Chandra adds, "If you see Cyber City Gurgaon, it has an amalgamation of some fantastic restaurants. There's Soda Bottle Openerwala, Soi 7 Pub & Brewery, The Wine Company, among others. And all these places are doing extremely well. There are about two to three lakh people who work at Cyber City and therefore the footfalls at these restaurants guaranteed. Bangalore cannot imagine raking in that kind of revenues just yet. Having said that, I believe that Bangalore is ready for something big. There are a lot of credible players in the market who are doing some very interesting things. There is so much more now than there used to be. And as a result, what will happen is that anything that is weak in the business will fall by the wayside."