ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Restaurant Name: Karavalli: The Gateway Hotel
Phone: +919845894343, +918066604545, +919243752526
Address: Gateway Hotel, 66, Residency Rd, Ashok Nagar , Bangalore, Karnataka 560025 India
Time: 12:30pm – 3pm, 6:30pm – 11:30pm
Meals for two: Rs. 4,700
Cuisines: South Indian, Mangalorean, Seafood
Facilities: Wheelchair Accessible, Full Bar Available, Live Sports Screening, Indoor Seating, 4/5 Star, Family Friendly, Luxury Dining, Smoking Area, Wifi, Valet Parking Available, Outdoor Seating, Romantic Dining, Table booking recommended
Karavalli: The Gateway Hotel, Bangalore: About
To go to Karavalli is to be reassured about the beauty and value of something old and unchanging. This is particularly pertinent in a time when new places are opening apace in Bengaluru. I always prefer to sit in the garden when I dine at Karavalli. This restaurant serving coastal cuisine has crossed more than three decades. So, everything from the food to the service has that burnished quality that can only be acquired with time and repeated practice.
The menu has also remained the same over the years, with a smattering of new dishes being added from time to time. The Karavalli kitchen also respects seasonality; in the monsoon there is patrode made from colocasia leaves and in November the restaurant hosts Aquafest showcasing an abundance of seafood.
I almost always eat the same things when I’m here. The Tiger Prawn Roast is a classic. The prawns are always fresh and of the best quality and the spice blend is just right. The restaurant, under the supervision of the hotel’s executive chef Naren Thimmaiah, pays special attention to sourcing and it translates to goodness and great taste on the plate. This time I also had a serving of the Chicken Ghee Roast, which did perfect justice to the Mangalorean speciality. The masala was silken and it was rich with ghee without being overwhelming. For main course, I had the Kottayam Fish Curry, a much sharper, spicier dish than the more popular coconut-enriched one from Alleppey. I was happy to note that Karavalli is now serving half portions of all the gravies. It’s an excellent thing. Solo diners can eat without wasting and don’t have to ask for leftovers to be packed up. Even larger groups can taste more dishes than be stuck with one large bowl of gravy.
I had a wedge of Bebinca to end the meal. There is something utterly comforting about eating in a restaurant where you know exactly what to expect. The service, warm, welcoming and intelligent, completes the Karavalli experience.
