Top 5 in Bombay

New South Indian Restaurants

One can never tire of South Indian. We certainly can’t. Especially not with the flurry of new restaurants in and around Bombay.

Benne

Text: Team UpperCrust

Apart from these five we’ve narrowed down for you, there’s more like KTR in Bandra, Dakshin Legacy in BKC, Devangere Benne in Borivali, and Gaurami in Powai. As for us folks in SoBo, there’s no dearth. We’ve got Rameshwaram – an import of the legendary kind from Bangalore. Much pomp has been attached to its arrival. And the popular Benne – the crowds at its newest Chowpatty location, and subsequent reels were proof enough! Oor, which we wrote about two issues back, is also in Town, cosy and understated, seated in Kitab Mahal. Bandra boasts of this cute little “salty” eatery called Uppu – more below, and last but not least, is the new BLR Room, calling "Bombayites" all the way to Thane to savour the buttery goodness of Bangalore’s staples.

BLR Room

Make room for this South Indian speciality restaurant calling the non- Thanekars in while giving the locals a reason to not venture far out. When founders Rupesh Acharya and Prateek Todi observed how people in Bangalore ate, they came back with the idea for a space that is casual and relaxed, tearing down any airs that an Udupi restaurant might typically carry. So, enter BLR Room, the newest South Indian canteen-café in Bombay, serving up crisp, buttery dosas, strong filter kaapi, alongside creations like the Idli Shakshouka, Mushroom Podi Masala, Lotus Stem Crisps, and more. Finish off at BLR Room with a Pistachio Filter Kaapi and Banana Jaggery Ice-cream.

Benne

‘We’ve been Benne-fied’ was going viral when the third outlet of this historic dosa café entered South Bombay. Girgaon Chowpatty became the third locality to play host to Benne Heritage Bangalore Dosa, following Bandra and Juhu, and the response to the ghee (benne)-laden dosas and more has been expectedly swell. Benne dosa, essentially, is a popular butter dosa made from a fermented batter of rice, puffed rice, urad dal and methi seeds. At Akhil and Shriya’s dosa café, you can treat yourself to all the staples of Bangalore, without having to make the trip there. Benne Dosa has a separate section for itself and vegans can look forward to a Vegan Filter Coffee and an Iced Vegan Filter Coffee, too.

Oor

Head to this ‘village’ where heirloom recipes are served at your table, neatly presented to you by Chef Panchali Bhatia. Recipes from her home, which she fed her daughter growing up, are served with care at this warm café in Fort. Pineapple Rasam is an innovation to get the kid to like rasam and staples such as the Mysore Masala and Chennamma’s Benne Dosa are what worked each time. There’s also a Chocolate Dosa on the menu and a Walnut Sheera, which, much against our non-adventurous South Indian palate, was delightful. Oor – meaning village – is cute, right from its green entrance and compact space to its interiors – with reprints of Raja Ravi Verma’s art adorning its walls.   

Uppu

The name means 'salt' in Southern regional languages, but is not an indication of the element of taste you can expect at this Bandra café. Purely South Indian, this cosy 36-seater on Reclamation Road brings you hearty dosa lunches and piping hot filter kaapi. This and more by Aaliya Ahuja and family – behind Saltt and Oleander Farms in Karjat. Would you expect a Uppu and Tamarind Margarita on the menu at such a café? Or a margarita at all, for that matter! A cocktail menu is at your disposal, which might just go well with the Ragi Idlis and the Breadfruit Rawa Cutlet. Uppu has much to offer, a meal affair as much a café do.   

The Rameshwaram Café

This one’s reputation preceded it, undoubtedly. For in its five years of existence, it is already an institution in Bangalore, spread now to other cities and in Bombay, nestled in our Eros theatre building. We’ve been made privy to the brand’s essentials in Bangalore itself, from the famed Ghee Roast Dosa to the podi idlis, and more. There is a certain hype that surrounds Rameshwaram – founded by Divya and Ragavendra Rao – which is expected, and that said, a visit is a must. Once you’ve tasted the ghee and the butter-rich dosas and idlis, you might find it addictive and a café routine soon enough. Are they serving the bun maska soaked in hot badam milk as they do in some other city outlets? We’ll have to check that on our next lunch break.

BLR Room	Oor	Uppu	The Rameshwaram Café