This place is one of those ’Bangalore heritage sites’, not an eating destination per se ! As a further indication that times have moved on from the zeitgeist of this unglamorous place, India Coffee House has been displaced from its original MG Road location to a place on Church Street where further down the street towards Brigade road, you’ll find trendy cafes like ’Matteo’ whose facade could occupy any of the world’s cosmopolitan loci. ICH ,meanwhile, with its yester-year ,slightly mofussil, definitely nostalgic air and settings doesnt need the gloss to draw in its customers because the regulars and curious souls will keep percolating in, to check out this old-town representative. Its eponymous product- a strong cup of coffee (with sugar and a bit of milk , not the American crude oil version!) - is arguably an added attraction for many,with the humble modestly priced menu not offering any transcendent delights. Still, in a style somewhat similar to Koshys parade cafe (not Koshys Jewel box!), this place succeeds in creating some reminiscence of the city’s past decades.
Ambience and Service- Its glass front looks out on a compact grassy forecourt. The interior has glass walls on two sides,and the back of this small joint has the kitchen and the cramped, run-down hand-wash space(which could obviously do with some sprucing up).The walls are blue-washed, with clocks on either side, a photo of Mahatma Gandhi (he’d appreciate the spartan atmosphere here but not the mutton cutlets!) ;on one side, there’s a big mirror reflecting a major chunk of the place’s interiors(is it for or against indoor espionage?!) .The floor has small blue tiles, tables are formica topped and the atmosphere is neither stuffy nor expansive. The white-uniformed turbaned waiters do brisk service, ably encouraged by the ultra-fast kitchen. In many places, you ponder why the food takes so long to arrive, but here you’ll wonder how they bang out the dishes so fast!
Food- Taste is above average to middling. Within five minutes of our order, the dishes started started steadily coming in- the one thing patrons wont complain about here is the speed of order arrival! Prices are very reasonable. Past customers recommended the Masala Dosa (Rs.26). I’d say its still above average- ,-but you’ll find that many MD aficionados & connoisseurs will criticize it. The dosa texture and mouth-feel doesnt have that X-factor that keeps the customers religiously attracted to masala dosa hot-spots like Vidhyarthi Bhavan and Upahara Darshini (UD)-Gandhinagar branch. The potato-based masala and chutney dont spike up the experience either . They’ll need to bring in some dosa experts to revitalize this item’s appeal in ICH.
RATING: 3/5
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