Night Life Culture Guide
Bangalore has long been known for its laid-back and liberal culture and, going hand-in-hand, its bars and nightlife. Night culture is quite active in this city, with approximately 200 clubs, bars, lounges and pubs. Closing time of late has been 11pm but this is being postponed until 2am to meet with the large number of expats, IT professionals and evening-shift workers residing in Bangalore.
The networking section covers various options for enjoying the city (by day and night), as well as meeting other expats and like-minded people. Another great resource is Meet Up, a website that lists various groups and their outings. http://www.meetup.com/ Time Out magazine also lists major events happening in town every fortnight, with a special ‘nightlife’ section. You can also visit their website for highlights: http://www.timeoutbengaluru.net/bars-pubs. Also be sure to check out the events and nightlife listings on Buzz in Town: http://www.buzzintown.com/bangalore/home.html.
MG Road, Rest House Road and Church Street (all within a few hundred metres of each other) offer several nighttime options, including clubs, pubs and bars, so that area is always a safe bet for a good night out on the town, and finding taxis and auto rickshaws home is never an issue. Many expats can be found in this vicinity, as well as at the dozen five-star hotel bars and clubs.
Some popular nightspots include:
Night Clubs
- Athena (The Leela Palace, Airport Road) a huge swish nightclub – the hotel also offers a couple of other restaurant/bar options.
- I-Bar (The Park Hotel, MG Road) for fine food and drinks in a contemporary setting.
- ICE (The Taj Residency Hotel, MG Road) serves great cocktails and martinis in designer decor.
- Pebbles (Ramanamaharishi Road, Sadashiva Nagar) is tucked away but worth the find. Dance beneath the stars to international trance and house DJs.
Pubs
- Polo Club (The Oberoi, MG Road) a high-end English-style pub.
- Pecos (off MG Road) plays loud retro/rock music in a 3-story intimate setting. Popular with beer guzzling rock enthusiasts.
- The Beach (100 Ft Road, Indira Nagar) actual sand beneath your feet as you sip away.
- The Pub World (Residency Road) has four pubs under one roof and prides itself on cheap brew.
- Geoffrey’s British Pub (The Royal Orchid Hotel, Airport Road) an up-scale English pub serving various cuisines.
Bars
- Coconut Grove Bar (Church St) is a laid-back spot with outdoor seating, great for a couple of beers before hitting dinner/dancing.
- Jockey Club (The Taj Residency Hotel, MG Road) fine food and drink, down the hall from the dance floor at ICE.
- Shiro (UB City) a plush bar cum restaurant, new and very popular among Bangalore’s movers and shakers
- Zara Tapas Bar (Ulsoor Road) an energetic and fun spot for nibbles and cocktails with friends.
- The 13th Floor (MG Road) a small joint with indoor and outdoor seating, loud music, nice appetizers and fantastic views of the city.
