It's worth visiting this sophisticated Vietnamese restaurant just for the setting at the handsome Taj West End hotel; the spectacular food is simply a bonus. It's effortlessly romantic here, with covered pavilions seemingly floating amongst the water gardens, as diners relax among dark silk textiles and natural stone tables. Booking ahead of time is recommended.

The Gateway Hotel’s graceful south Indian restaurant swims with the flavours of the west coast. The menu of seafood and curries takes a seafaring course from Mangalore through Goa, Travancore and the Konkan Coast. Set beneath thatched roofs and surrounded by trickling water features, Karavalli exudes an appropriately nautical mood.

Set in an open, tiled pavilion amidst verdant gardens and water features, the Oberoi’s restaurant serves award-winning Thai food in elegant surroundings. It’s often described as the most romantic dinner spot in the city, which is hard to dispute over a kaeng pa kai (jungle curry with chicken) and a glass of fine wine.

Sunny’s is a local favourite in the mid-range category, serving superior quality European and Asian fusion cuisine in a laidback atmosphere. The far-reaching menu guarantees there’s always something appealing, including the bright and airy dining room.

Indian-style sizzlers and steaks are the mainstay at this meaty grill house between MG Road and Ulsoor Lake. Done out entirely in wood, like some sort of Texan outpost, steaks here come in a variety of meats and in a choice of marinades. Drinks are half price before 8pm from Monday to Thursday.

Labelled a ‘vegetarian’s paradise’, Time Traveller offers a generous buffet and an a la carte menu in a hospitable environment. The restaurant sits on the ground floor of the Sai Vishram hotel and changes its menu each day for a fresh take on local delicacies. The venue receives raving reviews, so don’t miss out on food of top notch quality and quantity.

A Bengaluru institution, Koshy’s became famous by serving up bargain lunches and after-work drinks to lawyers and administrators from the nearby High Court of Karnataka. It’s a great place to dine surrounded by heated conversations. From stews to keema buns (stuffed buns), almost anything they do with mutton is memorable.

A Bangalore institution since 1924, MTR specialises in filling, multi-dish thalis (plate meals) and South Indian treats such as idlis (savoury cake), dosas (fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils), and sticky-sweet chandrahara (wheat-flour pancakes topped with sweet milk). Cash only.

Otherwise known as the Central Tiffin Room, this stalwart breakfast fast-food house in Malleshwaram is always packed with locals who rave about its dosas (fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils), particularly the butter-rich benne masala dosa. With a vegetarian emphasis, clean facilities and quick service, Shri Sagar also offers decent filter coffee.