Unfussy local bars make a comeback

Neighbourhood spots with affordable pricing and good food are back in the spotlight

- shrabonti [e-mail]

The search for that perfect evening hangout, where the music is low and the vibe high, never ends, Speaking for Bengaluru, you'd think this would be easy—there seems to be a new bar opening every weekend.

But after you've been to your nth bar where you need to pay attention to the theme, the music, the intricacies of the cocktail programme and read pages and pages of the menu in dim light, you are ready for a place that doesn’t demand so much of you, or from your pocket. The good news is, after many seasons of bar openings in the city where the aim seemed to be to offer the most Insta-friendly experiences, from massive Greek and Roman interiors to intimate spaces where you have to book a slot five days in advance, it feels like there is a shift towards more low-key spots where you can just show up. That's not to say Bengaluru didn’t always have such spots—OG pubs like Pecos are still around, after all—but they were getting lost in all the buzz around high-concept bars. This year, they finally started getting a bit of attention, along with some spit and polish.