The pit
Modern Indian barbecue
Charcoal, citrus and a very old idea about fire
Modern Indian barbecue in Indiranagar and Whitefield
Modern Indian barbecue
Two hardwoods, bought a year ahead
The pit is the whole restaurant
Two hardwoods, both from Karnataka, both bought a year ahead and rested dry. One burns hot and fast for the seekh; the other holds a low even heat for two hours, which is what a lamb chop actually needs. Nobody notices this and everybody tastes it.
The marinade
Most grill rooms reach for yoghurt and chilli and stop there. We build on tamarind - for the acid that cuts smoke, and for the sugars that catch and blacken at exactly the right moment. It is a harder ingredient to work with. It is also the whole idea.
The room
The counter is first-come. It has been that way since 2016 and we have turned down some memorable requests to keep it that way. Sit there once and you will understand why we are stubborn about it.
Our story
We cook over open charcoal because it is the oldest honest way to cook, and because Bengaluru deserves a grill room of its own. The marinades are built on tamarind, black stone flower and Malabar pepper. The breads are pulled to order. Nothing is finished in a microwave, which is a low bar we are nonetheless proud to clear.
What's cooking
🌶🌶Seekh of the day₹640
Minced lamb shoulder, black stone flower, green chilli. The reason most people come.
🌶Sixty-day lamb chops₹980
Aged on the bone, tamarind and jaggery glaze, burnt lime.
Malai broccoli₹520
Cashew cream, smoked cheddar, Malabar pepper. Not an afterthought.
🌶Ajwaini fish tikka₹760
Seer fish, carom, yoghurt, a great deal of charcoal.
🌶🌶Charred paneer, three peppers₹540
Set in-house, hung overnight, grilled hard.
Sealed with dough and opened at the table.
🌶🌶Clay-pot lamb biryani₹720
Long-grain, mace, fried shallot, forty minutes of patience.
🌶Butter chicken, the older recipe₹680
Less cream, more tomato, finished over coals rather than in a pan.
🌶Jackfruit and cashew biryani₹580
Young jackfruit, roasted cashew, mint.
Pulled sheermal₹180
Saffron, milk, torn not cut.
Burnt garlic naan₹160
🌶Tamarind slaw₹220
The palate cleanser the grill needs.
Smoked kulfi, burnt orange₹320
Set over the dying coals. Tastes faintly of the room.
Jaggery and sesame tart₹340
Smoke & Sour₹680
Mezcal, tamarind, jaggery, smoked under a cloche at the table.
Curry Leaf Gimlet₹620
Gin, curry leaf cordial, lime.
Coal Old Fashioned₹740
Rye, jaggery, charred orange.
Tamarind soda₹280
Smoked lime and jaggery₹300
A taste of the table
Where to find us
12th Main
412, 12th Main, Indiranagar, Bengaluru 560038, Bengaluru 560038
Lunch Tue–Sun 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
ITPL Main Road
7 ITPL Main Road, Whitefield, Bengaluru 560066, Bengaluru 560066
Lunch Tue–Sun 12:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Events
Third Friday, monthly
At Indiranagar
Six courses off the coals against six single malts, hosted at the counter. Fourteen seats, booked by email.
Every Sunday, 12-4
At Whitefield
Long tables, whole grilled fish, unlimited breads. Children welcome and reliably present.
Recognition
Conde Nast Traveller India · 2025
Cited for the counter and the sixty-day lamb.
Times Food Awards · 2024
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants · 2023
Our people
A small kitchen. Most of it has been here since the first year.
Chef-owner
Fourth-generation kebabchi from Lucknow by way of a decade in London kitchens. Came home in 2016 to build a grill room that did not apologise for itself.
Head chef, Whitefield
Ran the pass at two Bengaluru openings before joining in 2021. Responsible for the courtyard menu and the whole-fish section.
Celebrations
Since 2019 we have run a mobile grill for weddings, launches and the occasional very good birthday. Minimum forty covers, anywhere inside Bengaluru city limits.
The pit travels on a trailer and needs a four-metre clearance and a tap. Everything else - staff, ice, glassware, the licence - is ours to worry about. We cook the same menu we cook in the rooms, because a smaller version of it would not be worth eating.
Come by
Modern Indian barbecue
Charcoal, citrus and a very old idea about fire