Remember I was telling you guys, in a post some time back, how our recent trip to Mysore turned out to be an RK Narayan exploration of sorts? Everywhere we went on this trip, we kept finding references to RK Narayan – for instance, Malgudi Vattika on Mysore Road, the eatery where we halted for breakfast, by chance, a little while after we started.
Today, I am going to tell you why I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Malgudi Vattika, an eatery that has very recently started shop. Here’s why you should totally visit the place too.
- It is a place where real life and the bookish world collides.
I love it when real life and books collide. Malgudi Vattika is one such collision. I’m not sure if the eatery has any kind of connection with RK Narayan’s family (the OH had the feeling it was that way!), but Malgudi Vattika is definitely a tribute to the author, his best-known work Malgudi Days, and the era in which the book is set in.
The place has an old-world ambience and the decor is from another era, reminiscent of the time in which Malgudi Days is set in. The tops of all the tables here hold scenes from RK’s books, and they are very tastefully done, I thought.
2. It is a green, green, green oasis.
Before we visited, we had no idea that Malgudi Vattika was such a lovely, lovely place. I don’t know why, but we were expecting it to be just another roadside dhaba. But a roadside dhaba it was so not! The minute we walked in, we were charmed by just how green and spacious the place was.
The place is super spacious, a green haven, an eclectic, tastefully decorated spot which was a delight to breakfast in. Once you are in, you will forget that you are in the midst of a busy highway.
3. It is a lovely place to unwind.
Malgudi Vattika has a lot of sit-outs, here and there, so people can sit and unwind and chat and play games and talk and what not. In the kind of ambience that the place has, in the midst of all that green, you cannot help but relax. It is a great place for couples, people with kids, big families and groups of friends or colleagues to dine out.
Bubboo had a gala time playing on the beautifully landscaped lawns. We relaxed so much here, spent so much time, that we almost forget we were en route to Mysore! 🙂
4. Oh, the antiques!
The eatery is full of antiques – relics from a time gone by. The husband and I found much to gawk over, talk over and admire here – an old, old idli cooker, an ancient table fan, a quaint typewriter, a gramophone, a huge camera from those days, and trunks that seemed to have gone on real ship voyages more than once (parts of the label on them was still attached!). I cannot not be charmed by things like these, right?
And you know what the best part is? Each of these antiques is placed just right, well cared for, adding to the atmosphere of the place without making it feel cluttered. With so many relics around, it is easy for an eatery to start feeling like a museum, but Malgudi Vattika does it perfectly.
5. The bits and pieces of quirk are worth a dekko.
Whoever did the decor of Malgudi Vattika is surely very, very talented.
Apart from the carefully chosen antiques, there are bits and pieces of quirk throughout the eatery, which I loved gawping at. For instance, a roof decorated with straw winnows and dining tables made out of old sewing machines.
6. I was charmed by the old-world feel of the place.
Malgudi Vattika is a place where you feel that you feel time hasn’t gone by at all. You feel like you are in a different world, the one that was years and years ago. This is thanks to the decor, mostly.
Most of the food is served in heavy, old-fashioned copper utensils. The menu is wooden, the shape of a hand-held fan, the kind that was used to fan maharajas and maharanis in the olden times.
Actually, we did find the service here a bit tardy, though we visited in the morning and the place wasn’t crowded at all, but then we didn’t mind that at all. We were busy unwinding, watching Bubboo enjoy herself, and admiring the place.
7. The food was lovely.
As we later got to know, Malgudi Vattika is best known for its South Indian thalis, particularly on weekends. The place has also recently started serving Marathi snacks – like vadapav and sabudana vada – in the evenings.
Since we visited the place in the morning, we ordered from the ‘Breakfast’ section of their menu. We went with two rava onion masala dosas, a cheese masala dosa and a pineapple kesari, all of which was perfectly cooked and tasted absolutely delish. Now, I can’t wait to try out their thalis!
I must tell you that the prices of the food are definitely on the higher side, here. Our breakfast cost us INR 280, high, but, I would say, a sum I wouldn’t mind paying just for the experience of dining here.
8. I fell in love with their outdoor seating areas.
Malgudi Vattika has several seating areas, and you can choose where you would like to sit, depending upon the time of day you visit. There’s a lovely, big, old-fashioned room with a lot of tables, a fairly large-sized covered patio, and a couple of outdoor sitting areas.
I especially loved one particular sitting area of theirs, which is sort of private, with lanterns strung above them. It would make for a just perfect spot for a romantic dinner with a loved one! Sigh!
9. It is super spacious.
Unlike most other restaurants, Malgudi Vattika is super spacious.
We had a lovely time just roaming around the property, looking at this and that. There is plenty of space to sit, and I am sure the place doesn’t feel cramped, even on days when it is crowded. Got to love that, right?
10. It is a photographer’s delight.
All those antiques, all that greenery, and lovely food – photographing all of that has got to be a joy! I went crazy with my camera here, shooting away.
If you love photography too, this place should be on your hit list, definitely!
A visit to Malgudi Vattika is highly recommended, if you haven’t been already.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are entirely mine. I don’t have any commercial gain to make by recommending this eatery to you. We loved the place to bits, and would love to visit again, and I cannot not recommend it to you!
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Do check out my other posts about Mysore!
Chocolate paan, from Mysore, with love
Of eating mysorepak straight from its place of origin
The World Through My Eyes 
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