Food and Mangalore

There is a Vistadome train from Bangalore to Mangalore, 16515 (and 16516 other direction), and we wanted to try it. It turned out to be a very different way to travel, especially with the scenic route through the Western Ghats.

Once we reached Mangalore, though, our focus shifted almost entirely to food. Hotel Shivabhag is a small place with a basic setup and very good, very cheap food. We tried Mangalore buns, sajjige rotti, uppittu and combo meals. New Tajmahal felt more central and had that familiar local vibe where everyone seems to know everyone. We tried Mysore buns, biscuit roti, avalakki, goli bajje and bread pakoda, and everything was great.

Most lunch places operate between 12 PM and 3 PM, so it helps to check Maps before heading out. Machli has a large menu with fish meals and biriyani options, and the prawn ghee roast stood out. Narayana, near the market, is smaller with limited seating and serves a fixed fish meal.

Lunch places usually operate between 12 PM and 3 PM, so checking Maps helps. Machli has a large menu with fish meals and biriyani options. Prawn ghee roast stood out. Narayana, near the market, is smaller with limited seating and serves a fixed fish meal.

We stayed at Goldfinch, which worked well as a central base, with several good restaurant options inside the hotel itself. Sana-di-ge stood out for its pulimunchi and chicken ghee roast, while Kni Hau had good Chinese food. Diesel Cafe has an old English, old Indian cafe charm, and BuCo is a good cafe that started in Mangalore. We couldn’t get to Girimanja’s, Shetty Lunch House and a few other places on the list. Mangalore definitely deserves another visit. It is a great city to spend some unhurried time in, and for a change, it feels like the world is not moving quite as fast as we think it is.