Romance in the City (for India Today)
Bangalore city. Technology and tequila. Glass skyscrapers and MTR. A city of young, vibrant people who love to work hard and party harder, who take on the bad roads and traffic, and still have the wherewithal to smile at the fazed expats. Optimism and romance fill the air…and here’s where my rose coloured lenses fall right off.
There’s something wrong here. Romance? In Bangalore? Where’s the space for romance in a cyber-burg? Pondering this pheromone-loaded question, I set about an informal poll among friends, youthful and jaded.
My conclusions were curious. Here’s what emerged.
Top of the list was Grasshopper, a boutique/restaurant just off Bannerghatta road. Tables set under the stars, a superb five course meal of the most nouvelle of cuisines created by the enigmatic Himanshu Dimri, specially cooked to your particular tastes and all pleasantly imbued with wine and gentle lighting. Best of all there are only a few tables, and the service is so discreet that you almost feel like the whole set up is just for the two of you.
Tamarind Tree is the venue for the most romantic weddings I have ever seen, whether set with fresh flowers and lamps against the sunrise or at night with the strategically placed lighting that adds an ethereal glow to the old- style carved pillars of the main house, the fabulous Tanjore art and the stone pool with lotuses. Decent food too, and chances are you’ll be pretty much the only people for dinner if you go during the week. A great place to rekindle romance.
Silver Oaks is a tiny resort nestled on the other side of Nandi Hills. 2 hours of driving from Bangalore will get you to a little cottage perched on the side of the hill with home style ambience and great home-cooked food. You can take a little walk up the hill behind the house on the steep steps, passing by little shrines etched with graffiti that declares the undying love of strangers that you can compare to your own. You can rest in the little arches along the way (that also help to hide the fact that you’re out of shape).
Liquid Lounge at Ista is pretty with sheer curtains and foreign champagne to impress the most high maintenance date, and Olive Beach with its white walls, warm Mediterranean feel and delicate pizzas is very intimate and at the same time you know you’re dining with the city’s crème de la creme. Close your eyes and you could be romancing in Greece. The Tai Tai terrace, above the Bombay Store, is small and secluded and gives you a sense of being on top of the city- you can only see rooftops and trees- ah the Bangalore of old- and the food is superb.
In my teenage years it used to be really cool to go on long drives with your date to the lakes on the outskirts of the city- the Koramangala lake was a particular favourite. (Yes- it was outside the city then and I know this ages me a lot!) Nowadays I’m told that a certain lake off Airport road is the place for young couples to hang out and romance while watching planes landing…
I had to stop there. It was jumping out at me. Why was it that my top 3 were places OUTSIDE the city limits? And the rest were restaurants? It seems like eating out is the only way to celebrate the drama of love in Bangalore!
There’s always movies, I hear you say. And yes- what’s more conducive to romance than sitting hand-in-hand-in-the-same-popcorn watching a cheesy Meg Ryan film with your honey shedding copious tears on your strong shoulders? But when you can only get to that island of love by passing through the Saturday night throng of avaricious shoppers at Garuda Mall, there is bound to be some dilution of that love. Perhaps. But if you get off on shopping with each other, it might be exactly the foreplay you’re looking for.
So- if I were Bangalore’s God of Romance for a day, here is what my to-do- list would look like:
Cubbon Park and Lalbagh- arguably two of the best green spaces in the country. Imagine walking hand in hand through the botanical gardens, or riding the puttani express and lounging at a lovely picnic on the grass with some wine and idlis? Instead we have cops interfering with the love process- even if it’s all above board and sealed with a marriage certificate.
With a wave of my divine finger, I would turn the island in the middle of Ulsoor Lake into a haven for coochie-cooing. A little café with a live band (sacriligeous thought in these fascist days) and little love boats to take you there..how chweet!
And then I would order my heavenly angels to clear all the ugly construction and development around the quaint little streets between Markham road and Castle Street so romance could flower as couples strolled through, admiring the old Chettinad style houses, doing a little antique shopping and relaxing on the little red-oxide porches of the houses.
I feel cynical. I feel I am crushing any hopes you lovers out there might have of finding a little oasis of togetherness in this city. Let me lighten your hearts by telling you the easy route to romance in the city. Get your honey to pick you up from home with the flowers and the vino. Drive to St Marks road, play some jazz (or Om Shanti Om, if you prefer) on the car stereo. Order burgers from Ice n Spice (hold the onions please) and enjoy each others company. That’s romance. Mayo dribbling down your chin and she still thinks you’re better than Brad Pitt. And you can do that anywhere in Bangalore.
Just be ready to rev off if you see a cop close by.
Ruchika Chanana
Jan 2008
978 words
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