Before brewinging at home, my journey with specialty coffee started with amazing experiences from cafes where baristas use their knowledge, art and craft to deliver the best form of coffee experience. These experiences inspired me to brew quality coffee at home. Cafes also help me explore more coffee beans and brew methods.
I am fortunate to have a number of such cafes in Bangalore, that are unique in their own ways. While I knew about some of them, some new and old ones I simply didn’t know. So I planned to list all that I know of – the ones I have been to and the rest. A directory that I will leverage and others can too. The list may be a bit skewed based on where I live.
This is probably an incomplete list. Please share what I am missing, I will add. I am considering this to be a living list, that I can keep updating.
Be(a)n There
Coffee Mechanics
- My memories. This is my most visited cafe and it has a special place in my heart. I took my wife here for coffee / breakfast dates, as well as the whole family for some dessert and coffee. I enjoyed various types of coffee and food, as well as bought beans from them. It’s a small and cosy cafe, with a solid list of offerings, great service.
- About them. Legacy of 5 generations of coffee producers. They produce, process, roast and brew, as they quote “practically, Farm till the Cup”. In their own words.
- The Coffee. Espresso based & manual brews, hot & cold, quite an interesting range of cold ones.
- The Beans. They offer their own grown, processed and roasted coffee beans! I have enjoyed the Srilakshmi Estate. [Shop online]
Araku Coffee
- My memories. I have been here twice, to learn about coffee – roasting and tasting. Funkily named as “Coffee 101: Snap, Crackle & Pop” and “Coffee 101: Sniff, Slurp & Spit”. These were great sessions held on the upper story of the huge two storied cafe. There is an energetic vibe about the cafe with a lot of hustle bustle. I was fortunate to learn from and interact with Sebastian Rohan who is a Q-grader himself. Tasting delicious coffee and roasting some green beans, which I brewed later at home! Yet to visit to drink and eat.
- About them. The coffee is grown in Araku Valley (Andhra Pradesh). Araku is the first 100% organic single-origin coffee from India whose journey from the coffee plant to bypass the middlemen. Since 2001 they work closely with small farmers to support them with global best practices and support them with a more than fair price. They have a cafe in Paris too. In their own words.
- The Coffee. Espresso based & manual brews.
- Beans & more. They offer their own roasted coffee – 4 usuals and occasional microlots. My favourite is “Micro Climate”. They have their own designed Moka Pot! [Shop online]
Maverick and Farmers
- My memories. After having their coffee for quite some time, I have been wanting to go there (again) for quite some time. The cafe is right next to a football practice ground. It has an open and an inner air conditioned section. A self-service cafe that can get crowded on the weekends, couldn’t order a pour over since the order queue was long. I enjoyed my delicious cortado, then stole a few sips from my wife’s cold brew, while munching over the delicious food.
- About them. Started by the founders of The Flying Squirrel coffee (my erstwhile favourite cafe and roaster), Maverick & Farmer grow, process, roast, and brew their own coffee. They have a few unique processing styles and roasts. [In their own words]
- Beans & more. They offer many varieties of coffee beans – unique processes, and blends. My favourites are Parma and Satva. They also sell drinkware and pour over equipment made of ceramic. [Shop online]
HumbleBean Coffee
Mannheim Coffee
Goldensmile Coffeebar
Nerlu Cafe
- My memories. I had visited their Crescent Rd cafe near Race Course, on a Sunday afternoon with family and friends. The ambience is pretty amazing and modern. Loved the coffee over there. There’s a coffee tasting menu, a great option for the coffee geeks and lovers. Got to taste 3 pour overs. Also, I sneaked in a delicious espresso before it all.
- About them. They are a Multi-roaster cafe, showcasing coffees from across India. They are in two locations Crescent Rd & Indiranagar.
Third Wave Coffee Roasters
Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters
The Daily Bean
The Roastery
(Yet) To Go
Harmakki Coffee Company
Coffee Metanoia
The Caffeine Baar Cafe & Roastery
Special(ty) Mentions
Black Baza Coffee Co.
Naivo Cafe
Something’s Brewing
Benki Brewing Tools / Benki Coffee
Hope you found something new. If I missed anything, let me know.
If you liked what I write you might want to follow my journey on Instagram @journal_of_a_coffee_enthusiast.
Journal of a Coffee Enthusiast 