We explore why the newly opened Record Room is a must-visit 

A conversation about their shared love for vinyls and fantasy of opening a vinyl-focused restaurant is what led founders Nakul Bhonsle, Akshar Halgali and Karthik Chandrasekaran to set up Record Room — a unique new spot in the city. Located above Brazilian restaurant, Boteco, Record Room welcomes you with what its interior designer George Attokaran calls a ‘chandelier’ — long birchwood blocks arranged like scaffolding and doubling up as a display shelf for vinyl art. The pale wood of the chandelier matches the furniture and bar, the only colours coming from the indoor plants and the vinyls hanging on the walls. 

It’s not everyday that you hear of such a concept so we were eager to see what it was all about. A table with a view is hard to resist so we picked one in a corner, the perfect spot from where you can have  unobstructed views of the intersection of Magrath Road and Commissariat Road. We indulged in some people watching as we sipped on our Toit Nitro Stout. Record Room is the only place in Bengaluru that serves craft beer from other breweries. At the moment, on tap are some favourites from Toit and Geist. While we waited for our food, we headed over to the listening station, where you can take your pick from over 200 vinyls and listen to your favourite artiste on one of their record players. The all-white turntable created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ White Album is also housed here — one of only 500 existing worldwide. 

Having spent a few minutes enjoying some familiar tunes from The Beatles (not on the white turntable, just to be clear), we returned to our table to tuck into some bar snacks. The gloomy weather made it an ideal day for something decadent and hearty, so we were happy to dig into the Tandoori Chicken Milli Fuellie. The chicken sat on top of mille feuille made from thinly sliced potato. Interesting and unique, it was also quite delicious. The Hasselback Potatoes (baked and sliced whole potatoes served with four different sauces such as barbecue and chimichurri) and Chicken Mini Pies (slow cooked chicken pie with cheese and herbs) are two other options that are must-trys here.

From the Small Plates section, we recommend the Garlic Bread with Roast Shiitake Stack (cheesy garlic baguettes topped with shiitake mushrooms) and Pork Vindaloo Terrine (minced pork flavoured with vindaloo spices and wrapped with bacon). Dishes from Boteco, the restaurant below, feature heavily on Record Room’s menu. So, should you be in the mood for something more substantial, order from the Churrasqueira section which includes steaks and grilled meat platters.

While the food and drinks are enough to make this place a hit, it’s the focus on the vinyls and the music that set it apart. 

Rs.2,500++ for two. At Magrath Road

Email: rashmirajagopal@newindianexpress.com; Twitter: @rushmeee