This new dining space in Bengaluru is built to pause, play and savour!

When a hotel of JW Marriott’s stature unveils something called The Patio at 24/1, you half-expect another predictably polished café-lounge. What you get instead is a rather intriguing hybrid — part lifestyle space, part dining room, part social club — quietly perched within one of Bengaluru’s most established luxury addresses. And what it also wants to be, quite unmistakably, is fun.

You realise quite quickly that The Patio is designed for far more than usual coffee runs to check out a new café. The brand-new pickleball court, which must be booked for at least an hour if you intend to play rather than simply pose for a photograph or attempt a few quick rallies, speaks to Bengaluru’s newest social trend. Inside, amid brick accents, greens and well-balanced interiors, sits that perennial crowd-pleaser: the pool table. Come evening, the space shifts gears with DJ nights lending the venue a party pulse.

The star of the space is the Barista Theatre, a delight for anyone who takes coffee even remotely seriously. Matcha devotees, nitro-coffee enthusiasts and classic espresso purists will each find something to cherish here. After dusk, these very counters serve a selection of cocktails and a selection of zero-proof drinks, while the food menu mirrors this day-to-night duality with effortless finesse.

We began on a bright, brunchwor thy note with the Berry Blossom Bowl — a velvety swirl of yoghurt and honey folded with raspberries and blueberries, with a layer of chia lending both vitality and texture. It was the sort of dish that looks deceptively simple but settles you instantly into the meal, equal parts nourishing and indulgent.

Then came Roots and Fruits, a dish that seemed determined to steal the limelight before we had even lifted a spoon. Imagine a small island of mintinfused quinoa, crowned with perfectly cut spheres of fruit and vegetables, adrift in a pale pool of almond milk laced with basil oil. Equal parts quirky and elegant, it played on contrasts of creamy and crisp, herbal and sweet.

The Pepper Chicken Burger offered a pleasing pivot into heartier territory with a juicy pepper-spiked patty, dressed with curried mayo and fresh, crunchy vegetables. We moved next to the Italian duo: a Wild Mushroom Risotto, creamy and softly perfumed with truffle, brimming with earthy mushrooms; and an Asparagus and Ricotta Ravioli, bathed in war m sage butter. The ravioli, though delicately made, could have benefited from a touch more filling, but taken as a whole, both the dishes came through with classic flavours.

Having worked up an appetite after an energetic game, we finished with a flourish: the Smoked Chocolate Cake. Arriving cloaked dramatically in a cone of flash paper that was set alight at the table, it revealed a dark, glossy decadence within layers of smoked chocolate, truffle mousse and a pinch of sea salt.

Meal for two: ₹2,000 onwards. At Vittal Mallya Road.

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