This heritage home in South Bengaluru transforms into a ’90s coffee bar-bakery

Named after the kahale, a traditional wind instrument played to herald new beginnings, Kahale Karnataka Kaapi Bar in Jayanagar, Bengaluru blends nostalgia with contemporary café culture. Set in a converted heritage home, the space retains its original architectural character and its interiors draw from a 1990s aesthetic, featuring TV sets, brass curios, a typewriter, yellow-coloured coin-operated phones, Ravi Varma paintings, kasuti embroidery motifs painted across plain walls and red oxide flooring.

Antique tilted ceiling mirrors, wooden benches and foldable doors, painted metal boards instead of posters and small windows further enhance the charm and small traditions followed across Bengaluru's old city.

Outdoor seating takes inspiration from the state’s katte tradition, often found beneath trees, engraved with the chowka bara boardgame. The premises also accommodate a podcast room and bookshelves, reinforcing its role as both a café and a space for community building and conversation.

It’s a through-and-through ode to the smallest nuances of Karnataka, where even the logo draws from history, borrowing the distinctive Hoysala font to align with the space’s concept and philosophy

While its core offering is filter coffee made with beans sourced from Karnataka’s Malnad region, the menu extends to cold brews, iced blends and foams, signalling an intent to adapt tradition to modern tastes.

A small selection of teas and bakery-style quick eats broadens its appeal. We recommend getting here early, as the queue now competes with that of CTR. But rest assured, the wait is worth it! It’s tradition to begin with a cup of classic filter coffee, paired with a trio of cookies — a buttery staple, a sweet treat and a spicy bite.

Having warmed up, we now perused through more complex concoctions and settled on tasting Rose Foam Cold Brew, which was a refreshing take on coffee with a delicate sweet note and Vanilla Iced Filter Kaapi Latte, which has now become our go-to order.

From the munch menu, we loved the classic capsicum bun, a juicy paneer puff and a gulab jamun cheesecake. And yes, this is a pure-vegetarian café. If you’re visiting for their viral Filter Coffee Tiramisu, plan to go early — every time we’ve stopped by, this best-seller is already sold out.

Currently, the coffee bar is serving a limited selection of dishes, with plans to expand to the full menu in the coming days. This hybrid space acts as a time capsule, romanticising the act of drinking coffee with cherished ones while also acknowledging the changing ways modern brews are enjoyed — all firmly rooted in the old city’s layered traditions within a neighbourhood coffee bar.

Meal for two: ₹200 onwards. At Jayanagar.

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