Recently during the Christmas vacation, I received an invite to enjoy my special lunch with family from “The Whitefield Arms“, a British Anglo Indian pub cum restaurant located in the new sprawling VR Bengaluru Mall in Whitefield , Bangalore .
Before I speak about the drinks and the food, here is some information about this pub-restaurant.
About Whitefield Arms
The Whitefield we know began in 1882 when as a grand gesture, Charmaraja Wodeyar, the then Maharaja of Mysore granted 3,900 acres towards the creation of a settlement for the Anglo-Indian community of the area. As such, Whitefield was born, named after David White who conceptualized the idea of this settlement and also resided here. Over time, Whitefield developed into a homely Anglo-Indian village that attracted people from Bangalore City and those who were a part of the historic Kolar Gold Fields. It was one of the very few formally planned Anglo-Indian settlements in India, boasting of a relaxing lifestyle, colonial style architecture, quaint bungalows, sprawling orchards and farms as well as delightfully named cottages.
In 1896, a young British army officer by the name of Winston Churchill arrived in Bangalore and, as narrated by the ex-prime minister himself, fell in love with the weather, flowers and butterflies the city had to offer. In fact, the historic Bangalore Club proudly claims this butterfly obsessed officer still owes the club 13 Rupees from an unpaid bill during one of his visits. The young Lieutenant was a frequent visitor of the Waverly Inn at Whitefield, where he is believed to have stayed on occasion. Rumour has it that during his visits, Churchill courted Rose Hamilton, the daughter of James Hamilton, who was the then owner of the Inn. The Waverly Inn still stands today, though it is now a private residence.
The history of Whitefield and its surrounding areas are imbibed in the The Whitefield Arms. A quintessential modern British Pub, it celebrates the history of Whitefield through its unique menu and Bangalore’s love of beer. A living history pub with colonial themed wooden furniture and outdoor seating makes it the perfect place to catch up with friends and colleagues.
The interesting quotes on the wall and on the menu card here narrate some fascinating facts about the then Bangalore, the Anglo-Indian settlement here and also about a former UK prime minister Winston Churchill who owes the club a 13 Rupees from an unpaid bill during one of his visits.
Ambience:
The ambience is well created with colonial themed wooden furniture. The food is served both indoors as well as outdoors. I am sure for those who prefer sunny/ moon-soaked outdoor, here is a place for dining. The pub here also boasts of one of the long bar area in Bangalore.
All in all, It is a nice cozy place to meet, drink and dine with friends and family.
FOOD:
The restaurant offers both anglo-indian vegetarian and non-veg food while the attached bar serves various brands of Indian and imported liquor, cocktails and mock tails. Me being a vegetarian and a teetotaler, so here is what I got to taste…Check out the menu here
WELCOME DRINKS:
As we settled down into our seats, we were served with mock tails of our choice. My kids preferred to have Pinacolada while I chose Gordon’s Martini and my hubby chose classic Mojito . They were very refreshing.
SOUPS AND SALADS:
The drinks were followed with MULLIGATWANY SOUP (an anglicized version of the famed Madras pepper broth with spicy lentil) along with FARM FRESH SALAD and HAYMARKET STACKED SALAD (A central London lunch favorite: a matchstick salad of pesticide free vegetables with a creamy yoghurt dressing)
Appetizers:
As part of the appetizers we were served with a veg platter which included small quantities of:
- TWA CHIPS, CHEESE AND GRAVY (Crispy fries topped with dal makhani, cheese sauce, chopped green chilies and onions) . I liked this innovative dish . Good change to the regular fries .
- TWA CHILI CHEESE TOAST (bread grilled with assorted cheese)
- COTTAGE CHEESE BUTTY (Spicy cottage cheese bun served with onion chaat and apple chutney)
- GOAT CHEESE AND CARAMELIZED ONION TARTLETS (Marinated onions and goat cheese baked with frizzled onions and creamy balsamic dressing)
- SUZZIE’S BANGLES (Crumb fried onion rings with tomato mustard relish and garlic mayo)
Main Course:
In the main course we had
- GREEN PEA & CORN FILO PARCEL (Baked filo parcel with peas and corn served with tomato fenugreek sauce and stir fried vegetables).
- PAN SEARED VEGETABLE AND YOGHURT CAKES (Stuffed grilled galettes with hung curd served with a tomato fenugreek sauce and stir fried summer vegetables & truffle mushroom rice).
Desserts:
The main course was followed by yummy desserts which included
- STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING (Rich, moist cake soaked with a thick sticky sauce topped with vanilla ice cream)
- BAVARIAN CHEESECAKE (A citrus cheesecake with an orange marmalade glaze)
All in all, the Whitefield Arm team headed by head chef Sasiraj prepared and served us a sumptuous anglo-indian palette lunch… a unique blend of British and Indian meals.
Thanks to Waverly Hotels & Whitefield Arms for hosting us for this lunch.
Location: The Whitefield Arms, VR Bengaluru, Whitefield, Bangalore.
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