Delicate grains of rice interspersed with succulent pieces of meat that just melt in your mouth – it’s no wonder why biryani has attained cult status over the years. In fact, it’s not just a dish but an emotion that divides and unites food lovers across the globe. Whether it’s Andhra style or Ambur, Lucknowi or Bengali, every biryani fan has his or her favourite. Here is a look at 12 restaurants in Bengaluru that dish out the many varieties.
Andhra style
Nagarjuna Restaurants, Residency Road, Indiranagar, BTM Layout
Founded in 1984, Nagarjuna Restaurants is one of the oldest restaurants in the city. The heavily spiced, mouth-watering biryanis are truly a household name and definitely not for the faint-hearted! The Andhra-style chicken, mutton and veg biryanis here can be relished with onion raita and a delicious salan. If you want to make the experience even zestier, add Nagarjuna’s staple accompaniments – crunchy sun-dried curd chillies and hot red gunpowder
Address: 44/1, Firdous Complex, Residency Road, Next Galaxy Theater, Shanthala Nagar
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Meghana Foods, Indiranagar, Residency Road, Jayanagar, Hosur Road
With a generous dose of spices, their flaming orange biryanis set your mouth on fire, yet you can’t help but take another bite. Undoubtedly one of the most popular Andhra restaurants on Swiggy and Zomato, Meghana Foods has a range of lip-smacking biryanis like mutton kheema, fish, and chilli prawns. Their boneless chicken biryani is such a hit that it has been recreated by numerous chefs and bloggers across the world. Vegetarians too have many interesting options here like the aloo dum and paneer biryanis.
Address: 544, Chinmaya Mission Hospital Road, near Indiranagar Metro Station, Hoysala Nagar, Indiranagar
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Kolkata style
Oh! Calcutta, Church Street, KR Puram, Whitefield, JP Nagar
Beautiful ambience that takes you to the alleys of the City of Joy, Oh! Calcutta is known for its authentic Bengali delicacies with the Kolkata-style biryani being one of them. It comes with a choice of chicken or mutton and consists of mildly flavoured long grains of Basmati rice cooked in saffron milk. It is served in typical Bengali style with rose petals, boiled egg and potato and is one of the most royal of biryanis.
Address: Second floor, 33, Church Street, Above Mainland China, Shanthinagar, Ashok Nagar
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Lazeez, Koramangala
Offering a slice of 90s Bengaluru, Lazeez is one of the top choices for authentic Mughlai-style Kolkata biryani. Both the chicken and mutton biryani are packed with flavour and consist of tender spiced meat pieces, aromatic potato pieces, and flaky Basmati rice slow-cooked in dum style in a copper vessel. With additions like an in-house secret biryani masala and boiled egg, you are sure to get the true taste of Kolkata biryani here.
Address: Basement, A 479, 2nd Cross Road, Krishna Temple Road, 5th Block, Koramangala
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Ambur style
Ambur Star Briyani since 1890, Kammanahalli, RT Nagar, BTM, Rajarajeshwari Nagar
A humble rice and meat preparation that originated in the small town of Ambur, Tamil Nadu, the Ambur style biryani is now a notable name in the world of biryani. The Ambur Star Briyani since 1890, as the name suggests, has been serving this delicacy for over 130 years now! Offering a range of choices like chicken, fish, and mutton (also in buckets), the biryani here is a power-packed combination of jeera samba rice, mint, coriander, and fresh hand-pounded spices with soft pieces of marinated meat that just melt in your mouth. The wholesome dish is served with raita and brinjal curry.
Address: 194, Akruti Chambers, 1st Floor, Link Road 4, Stage 2, Hoysala Nagar, Indiranagar
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Lucknow style
Lucknowiz, Koramangala
Long-grained Basmati rice layered with tender marinated chunks of meat cooked to perfection, the Awadhi chicken biryani, more popularly known as the Lucknowi biryani is yet another bestseller in Bengaluru. Try it out at the popular Mughlai restaurant Lucknowiz in Koramangala. With a range of biryanis like chicken tikka biryani, the kolmi biryani, Mughalai chicken and mutton biryani, Lucknowiz satisfies your cravings for royal food.
Address: 1006, 7th Main Road, Off 80 Feet Road, 1st Block, Koramangala
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Bengaluru Muslim style
Rahhams, Frazer Town, Kammanahalli, Old Airport Road
It started as a small outlet in Frazer Town when founder Abdul Rasheed converted his home kitchen into a counter in 1998. But in the last 24 years, Rahhams has emerged as one of the best places for Bengaluru-style Muslim biryani, which has also earned the nickname of ‘shaadi ki biryani’ as it’s a staple at weddings and events. Consisting of flaky jeera rice and tender meat pieces with just the right amount of spice, the mutton biryani is the most popular item here.
Address: 82, Maiganda Deva Mudaliar Road, Pulikeshi Nagar
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Khazana Food Paradise, Richmond Town
Located right next to Johnson Market in the heart of the city, Khazana Food Paradise gives you a peek into the lives of the Muslims of old Bangalore with its ambience and food. The beef biryani here, consisting of soft pieces of meat falling off the bone and a smattering of spices is undoubtedly one of the most-loved local Muslim biryanis in the city. Enjoy it with their lip-smacking beef chops or the crispy chicken kebabs.
Address: 16, Aga Abdulla Street, Richmond Town
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Donne style
Shivaji Military Hotel, Jayanagar
A landmark place in Bengaluru, Shivaji Military Hotel has been around for over 80 years and serves the delectable donne style biryani – aromatic green rice and moist meat marinated in spices. Less masala but more flavour, the donne biryani here is an experience by itself. Be it the chicken donne biryani or the mutton, you are guaranteed to be happy even before the steaming hot dish is served from the donne onto your banana leaf. Relish it with their spicy chilli chicken or mutton dry.
Address: 718 1st C, Main, 45th Cross Rd, 8th Block, Jayanagar
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Ranganna Military Hotel, Jayanagar
Another military hotel that has stood the test of time (over 60 years) and is a frequent haunt among non-vegetarians, is Ranganna Military Hotel. Modern yet with an old-world charm, the restaurant serves the classic military hotel style chicken and mutton biryani with raita and curry. Made with fresh masalas, this is medium spiced with chunky pieces of meat served with bone. Pair it with their classic kheema gojju and wash it down with a glass of piping hot rasam that they serve at the end to help you digest the meal.
Address: 61, Krishna Rajendra Road, Opposite Indian Oil petroleum, 7th Block, Jayanagar
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Kerala style
Thalassery Cafe, Kammanahalli, Whitefield, Yelahanka, Koramangala and multiple locations
Love Kerala food, especially Malabar-style biryani and puttu? Head over to Thalassery Cafe for their special Leaf Puttu Biryani, which brings the two Kerala favourites together to form a superhit combination. With a choice of chicken, mutton, prawns, and fish, it is peppered generously with spices. One can also dig into the kappa biryani here to get a true taste of God’s own country.
Address: 18, Nehru Road, Aravind Nagar, Yadava Layout, Kammanahalli
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Vembanad, The Paul, Domlur
Take a trip to the backwaters of Kerala as you bite into Kerala Mappila style biryani at Vembanad, The Paul. With moist and succulent pieces of meat that are dunked in spices and slow cooked to perfection with rice, the Mappila style biryani is a must-have. Whether it’s the prawns, fish, chicken, lamb, vegetable, or kappa erachi Mappila biryani, each reflects the earthy flavours of the land. Also try the Thalassery special when you are here.
Address: 138/28, off Intermediate Ring Rd, opposite Embassy Golf Links, Krishna Reddy Layout, Amarjyoti Layout, Domlur
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Deepa Natarajan Lobo
An independent journalist and content writer with 15 years of experience, I am also a full-time mommy to two little princesses. I love music, reading, yoga and travel in addition to writing. My articles have been published in publications like Times of India, Deccan Herald, Bangalore Mirror, The Week and The National News.
