TGIF!
I think as human beings all of us look forward to embracing comfort and familiarity, things that trigger certain memories or are simply a constant through our lives, be it the taste of a particular dish your mother makes or a hug from your grandfather. Even certain places can bring back great memories of good times with family and friends, and for me it would most definitely be the Bangalore Club. I visited the club today and was hit by a massive wave of nostalgia as soon as I entered, a plethora of good memories swimming through my head.
The Bangalore Club was founded in 1868 and its previous members have included personalities like Winston Churchill, whose name can be seen in a ledger on display in the lobby listing those with ‘irrecoverable debts’, stating Churchill owed the club Rs 13. Prince Charles actually offered to pay the debt during his visit to the club a few years ago, but the club insisted it wasn’t necessary. The club was built with colonial elements and has an elegance which is born of history and tradition.
I first visited Bangalore Club when I was just a month old and my grandparents had just received their permanent membership (my parents are still on the 30-year long waiting list with 7 years to go). My grandfather tells me we had gone for Sunday lunch to the club and thus began the tradition in our family of visiting the club every other weekend. Sunday lunch remains my favourite thing about Bangalore club because it boasts a wide range of foods the club is famous for, like it’s chilly chicken, egg paratha, kebabs and biryani. Add a live band and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun, full of talk, laughter and reunions with fellow members and their families. You’ll also spot a Bangalorean celebrity or two if you get lucky. The club also has a very famous ‘masala peanuts’ starter which most patrons love to have during the evenings on the green lawn with a drink.
The words ‘we’re going to Bangalore Club’ are enough to brighten up my day, no matter what headaches I have in life, and I know for those few hours I can relax with my family, people-watch, gossip, eat and forget about the outside world for a while. I think the best thing about Bangalore Club is how it allows you to forget the outside world, yet channels a vibe that is so completely Bangalore, that you never forget the city you’re in. Yes so the club is a little old-fashioned and strict, but then again its charm lies in the very fact that it keeps up to its reputation as one of the oldest clubs in Bangalore, and in India. That and the fact that it has some of the best caramel custard pudding ever #yum.
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It’s wonderful how every visit of mine to Bangalore, may it be long or brief, has included visiting this establishment. Now that I live here, the visits to the club have increased and I couldn’t be happier. It’s also the few occasions that I get to dress up so that makes each visit extra special. I also love how our family gathers there from all around Bangalore, making the club a proverbial watering-hole of sorts. My aunt and uncle, cousins, parents, brother, grandparents; everyone makes time for a meal at Bangalore Club and it’s the perfect excuse to break away from work and gorge on Indian junk food and basically just escape from everything that makes you want to cry.
So do leave a comment below and let me know about a place/dish/person who comforts you and brings back great memories. You can also email me at mangomustacheblog@gmail.com if you have any questions or submissions of your own. We’ll be happy to feature you on Mango Mustache as a guest blogger during the weekend. 🙂
-Ridz
Mango Mustache 