Don't get hungry at night!

Deadly deadline

If one happens to go on a drive in the night, one will notice that the City is as good as dead in the night. Restaurants start wrapping up by 10.30 pm itself and there is absolutely nothing you can do after that. It gets worse if you have an empty stomach and want to grab a bite.

Metrolife spoke to people in the City to find out how they cope with this situation. A few people rue the lack of options to choose from and some have discovered small eating joints that serve the purpose when the City is sleeping.


Some of the five star hotels have coffee shops that are open in the night. But it is suitable only if one is prepared to drill a hole in the pocket.  Says Koushik, “It is a very luxurious option. My friends and I go there only if it is a dire necessity. Otherwise we just go cruising along the Ring Road which is closer to our house. Many a time, we have been lucky to find small dhabas open throughout the night. You can get really tasty omelette and even chai for a very cheap price.” 

The 11 pm curfew is a cause of inconvenience for many in the City and especially those who stay alone. Says Abhishek M B, a student, who stays in Yelahanka, “People like us face this problem because we stay alone and hence can’t resort to cooking food every time. In the nights, if we are hungry we have no place to go to.”

But does he mind travelling a long distance just to eat? “Of course, when it is a necessity we have to. We will not be able to survive only on snacks and hence need proper food.”  

Even his friend Navneet says, “There is nothing we can do after the deadline. If we go for a movie late in the night, we are forced to have an early dinner because otherwise there won’t be any place open.”

But even hunger pangs are not reason enough for some to travel to far off destinations. Says Ashitha, a professional, “Most of the places like the popular coffee chains keep their outlets open. But these places are very far off. For instance, there are a few on Mysore Road, Outer Ring Road, Hebbal and others. It would be good if we could stop somewhere close-by so that getting back does not take a long time.”

The authorities say restricting the deadline to 11 pm has helped, to a certain extent, in curbing nuisance caused by errant people. But are they aware of the plight
of the public? Says Sunil Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), “This is done for the safety of the people. We are doing the best we can. We receive many
complaints about people causing nuisance at night and even drunken fights
happening. So we want to keep it under control by issuing licences only to a few people.”

There are a few places that are open till 2.30 in the morning like the coffee shops in Whitefield, Koramangala, Hebbal, Mysore Road and Lavelle Road. For the cheaper options, there are a few dhabas on Hosur Road, Old Airport Road, Outer Ring Road, Chickpet, Shivajinagar and Russel Market.