Bengaluru's Hotel Dwaraka turns 50 this year

Once frequented by famous poets like Karim Khan and Nisar Ahmed, this eatery continues to attract a large crowd, including celebrities, who hop in to take away a quick parcel

Hotel Dwaraka in N R Colony, which was started in 1972, still has its regulars streaming in. The hotel, popular for its khali dosa, carrot halwa, and poori, turns 50 this year.

The original hotel was started in a different location. “We moved to N R Colony in 2005. This has been our only location since,” says Krishnamurthy Aithal, proprietor. In 1972, Shridhar S Holla from the Udupi district opened Hotel Dwaraka as a small eatery on Bull Temple Road in Basavanagudi. Now at 88, he is no longer able to run the restaurant due to old age and related ailments.

Back in the day, the restaurant sold its dosas for just 20 paise. After five decades, the dosas are still sold at an affordable price. A plate of two khali dosas costs Rs 40.

Old-timers visiting the hotel will remember signs posted across the premises saying: ‘For two khali dosas, no serving of chutney more than twice!’. “My father-in-law Shridhar is a very simple man, but strict on principles. He likes to live by the rules. Everything I know about the hotel business is what I’ve learnt from him,” Aithal tells Metrolife.

The ethics of the hotel still remain intact and so do the recipes of all the dishes.

“The recipes were curated by my father-in-law in the early ‘70s. They are all simple recipes and we have maintained them the same way with no additives or unnecessary flavouring. Our goal is to give our customers good-quality healthy food,” says Krishnamurthy. The restaurant dishes out 20 to 25 items on its menu on a daily basis. “Apart from the dosa, the carrot halwa and poori are crowd favourites,” he adds.

The restaurant currently has around 28 employees. “We started with a team of seven to eight people. Many of our old employees continue to work with us. They are an integral part of the legacy,” he says.

The eatery is also a hotspot among celebrities in the city. “In the early days, famous poets like Karim Khan and Nisar Ahmed were regulars. Many actors from the Kannada film industry such as Yash and Ganesh used to visit often. Nowadays, many politicians and celebrities visit and prefer to parcel the order just to avoid unnecessary attention,” he says.

“Many of the older customers, especially students who have all grown up and moved away, still make it a point to drop by when they’re in the city. It’s heartening to see them come by,” says Narayana Ural, manager.

Nivedita, a student and first-timer at the restaurant, is all praises. “With the hot melting butter, the dosas are just amazing along with coconut chutney,” she says. Her friends nod in agreement.

Important to evolve

The restaurant now takes orders on Swiggy and is active on social media websites like Facebook. “Being online is a necessity now. When it comes to social media, it helps us keep our customers updated. Even customers who have moved away still follow us on Facebook and like to stay in touch,” says Aithal. The restaurant shut down for 9 days during the first wave of Covid-19 but managed to bounce back due to online orders. “Online deliveries have been a boon to us, especially during the first and second waves of the pandemic,” he adds.