Chef’s tables: Bengaluru’s new culinary pursuit

Upscale restaurants are offering experiences where diners get to interact with the chef and sample a special menu

Curated culinary experiences have long been sought after by Bengaluru’s epicureans. Over the last few years, the city has seen a steadily growing number of restaurants offering discerning diners the option of chef’s tables. Typically, these tables are intimate 6-12 seaters, with an exclusive menu focused on experimental flavours and unconventional pairings. Experimental cocktail menus are also emerging as a top draw.

“Chefs have realised that diners want more than just the food and drinks. They are looking at the bigger picture, the overall experience. With new restaurants opening every week, chef’s tables help establishments stand out from the clutter,” says Aslam Gafoor, a city-based food critic and writer. 

The Bunker Room is located behind a high-energy cocktail bar in Bar Una Hacienda on Lavelle Road. “You enter through a cupboard,” says mixologist Pritish Dakhode. The eight-seater space is where patrons go to experience a chef’s table of cocktails, accompanied by an array of amuse-bouche. Their most recent menu was inspired by Nikkei cuisine — a blend of Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions. In the line-up are cocktails such as Tainted Cup — plum, togarashi (Japanese spice), lacto-fermented grapefruit and apple, tequila and mezcal. 

Visitors can choose from two ‘flights’. One with three cocktails and four amuse bouche (Rs 4,500), and the other with five drinks and six appetisers (Rs 7,500). The mixologist explains the story and craft behind each cocktail as they are presented to the diners. The Bunker Room has also hosted tasting sessions with international mixologists, the most recent being a tea and tea-cocktail menu with a mixologist from Tell Camillia, a tea-inspired cocktail bar in Hong Kong.  

The space hosts four sessions a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday). “Most of the guests are over 30, well-travelled and have a deep knowledge of flavours,” he shares.

Chef Johnson Ebenezer of Farmlore notes that ‘Bengalureans are open-minded and ready to try out new things’.  

He points out that chef’s tables were initially called ‘bar counters’ and were usually the last choice, but have become much sought after in recent years as people grew interested in learning more about how their food is made. “It is a rewarding experience for the chef, too. Most of the guests who ask for these tables are well informed and ask us questions that are cerebral. ‘Why did you pair these flavours or what are the challenges of cooking with woodfire (which is our primary cooking method), etc.’,” he shares. 

At Fireside, Kalyan Nagar, the chef’s tables are popular with those who would like to get a closer look at their niche cooking methods. They specialise in grilled meats and vegetables. The kitchen is equipped with a smoker, wood-fired oven, gaucho grill and flambadou. The grill was inspired by what proprietors Priyanka and Rajat Alve saw in a restaurant in Spain. “We got a local artisan to manufacture it here as per our specifications,” says Priyanka. While one can’t control the fire, this particular grill has a gear to adjust the grill plates. 

The chef’s table is a six-seater, and they offer a five-course meal. Dishes include various cuts of chicken, lamb, pork, duck, sea food and quail. For vegetarians, the chef tends to pick vegetables that are not very commonly used. Think raw jackfruit and bamboo shoot. “Interaction is such an important part of the experience, and more people are looking for that connection,” Priyanka states. It is priced at Rs 3,500 and is available from Tuesday to Thursday.  

A coffee tasting session is one of the main draws of Indiranagar restaurant, Circa 11’s ‘Thursday Tasting Labs’. It’s a curated experience that begins at their entrance with a selection of experimental coffees, before moving on to the bar for cocktails and then the kitchen for a look at what the chefs are experimenting with. It ends in the dining room with a sit-down meal. “We introduced it in November 2025, three months after we opened. It was an instant hit,” says chef Pradyumna Harithsa. In the past, they have created coffees such as espresso with a topping of cream and an orange cold brew with orange foam, and cocktails such as a raspberry and byadagi chilli picante.

Popular Italian restaurant Lupa on M G Road, Phurr in Jayanagar and Nila in Ulsoor, are some of the other restaurants offering this experience.

It is a great way for chefs to throw out the rulebook and focus purely on their craft and let diners experience that, Gafoor sums up.