Famed dessert bar turns 90

Known for their ice creams and cakes, Lakeview Milkbar also has a number of savoury offerings to choose from

A Bengaluru classic, Lakeview Milkbar is one of the oldest dessert bars in the city. Established in 1930, the cafe is a fixture in every Bengalurean’s childhood memories. A non-Bengalurean once told me that for them visits to Lakeview had been the defining memory of his trips to the city as a child.

Once a tiny space, the cafe now occupies two floors in the Kannan Building on MG Road. With a display of Lakeview’s classic baked offerings that welcomes you in, the atmosphere is warm and cosy.

Equally known for their ice creams as they are for their cakes, the outlet on MG Road has seating on two floors and in-car service if you would rather have your food delivered to your vehicle. Customers who prefer the outdoors often sit on the patio-like steps outside the cafe.

The menu has a wide range of options to choose from: burgers, pizzas, subs, a variety of egg dishes, and of course, their signature ice creams and cakes.The best part? Everything sold in Lakeview is manufactured right in their kitchens. To begin with, we ordered a ‘Hot Chocolate,’ a ‘Peri-Peri Chicken Burger,’ and a ‘Chilli Chicken Sub.’

The presentation of the hot chocolate was no-frills, which felt very on-brand for the cafe. However, it tasted a little bland. The ‘Chilli Chicken Sub’ was served with potato chips. It was a hit, although the seasoning of the chicken felt overpowering at times. The ‘Peri-Peri Burger’ was the clear star of the meal and was declared the ‘spiciest’ burger we had ever tasted.

One can not go to a dessert bar as iconic as Lakeview and not order desserts. We ordered a bowl of ‘Ice Cream with Cream and Nuts,’ as well as a ‘Banoffee Waffle.’ One of their latest offerings, the bubble waffles have caught the attention of customers. The ‘Ice Cream with Cream and Nuts,’ was perfectly balanced, not too sweet or overwhelmed by the nuts. The ‘Banoffee Waffle’ was topped with vanilla ice cream, freshly chopped pieces of banana, and a generous dollop of Nutella.

The waffle was light and crispy. The slices of banana added a hint of freshness to the palate. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the waffle remained crispy throughout, even though it was topped off with ice cream. The mixture of ice cream and Nutella did make it a difficult dish to finish. After a few mouthfuls, we found it a little too sweet for our taste.

When the ice cream parlour was started by James Meadow Charles, an Englishman, in 1930, they offered only three flavours— vanilla, chocolate and raspberry.

Today, while they continue to offer the classic flavours, thick shakes in red velvet, cheesecake, oreo, black-forest cake and truffle variants, sizzling brownie sundae and sundaes such as ‘Merry Widow’, ‘Rhapsody Sundae’ and ‘Honeymoon Special’ have made it to their menu.

The cafe’s ‘Rainbow Cake,’ ‘Ice Cream Cake,’ ‘Lakeview Special,’ are some of the other dishes that many patrons swear by. And for those on a healthy path, there are also ice creams made with fresh fruit. They also offer sugar-free options for those with diabeties.

Lakeview Milkbar is located at 89, Kannan Building, MG Road. It also has outlets in Koramangala, Kalyan Nagar, and Indiranagar.