Bangalore has always known how to drink. What feels different right now is just how many ways there are to do it.There are bars asking you to put your phone away, neighbourhood spots earning international attention, rooftops made for dressing up and hidden rooms you’ll want to send straight to the group chat.
Consider this the TBS drinking list right now.
OIA, HENNUR
For when one drink was never really the plan. Oia is big, theatrical and unapologetically escapist. Come for the cocktails and Santorini-inspired setting; stay because somehow, three hours have passed.
SOKA, INDIRANAGAR
The neighbourhood bar with a much bigger reputation. Small, intimate and serious about its cocktails, Soka still feels like the kind of place you casually drop into despite now being recognised well beyond Bangalore. The drinks borrow from familiar flavours and regional references without losing their sense of fun.
SKYYE, UB CITY
Because sometimes the view is part of the drink. Skyye is for the nights that deserve a little more effort. High above the city, it remains an easy answer when cocktails, skyline views and dressing up are all part of the plan.
403 FORBIDDEN BAR, INDIRANAGAR
The bar asking you to stop scrolling. 403 Forbidden is built around an unusual luxury: your attention. Cocktails become part theatre, part storytelling, while the room itself encourages you to forget the feed and actually be there. A rather clever proposition for 2026.
BAR DUBBLE, SHANTI NAGAR
Smaller room. Bigger personality. Bar Dubble feels intimate, social and refreshingly unconcerned with spectacle. Find a seat, order well and allow the night to become whatever it becomes.
MURO, CHURCH STREET
For drinks first. Everything else later. Muro brings a polished but easy energy to Church Street. It’s the sort of bar that works when you want a proper cocktail without turning the evening into an occasion.
SECRET STORY, INDIRANAGAR
Some places are better when you have to look for them. Tucked away from the obvious circuit, Secret Story trades visibility for intrigue. Go when you want the night to feel slightly more discovered than planned.
10 SPEAKEASY, WOOD STREET
A little mystery with your martini. Discreet, intimate and deliberately under the radar, 10 Speakeasy understands that sometimes half the pleasure of a bar is knowing where to find it.
DADDY, INDIRANAGAR
Not the place for an early night. Daddy is loud, social and built for nights that gather momentum. Bring the group chat and probably don’t make ambitious plans for the next morning.
THE TBS TAKE Don’t pick the bar. Pick the mood. A rooftop when you want the view. A cocktail room when the drink matters. Somewhere hidden when you want to feel like you know something everyone else doesn’t. Bangalore has enough bars to stop asking “Where should we go?” The better question is: what kind of night are we having?
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