My TripAdvisor Review No.295: Meghdoot Restaurant, Mahabaleshwar.

Good Non Veg Restaurant in the Market.

We had been to this restaurant on earlier visits to Mahabaleshwar and had savoured their non vegetarian food, which we had enjoyed. They seem to have expanded and have got seating options on the first floor as well as a bar upstairs.

This time we tried their seafood. We ordered ‘Surmai Fish Rawa Fry and ‘Prawns Curry’. The fish was fresh and the preparation was tasty, specially the fried fish, which was coated with semolina, and served with fresh mint chutney. The prawn curry was a bit extra spicy and not as good as what you can get in a Goan restaurant, but it was palatable. We had it with tandoori rotis and quite liked the food.

Service was Ok, and the restaurant ambience that of an average place in the Mahabaleshwar market, without aircon. Prices were reasonable and not too high for the seafood items. They accepted credit card payments as well.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.294: Annapurna Garden Restaurant, Mahabaleshwar.

Good for Local, Kolhapuri and Malwani Food.

Annapurna Family Restaurant is located about half a km before the Venna Lake and toll booth as you approach Mahabaleshwar from Panchgani side. It is beside the main road and adjacent to the strawberry gardens near Venna Lake. It serves vegetarian as well as non vegetarian Kolhapuri and Malwani cuisine.

We visited this place on a weekday for lunch, and we were the only customers. We tried out their 'Paneer Chilly' dish and a vegetarian thali (platter). The thali consisted of limited servings of mix veg gravy, chickpea curry, dal, rice, 3 chapattis, curd, salad, pickle and papad. The Paneer Chilly was a spicy gravy dish with a Chinese flavour. We also asked for a glass of Solkadi, a spicy drink which is good for digestion, to go with the food.

Food was quite tasty and of good quality. Price was moderate. Preparation time was long and we had to wait for about 20 minutes to be served the hot food.

There was outdoor seating as well, in the veranda overlooking the strawberry fields. There were a couple of cane chair swings to relax in. There is sufficient parking in front of the restaurant. The washrooms were clean and usable.

All in all, we found it a good place for some decent local food.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.293: Saayali Restaurant, Mahabaleshwar.

Very Good Multi-Cuisine Restaurant.

Saayali Restaurant is located just opposite the Mahabaleshwar ST Bus Stand. It is attached to Hotel Shreyas and has a big parking lot behind the restaurant.

As soon as we drove into Mahabaleshwar we stopped here for lunch before proceeding to our lodging. It has a nice seating area with large glass window panes with a good view of the surrounding greenery, even though it is so near the marketplace. The prices are reasonable and the service is courteous. One can have Indian, Chinese and Continental vegetarian and non vegetarian food here.

Traditional Gujarati style thalis and pure veg food is also available next door in Hotel Shreyas.

We ordered their ‘Dragon Veg Spring Rolls and the ‘Schezwan Mix Rice and Noodles’, and both the dishes were yummy.

We would definitely like to visit again and try some of their sea food.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.292: The Grapevine, Mahabaleshwar.

Hidden Gem of a Restaurant.

We did not know this place existed till we read about it on Tripadvisor. Most of the stand-alone restaurants of this hill station are on the main market road, which is a walking plaza. Grapevine is located on Masjid Road just behind the walking plaza road, just opposite Fountain Village Hotel. We got parking on the road since it was a weekday, but otherwise it is better to park in the paid parking lot near the main market, from where it is a five minute walk.

Grapevine is a very cosy restaurant on three levels, including a mezzanine floor and a basement. The smaller 4 seater wrought iron tables are at the basement and ground floor level, and a 10 seater table on the mezzanine. We were greeted by the bartender as we entered. The menu mainly has a number of Parsi dishes like dhansak, patra ni macchi, salli boti mutton, as well as pastas, bugers and pizzas. Though it is an excellent restaurant for the die-hard non vegetarian, one can also have a good choice of veg food too. Prices were reasonable considering the quality and quantity of the food.

We visited Grapevine on two occasions on our last trip to Mahabaleshwar. Once we tried their Bar-b-q chicken with Mediterranean cheese toast, and both were excellent. Another time we had the Pasta Napolitane and Garlic toast. They serve cocktails and mocktails too, but we had a simple fresh lime soda to go with the food. The service is very courteous. In fact the owner, Mr Raiomand Irani himself came down to make sure we were enjoying the meal.

We would definitely love to visit again on our next trip to Mahabaleshwar, and try Raiomand's Parsi food.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.291: Little Italy, Mahabaleshwar.

Overpriced Alfresco Dining.

We decided to try out ‘Little Italy’, but regretted the decision. Luckily it was a cool spring evening in March and we did not need air-conditioning. Their seating is all outdoors, or in the veranda of the heritage bungalow where they are located, very near the market place of Mahabaleshwar.

First off, we were left with no choice but to buy a bottle of mineral water costing Rs.55, because according to the waiter, their purifier was not working properly. Mocktails were overpriced at not less than Rs.200 a drink. In their all vegetarian menu the average price of the dishes were about Rs.600, which was only enough to satisfy one person. The menu had an assortment of Salads, Pastas, Pizzas and some Mexican dishes.

We ordered a ‘Cannelloni Alla Florentina’, a baked dish which consisted of tubes of pasta filled with cheese, spinach, mozzarella, basil and tomato sauce. It was chewy and tasty, but quite overpriced at Rs.590. Service was very slow.

There is parking space for about 5 cars in the compound, and the open-air ambience of the place is quite good, especially in the evenings. We enjoyed our Italian dish, but went down to the market to supplement it with a strawberry milkshake with ice-cream after dinner.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.290: Agastya Lake, Badami.

Beautiful Lake between the Caves and the Bhutnatha Temple

We got a bird’s eye view of the Agastya Lake when we climbed the hill where the cave temples are located. The waters looked very calm and serene in the early morning light when we visited the caves.

We also decided to visit the Bhutnatha Temple in the evening, and got another mesmerising view of the lake from the banks. There were steps leading down to the lake, like a bathing ghat. We sat on the steps for a while as the sun was setting, and enjoyed another aspect of its beauty.

The lake water is considered to be holy and have some healing powers. But we found the water to be murky and greenish in colour, so we did not risk taking a dip in it.

The approach to the lake is through some narrow roads of Badami town. We parked our car near the main road and found our way to the Badami Museum. The lake is about a 150 metres walk from the museum.

The views of the surrounding hills and the Bhutnatha temples and the caves on the opposite cliff against the setting sun make for a magical experience. Not many people visit this place, so it is very calm and quiet. It is very soothing to sit by the lake and meditate for a while.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.289: Bhuthanatha Temple, Badami.

Beautiful Lakeside Temples.

The Bhuthanatha Temple is another major attraction of Badami, situated on the eastern shore of the Agastya Lake, across from the Cave Temples. One can get a bird’s eye view of the cluster of these temples from the hill where the caves are located, and the view is indeed beautiful.

To get closer to the temples, however, we had to walk through a maze of narrow lanes of Badami town, after parking our car somewhere near the main road. One can also take a rickshaw to the temples, but it would be almost impossible to take your car up close, unless it is a Mini or a Nano.

We first reached the Badami Museum but it had already closed at 5.30 pm. The temples were another 10 minute walk from the museum. The view of the temples and the lake looked mesmerising in the light of the setting sun.

We first saw the Mallikarjuna temple, which lies northeast of the lake. A gardener caretaker showed us around. We were not required to take off our shoes. The bigger cluster of temples on the east side of the lake is the Bhuthanatha temple. There is a Shiva linga inside and a Nandi bull in front. On one side of the doorway is stands Goddess Ganga and on the other side is Yamuna.

Both the temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and built in sandstone by the Chalukya rulers of Badami, the Bhuthanata temple around the 7th century and the Mallikarjuna around the 11th century so they are at least a thousand years old.

After paying our respects to Lord Shiva and the master craftsmen of the temples we sat for a while on the stone banks of the serene Agastya Tirtha Lake and enjoyed watching the serene sunset.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.288: Badami Cave Temples, Karnataka.

Exquisite Sandstone Carvings.

The Badami cave temples are definitely worth a visit. They form part of the Hampi – Badami – Pattadakkal – Aihole old temple and monument circuit in North Karnataka, between Bagalkot and Hospet. They may be in an old and ruined condition, but simply cannot be ignored because of the beauty and mastery of architects and sculptors who built them in a bygone era.

The approach road to the caves is through a very narrow uphill road passing through some slums of Badami town, but there is a good pay-and-park adjacent to the caves. The caves are open from 6 am to 6 pm. We went early at 7 am and avoided the crowds and the mid-day heat. Indians have to pay an entry fee of Rs.15 per head. We had to climb some steps to reach the caves. People with knee or leg problems may find it difficult as the steps are steep, but not too many, and one can do it slowly. Beware of the monkeys around.

The Badami caves date back to between the 6th to 8th centuries when they were carved out of the almond (badami) coloured sandstone cliffs. They are among the oldest Hindu cave temples in India.

There are four main caves close to each other. Cave 1 is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The carvings on the walls and ceilings are still in very good condition. There are relief sculptures of Vamana and Ardhanari–Shiva on the side walls and a ceiling sculpture of coiled Snake-King Nagaraja.

Cave 2 is similar in structure to Cave 1, but dedicated to Lord Vishnu, with a lot of carvings and reliefs of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Vamana, Varaha, Durga and Kartikeya.

Cave 3 is dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu and has giant carvings of Trivikarma, Anantasayana, Vasudeva, Varaha, Narasimha and Harihara. The Harihara carving shows half Shiva and half Vishnu fused into one.

Cave 4 is dedicated to the Jain Tirthanakaras and has carvings of Lord Mahavira, Bahubali and Parshvanathas and some other Tirthankaras.

A detailed description of each cave is displayed outside the individual cave at the site. Guides can also be hired at the site and their charges range from Rs.400 to 600, but may not be necessary if you read up before you visit.

After visiting the caves we admired the beauty of the surrounding scenery of the Agastya Lake and the Bhoothnatha temple below, which looked very striking from the height.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.287: Hotel Mayura Chalukya Badami, Karnataka.

Decent Hotel With Some Old World Charm.

This Government run KSTDC hotel is located just before entering the main town of Badami, and hence it is a bit detached from the hustle, bustle, dust and grime of the town. The grounds are surrounded by old trees and beautifully manicured lawns. Monkeys and squirrels can be seen scampering around, and add to the rustic charm of the place. Parking is available outside the gates in an open plot under some large shady trees.

We had booked a semi-deluxe ac room online. It was a cosy room with a king size bed, side table, a comfy armchair, a luggage rack, a half cupboard with some hangers, a big CRT TV and an LG split ac. The bathroom was as big as our room, with a large boiler, wash basin with mirror, and a commode with a heath faucet. Service was good and the room was cleaned daily by the housekeeping staff. There were some nice paintings on the walls of each room and in the corridors.

The restaurant was good, though it was open to the general public as well, many of whom come to enjoy a beer in the afternoon. The food taste was average. Breakfast was limited to idlis, poha and upma. Restaurant service was not that great.

The hotel is located about 1.5 km from the Badami cave temples. After the temple visits it was nice to come back and relax in the ac room as it would become hot as the day wore on, even in February. Free wi-fi was available at the reception and restaurant. The hotel garden was a pleasant place for an evening stroll and watching the monkeys gamboling around. A huge colony of bats, from a big tree nearby, would start swirling around at dusk. All this added to the charm of this hotel in Badami, which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in India.

• Stayed: February 2018, travelled as a couple
  • Value
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  • Service

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My TripAdvisor Review No.286: Beijing Bites, Mantri Square, Bengaluru.

Tasty Chinese Food at the Mall.

We visited the Mantri Square Mall in Bengaluru for some shopping and to see a movie in Inox multiplex. After shopping and before the movie we decided to try out ‘Beijing Bites’ for a quick Chinese food meal for dinner.

We ordered their ‘Triple Schezwan Fried Rice’, ‘American Chop Suey’, and ‘Veg Hakka Noodles’. All three dishes were ready in about 10 minutes and were quite tasty. The rice was a bit dry and required some gravy from the Chop Suey dish, but otherwise the taste was quite good. We enjoyed our quick but satisfying meal.

• • Value
  • Service
  • Food

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My TripAdvisor Review No.285: Mantri Square Mall, Bengaluru.

Centrally located Mall with a Metro Station.

Mantri Square is one of the biggest malls in Bengaluru, centrally located in the Malleswaram area of the city. It has shops of some of the best known brands of clothes, footwear, jewellery, electronics, and more. There is also a multiplex and a food court. You can shop to your heart’s content, eat till your belly is full, and then go watch a movie to digest everything. In short you can enjoy a whole day in the mall.

We went there last evening for some shopping and then had some Chinese food at ‘Beijing Bites’ before seeing a movie at the Inox multiplex.

We took our car and found the area in front of the mall very congested. The traffic was crawling and we had some difficulty in maneuvering to the mall entrance. The parking charges were exorbitant at Rs.50 for the first 2 hours for a car, and increasing at the rate of Rs.20 per hour. They have a 2 tier parking system and can accommodate quite a number of vehicles.

In fact, it is better to go by the Metro rail as the mall has a metro station just next to it.

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