The Only Place, located in Bangalore, is one of the few steak houses in the Bangalore area. If you are an ex-pat like me, you probably remember moaning at the lack of beef here upon arrival, but The Only Place is a worthy alternative to finer steak establishments in the United States– the atmosphere isn’t bad, and they have pretty good choice of steaks for a decent price.
The restaurant itself is an open-air affair, with the outside impressions muted and positively bland. Walk up the long drive way, past a brightly lit glass walled magazine store(and by magazine store, I really do mean magazine– it’s all they sell there). The tables are covered with standard utilitarian red and white checkered vinyl table clothes that are arranged around an open-air center. It tends to be packed with foreigners, some still holding bags from an airplane flight (or perhaps– going out of Bangalore).
The food is generally quite good. The vegetables in the salad has always consistantly been fresh– with good quality and firm texture that speaks well of the suppliers. The impression of the garlic bread suffers in comparison, and is a hastily done affair with off-the-shelf garlic spread. Eat it quickly, because it tends to cool down quickly. The spinich stuffed mushrooms is a starter is a highly recommended entry into your beef journey.
The service is generally good, in relative Bangalorian terms, and the staff generally have very good english and service mannerisms. But you didn’t really want to know about that, did you?
The steaks are what I would consider above average in terms of what I am used to in California (certainly beats Sizzlers), and there were ups and downs the half a dozen times I’ve been there. They never had my favorite cut of steak, the Rib-eye, but the Chateau Briand supreme is generally good. The double filet mignon platter (~350 rupees) was excellent for the price, but a tad under-cooked (I ordered it medium, but came out more of a medium rare). The steaks aren’t the finest out there, which is understandable, given that the cuts probably aren’t available as dependability as in other parts of the world, but the chefs do a good job of tenderizing and making do with what they have. Better quality broiler may help, as the steaks are uniformly moist– usually, the best tasting steaks have a multi-layered quality about them, with a harder crust on the outside, with a juicier filling on the inside.
Located on Museum Road. If you are coming from Brigade, go to Church St, then make a left onto Museum Road.
