Samrat restaurant to take its last orders on September 25

The restaurant, inside Chalukya hotel, has been dishing out lip-smacking items for the past 45 years

Employees of the Samrat restaurant say at least 3,000 people have food there every day. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu photo library

After savouring masala dosa, badam halwa, and rava idli for 45 years, the time has come for people to bid adieu to Samrat restaurant inside Chalukya hotel, Bengaluru. The lodging and other facilities and Chalukya hotel will continue, while the restaurant will serve its last dishes on September 25.

Located in the heart of the city, just a stone’s throw from Vidhana Soudha, the restaurant has been frequented by politicians, bureaucrats, government and non-government employees, tourists, and long-time residents alike since 1977. The popularity of the hotel is such that Basaveshwara circle, where the hotel is located, is commonly known as Chalukya circle.

Employees of the restaurant told The Hindu that there are at least 3,000 customers every day. “We have good crowds throughout the day. Masala dosa, vada, and badam halwa have always been in demand. On weekdays, up to 5,000 people come here. They do not mind waiting for a table”, said the employees proudly amidst the evening buzz on Friday. All the tables were full and many were walking up to the cash counter enquiring about the closure. 

“This has been our choice to hang out for almost three decades now. My friends and I used to work in government offices nearby and we met here in the evenings for coffee and vadas. Even after our retirement, we still meet here at least once a week. It is very sad that they are closing now. This restaurant is iconic”, said Venkatesh Murthy, who was at the Samrat restaurant.  

Even though it will be closed at its iconic location, a miniature version of Samrat, which has been named Mini Samrat, has already started working next to Ambedkar Bhavan in Vasanthnagar. However, none of the staff members from here will work there and around 80 to 90 people are losing their jobs now.

“The restaurant owners used to pay rent here. But now they have been asked to vacate. The lease tenure of the building is over. The hotel owners are extending the lease, but not for the restaurant,” said an employee.

No one from the management was available for comments.

Many took to social media to express their disappointment with Samrat closing down. For most, the restaurant has been a part of their childhood and has remained a favourite through adulthood too. “My mother used to bring me peas pulav from there every Saturday. Before all the new joints popped up, their masala dosa was the most famous. It is sad that another iconic eatery is shutting down”, said Aditi R., a resident of Malleswaram.