The Whitefield Arms – Bangalore’s Quintessential British Pub
Staycation at The Waverly Part II
[You may access Part I here]
Named after the inn in Whitefield where Winston Churchill courted Rose Hamilton, the Waverly Hotel & Residences combines style, elegance, and luxury ~ where contemporary English décor perfectly blends with the traditional warmth of Indian hospitality ~ offering effortless access to the best Whitefield has to offer; making it popular among leisure and business travellers alike.
My husband and I were recently treated to a rather well-deserved break at the property, and in this post, I will be sharing our experience on day two of our staycation.
Away from busy city highways, towering offices, and endless interruptions, there are few destinations better suited to indulge in much-deserved personal time; the Waverly Hotel & Residences is one such. We were provided with a Suite {The Loft}, which was spacious, offering lovely views of the surrounding area along with a super-comfy bed that afforded a deep restful sleep. After all the festivities of the previous day, Vikram and I woke up rather late on that lazy Sunday and decided to order a light breakfast-in-bed, as we were to brunch at The Whitefield Arms later that day.
Following breakfast, Vikram chose to spend some time at the property’s fitness centre ~ The Tribe ~ which is equipped with both Nautilus-style and free weights, and is open early morning until late evening providing complete flexibility to its guests to work out at a convenient schedule.
Brunch at TWA – The Whitefield Arms
A quintessential neighbourhood watering hole, The Whitefield Arms at VR Bengaluru is a charismatic colonial style English pub that instantly gives you a warm, pleasant, and unpretentious feel about the place. Equally popular with the regular locals and hotel guests, the pub has a spacious indoor seating area with plush sofas for those who prefer a more relaxed seating to enjoy their drinks and conversations; and charming outdoor seating reminiscent of English alleys, complete with wooden benches and lampposts to add to the allure of the place. We were met at our designated seating area by the amiable F&B manager asking what we would like to order. Gormandising followed.
Entrée
First to our table was the highly innovative chef’s special ~ TWA Chips and Cheese. Who would have thought you could mix crispy fries with Dal Makhani and Cheese, and like it? Absolutely delicious, these irresistible fries were served with chopped jalapenos, green chillies, and onions.
Next up was the Spitfire Wings ~ Chicken lollipop tossed in a homemade spicy sauce and served with an exquisite blue cheese dip. The ultimate messy food; these were tangy, meaty, perfectly seasoned, and so unctuous that it was hard to stop at just one!
We were then served the Cavalry Special ~ unbelievably tender chicken marinated in garlic and chillies, cooked in a tandoor, and served with coriander relish and cucumber labneh. I found these to be deliciously seasoned nuggets of goodness!
But the entrée that really stood out was the Special Grilled Honey Chilli Beef ~ grilled beef marinated in honey, soy and chilli. With the hoisin sauce part of the marinade, the beef was sweet but the green chillies and curry leaves created quite a unique combination of ingredients resulting in a fantastic dish. We would not really have opted for these unlikely contenders but I was certainly glad the chef convinced us to try it all.
Main Course
Cottage Cheese Butty ~ Cottage cheese buns served with onion chaat made up this dish, where the reigning flavour was spicy and hot; but really the apple chutney elevated it. Try this once and you’ll be guaranteed to add this to your favourites.
Classic Fish ‘n’ Chips served with frizzled onion, tater sauce, and malt vinegar with a tomato mustard relish. Nicely balanced flavours and just the right percentage of coating to protein make these a big win, and the malt vinegar and tartar sauce hit all the right notes.
Half Fried Chicken served with garlic mashed potato, summer young veggies, and gravy. This chicken had fancy gravy, but aside from that, it was just your basic, delicious, fried chicken. Sometimes the simplest foods are the very best!
Grilled Spice Crusted Chicken ~ Breast of chicken served with mint and onion sauce, spinach and truffle mushroom rice. This dish borrows heavily from Italian cuisine, but one has to applaud the sweet, garlicky flavour that permeates the meat ~ yum yum! And, the sauce was honestly the best part. It’s this chicken’s better half. The two just need each other.
The serving of Saffron Grilled Prawns with saffron lemon butter sauce, beans foogath, and vegetable couscous was a mildly spiced, subtly sweet, and delicious dish. Whoever thought prawns and vegetables could be food fit for kings?!
The meal was made most memorable by the excellent drinks that bartender Xavier crafted for us.
Cocktails
TWA Spicy Margarita
{Ingredients: Tequila, lime juice, Cointreau and sweet & sour with fresh chillies}
TWA Lavelle
{Ingredients: Vodka & gin, butterscotch and honey}
Mocktails
Orange Cooler
{Ingredients: Orange juice, red-orange syrup, sweet & sour and an orange slice}
Blue Jazzy
{Ingredients: Pineapple juice, caramel syrup, lime juice, and blue curacao}
TWA Punch
{Ingredients: Mixed fruit juice with sweet & sour and fresh cream}
Tanya Fontes with Sabrina Sajjad
Tanya Fontes with the fabulous crew at TWA
{L to R: Ajith, Raghavendra, Mona, Xavier, Amit & Hissay}
Address: The Waverly Hotel & Residences, Whitefield Road, Mahadevapura.
To conclude: Vikram and I had the best weekend, and headed home feeling thoroughly pampered and already itching to go back. It could have to do with having a change of scenery, visiting a part of our city we don’t often head down to, or just taking time out to completely unwind ~ whatever it was, I would definitely recommend it!
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from The Waverly Hotel & Residences. Due judgment and care have been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review.