Unlike my other reviews, this one will be somewhat unstructured and I do visit Koshy’s quite often <- there is your disclaimer, right up front.
Yes, I do visit Koshy’s pretty often. In most cases, because it is located well and to drop in to have a cup of coffee while being around in that area or is a good 5 minute conversation place.
One has to realize(if not already) that Koshy’s is really more of a meeting place located beautifully and has managed to create a tradition, and carry with it the loyal and the heritage seeking. Koshy’s also has gradually become the place where you want to be seen if you are the’intellectual’ type. Of course, a lounge bar is for the yuppies, right?
Ambience:
Yes the atmosphere is nice, and it absolutely does feel exactly the way a coffee house should feel like. With the India Coffee House(on MG Road) now gone, this perhaps is the only traditional coffee house remaining in the city.
I appreciate the fact that smoking in restaurants got banned, and thus took the smoke away from Koshy’s as well. I dont like to smell smoke and don’t like my clothes smelling of smoke either. The one thing that the smoke did hide was the smell of food around lunch, and till about 4pm. The ventilation at Koshy’s needs improvement and the lone large noise making exhaust fan in the corner doesn’t manage to do what it is expected to.
Having said all that, you will end up bumping into some of the city intellectuals and old Bangaloreans. Chidambaram(of the service tax fame), George Fernandes(was it the alleged flak jackets or the Kargil martyr’s coffin, I can’t remember), Ram Guha(of the pillow size book fame) all drop in here.
Koshy’s has a very large bunch of very loyal patrons. Different backgrounds, different cultures, different interests - the works. Great place to sit and people watch. Old men, with PYTs too! Most of the PYTs seem to have dissappeared after the smoking ban though.
Food:
Well, I have eaten many things here at different points of time. Toast(Bombay, Plain, Buttered, French), French Fries, Fish Cutlet, Mutton Chop, Sandwiches(Chicken, Cheese, Veggie), Omlettes(Cheese, tomatoe, plain) are what I can think of. Besides plain toast, none of the other food is consistant in taste or quality.
I have had coffee here, and also tea. Neither of them are good. The coffee is good once in a while when there is a fresh batch.
Would I go to Koshy’s because the food is good? Nope, not at all. Because the food is not good. The only reason I still end up going to Koshy’s, primarily, is because of convenience. It is not a destination food place. By now, surely, I have managed to transform myself to enemy#1 for all Koshy’s fanatics.
Customer Service:
Well, more like what is the service like from the servers? Not bad at all, I would say though they appear somewhat surly and non-smiling. They are efficient and if you are sort of a regular the service is markedly different. The food quality still doesn’t improve, but they will hold a table for you, move you to a better table, food will arrive quicker and will keep a discrete watch over you(so that they are always within hailing or hand waving distance) inspite of the place being packed.
Value for Money: simple statement there - NO.
But again, if you go to Koshy’s for food, or seeking value for money.then you shouldn’t go because you will come back dissappointed. This place is all ambience and heritage and a fine example of how to maintain that.