It’s popular notion that Koshy’s has an’intellectual energy’ about it, likely because it is thronged by shady local leftists like Ramachandra Guha, and a few Bangalore theatre nobodies, unknown book authors / translators, Art curators, etc who, enjoy celebrity status in Bangalore for reasons not fully understood by psychologists.
They’d drop in when they crave attention, and sit for hours over a cup of coffee, or cigarettes bought off the street by sending the waiters to fetch them(that colonial’sahib’ mentality at work?). Today, of course, Koshy’s being a No-Smoking zone, and some of those oldies are either dead or infirm, the place, wears the look of an old, dysfunctional military canteen frequented by wannabes and oldies who still cannot get enough of that’quaint’ atmosphere of Indian disregard.
The Menu is an atrocious Kerala-style / Continental cuisine that confounds all definition, and is ridiculously high-priced considering the poor quality of ingredients, preparation & presentation.
For instance, a simple serving of Dal, Rice & 2 [badly burnt] Rotis will easily set you back by about ₹ 300/-
Food presentation - lousy!
Service - Let’s just say YOU are the "waiters" here. The servers are lax and wear morose faces(unless they know you, when they might greet you before making you wait anyway).
Maintenance of the place - Dismal.
There was a time when this place had a working Jukebox, well-maintained wood furniture and decor, fine lamps, and clean toilets. Today, . uhm, none of these.
So what heck is good here, you ask? Well, .
Coffee.
Certain non-veg items like Beef and Pork(and not because they’re prepared well, but because they are merely available).
Appam & Veg Stew(served only between 9 AM and 11 AM on Sundays). Again, nothing truly great about it, just the hype makes it a coveted item.
To sum up, if you are a fan of a’quaint, old-world’ restobar, and aren’t too discerning when it comes to food or service, and you have cash to burn and an afternoon to dissipate, at a rather average classic-style ambience with a 1970s feel to it, then this is the place for you.