Best winelists & more

THE WINE CLUB

Unlike in London or New York, wine bars or restaurants are still a concept waiting to take off in India ""licensing laws in most states (except Maharashtra) do not give any concession for a place wanting to serve only wine and, in any case, the average tippler would be driven away if faced with no option but wine.

As if to compensate, a host of "fine dining" restaurants have sprouted in the metros "" stand-alone establishments that offer first class ambience, great food, and a winelist that matches the five-star hotels "" all combined with that personal touch from the proprietor or chef being there to pamper guests. So let's take a look at the best stand-alone, fine-dining restaurants in Bangalore:

Olive Beach: A D Singh found this lovely old bungalow on Wood Street and turned it into one of the finest restaurants anywhere "" the trademark minimalist Mediterranean-style decor presages a Continental dining experience where one can choose the breezy outdoors or the interiors with low lighting and fat candles on each table.

Attentive waiters are a prelude to chef Manu Chandra's gourmet creations. Added attractions include the mandatory Sunday brunch (a sellout), a gourmet bazaar every second Saturday (the next is February 16 "" get a superb range of cold cuts and cheeses), a monthly flea market, and the occasional fashion show.

The place is a favourite with both the city's expats as well as discerning company people: Vijay Mallya celebrated his last birthday here; Nandan Nilekani is a regular, and I'm delighted to be able to use the place to host most of my wine tastings. A must-visit place, with a selected list of some 50 wines.

Sunny's: Arjun Sajnani used to do only theatre but seems to have found his calling as a restaurateur: starting with a three-storey walk-up in the heart of Bangalore, he migrated, two years back, to a prime location on Vittal Mallya Road (next to the spanking new UB City), and has never looked back.

The menu is unabashedly Continental but the preparations are great value and Arjun (or his partner Vivek) reputedly buy all critical ingredients themselves to ensure freshness and quality "" I do know that he personally approves each of the 40-odd wines listed.

Giancarlo's Place: Opened exactly a month ago, this is run by... Giancarlo, a terrifically handsome Italian! The second floor is the fine-dining area, while the terrace sit-out has the best-stocked bar outside any five-star hotel, a wood-fired pizza oven, and even an Italian pizza-master!

Uniquely, they stock only Italian wines (apart from Champagne and Big Banyan), and the initially 20-strong list includes respectable labels like Brancaia, Prunotto, Lungarotti, Mastroberardino, Antinori, Pighin, Falesco and Zonin.

Of course, there are many other good restaurants where one can also have good wines: Fiorano, Via Milano and Little Italy to name a few with Spaghetti Kitchen in the offing. And I have not even dared touch on places other than those serving Continental cuisines.

(alok@gryphonbrands.com)