[2025 Update] My Guide to the Best Dosas in Bangalore
A list of 45+ dosa places that should be on your to-go list.
March 2, 2025 edit - Tomorrow is “World Dosa Day” and I simply have to re-send this slightly updated list of my recommendations for the best dosas in Bangalore. People who know me are aware of my obsession with finding the best dosa places in every nook and corner in Bangalore and I hope this widens your choices beyond your nearby “Udupi” darshini.
This is a list of about 39 such places with a dozen more honourable mentions. Happy dosa hunting!
For the longest time, I've held this grudge against folks who spoke ill of the beautiful golden-brown goodness that is the masala dosa we get in Bangalore. I'll categorize these folks into:
1. Folks from outside South India who get used to the "thin & crispy" or worse, the mashed up version of everything that you get on the streets of Mumbai, so much so that they start thinking that that is the real version of a dosa. They're not too bad to be honest but hey, that dosa is as authentic as gobi manchurian is "Chinese". Read this blog to know more or see the image below for a quick snapshot.
2. Stubborn Tam folks with whom I've had umpteen borderline philosophical debates on Karnataka sambar vs Tam sambar. Murugan Idli Shop's amazing podi idli cannot make up for the shapeless, hapless and underwhelming "dosai" that you get at the same place
3. Folks who like "99 variety Dosa" where they go have their favourite Schezwan Pav Bhaji Masala Mushroom Mayo Cheese Caviar dosa. By the time you go through half of it, it becomes so messed up you forget what you had ordered in the first place
So as a grumpy old Bangalorean, here is my little attempt at making the world a better place by educating the common folks on some of the real Dosa places in Bangalore.
Now I'll not get into too many technical details such as the ratio of urad dal to rice or what the Leidenfrost Effect is because I'm pretty clueless about it myself but I'll try to bring about some aspects of uniqueness of various types of dosas I will mention here. What you should know is that, most of the types of dosa you get in Bangalore are very much influenced by the Mysore Masala Dosa or the Udupi style sambar. Also, please please guys - it is pronounced as Do(the way you pronounce 2 in Hindi)-Sa (or Do-Se in Karnataka) and NOT Dough-sha/Dough-sa!
Loosely speaking, let's classify an authentic masala dosa into 4 types:
Type 1 - The old Bangalore no nonsense style which you get at majority of the darshini restaurants. These are generally made in oil (and occasionally in ghee) and are generally served with both sambar and chutney. They are lined on the inside by a layer of garlic chutney. It is generally more on the thinner side and only occasionally crispy.
Type 2 - The ghee/benne dosa - these are generally thick and crispy (yes its possible!) thanks largely due to the generous dosage of ghee or local butter aka benne that is used to make them. They are generally served with the usual coconut chutney and the red kempu chutney. They are also lined on the inside with a garlic chutney and hence the taste is an lip-smacking combination of ghee soaked dosa, garlic chutney and the 2 aforementioned chutneys.
Type 3 - The new age "mini-dosa" which are smaller and cheaper dosas finding their feet in new age slick darshinis such as Taaza Thindi etc. They are served with a rather small topping of a little ghee or butter and an economical serving of thick chutney but is perfect for those folks who want to have more than a single dish at the same time without the risk of overeating. They usually dont have any garlic chutney on the inside leaving you with a taste of only the dosa and the chutney (and masala). They are seriously cheap (30-40 bucks usually!) and the owners make up for this by sheer economy of scale and an efficient supply chain.
Type 4- The other variants such as the Davangere dosa, Tam style dosa, Hyderabadi style dosa etc
Of course, dosas have far more varieties than masala dosa alone. Some other great authentic varieties are the set dosa, khali dosa, onion dosa, paper dosa, bath dosa etc - some of which I will cover below.
Many of these outlets also carry some history with them and some of the older ones like Vidyarthi Bhavan, CTR, Mahalaxmi Tiffin Room etc were meant for the students nearby.
With the typical engineer-turned-MBA mind that I have, I'm going to make yet another classification into 3 levels of a hierarchy - the good, the great and the godlike places (a little Dota reference there!)
Also, these are by no means exhaustive but purely a list of my own go-to places. I’ve mentioned a few honourable mentions towards the end of the post as well.
The Good:
1. Airlines Hotel, Lavelle Road
Known for: The breezy outdoor ambience which a favourite joint of morning walkers from Cubbon Park and family outings alike. I've honestly had a dosa here only once and have far more important memories eating Death by Chocolate at Corner House right next door.
Type of Dosa: Type 1 Old Bangalore
2. Nagarathpete Night Dosa Camp, Naghrathpete
Known for - I faintly remember visiting these stalls more than 20 years ago and I got a chance to visit them again now in 2024 after a BFC game at Kanteerva. The Masala Dosa/Podi Masala Dosa, Pulao/Podi Bath and the Idli are all equally amazing!
A top choice for a late evening/night-time dosa at a time when the otherwise chaotic city area is at it’s calmest.
Also, there are about 3 different stalls here so I’ve added the generic location here.
Type of Dosa: Type 2 - ghee/benne Dosa
3. Davangere Benne Dosa, Jayanagar/Basavanagudi
Known for- the unique Davangere style dosa which has a unique patchy light brown colour characterised by a fluffy dosa soaked with butter. Their aloo palya is also unique and it doesn’t have onion in it. There are many such "Dosa camps" all over Bangalore and till date, I have not figured out which one is the real deal (dark corners of Google say its Sri Guru Kottureshwara Davangere Benne Dosa). Anyhow, this place in Jayanagar served some pretty good dosa and it was spicy AF.
Type of Dosa - type 4 other varieties
Known for: Old school simple joint serving some simple kickass dosa. I haven’t been to this place for at least 15-20 years now but I cant help but remember that it was spicy enough to have my nose running by the time I walked out of the place
Type of Dosa : Type 1 Old Bangalore
Known for: A sit down and eat place which was one of the first places I've been to which served a dosa in the shape you see in the pic below. Good for folks who live closeby or are passing by. Also, its a good place if you like your sweet-sour Sambar alongside the dosa.
Type of Dosa: Type 1 Old Bangalore
6. Mahalakshmi Tiffin Room, DVG Road, Basavanagudi
Known for: I honestly dont recall much of this place since I've been there only once more than a decade ago, but its easy to miss the awesomeness of this rather plain looking old place in the shadow of the far more popular Vidyarthi Bhavan which is not too far from here. Go here if you want a taste of a long-foregone Bangalore with decor from a long time ago and no sort of electronic payments accepted
Type of Dosa: Type 1 Old Bangalore
Known for: Being a poor man's version of the MTR Masala Dosa (they have this mysterious taste which I can’t really put down in words). Heck, the very founder of the company was ex-MTR (he sold MTR to a big Norwegian company in 2002 and set up his own shop later after the non-compete clause ended)
Type of Dosa: Type 1 Old Bangalore
8. RK Dosa Camp, Wilson Garden
Known for: The gigantic family feeding paper masala dosa. You can easily miss this place for a shady little dosa camp but it’s made a niche of itself thanks to their relatively spicy food and the 3 feet long paper masala dosa
Type of Dosa: Type 1 Old Bangalore
Known for: Being infamous with OG Bangaloreans and smartly using social media to popularize the Ghee Masala Dosa.
I fall in the former part but I have to be impartial in this blog. The ghee laden Masala Dosa here is good but it is NOT a legendary place and is NOT synonymous with the “Bangalore Dosa”
Type 2: Ghee/Bene Masala Dosa
Formerly known for: It’s previous long standing avatar, Chalukya at Samrat, was the place where babus, MLAs and the other men in white come for their breakfast and coffee. Don’t be surprised to see a few luxury cars parked in the parking right outside. I always loved their dosas (not too different from the MTR style) and absolutely love the Sambar (with idli!). Their dosas are almost orange in colour thanks to the inner lining of garlic chutney. However, I must say that my last visit a year ago on a very crowded Sunday morning was a forgettable experience with an extremely oily dosa and pretty crappy service. Alas, the building is now demolished and Samrat has shifted to a much smaller outlet at Church Street
Type of Dosa: Type 1 old Bangalore
Known for: Another ghee dosa overload place that has a larger variety of dosas than most new age outlets. Their set/khali dosas are underrated, and the podi thatte idli is great as well but I didn’t like the garlic roast dosas at all!
Type of dosa: ghee/benne masala dosa
Known for: Being a favourite joint of the students from nearby colleges. I am a little biased here because I frequented this joint back in classes 11 and 12 and revisited the place after a decade. The Set Dosa is seriously underrated and the Masala Dosa is pretty damn good. I also suggest trying out the Akki Roti and Ragi Dosa if possible.
Type of Dosa: Type 1 Old Bangalore
Known for: Being THE pioneer of the now reasonably popular khali dosa. Even my father used to tell me about visiting this place many decades ago. Alas, the quality is not the same now but it’s still a good OG place to go to (make sure you go to the super excellent South Kitchen closeby
Type of dosa: Type 1 old Bangalore dosa
Known for: Being a true OG darshini in Bangalore with history that dates back to 1926 and still feels like it’s established in another era. Go here for a no nonsense traditional darshini experience with classic dip (in Sambar) Idli, masala dosas and a beautiful kesari bath.
I remember going to the City Railway Station or to KR market with my father about 25 years ago and he usually stopped by this place for breakfast.
Type of dosa : Type 1 Old Bangalore masala dosa
Known for: A very nice shavige bath and Mangalore Bajji apart from the very good and ghee soaked masala dosa.
Type of dosa - Type 2 ghee/benne masala dosa
Known for - An unassuming Tam style sit down and eat place that serves a nice variety of dishes across the week. I’m not the biggest fan of Tam style dosas as I’ve cited earlier in this post but I like the rava dosa you get here and recommend the same. Apart from this, try other items like masala idli, idiyappam and the venn pongal.
Type of dosa: Type 4 - Others (Tam Style dosai)
Known for: A very large and well done Khali dosa. The other items here are quite good as well but it’s the Khali dosa you need to go here for.
The Great
1. Chikkanna Tiffin Room, Sheshadripuram
Known for: The pretty kickass “mini” podi masala Dosa, the deceivingly tasty "khali dosa" and (not for the faint hearted) the bath dosa (pronounced as Bhath). They have an outlet somewhere in Cubbonpet as well but that is not as well known or easy to spot. I first visited this place on a friends reco who swears that it is his favorite place (and who turned up one hour late while I watched folks devour the ghee laden dosa - if you're reading this, I havent forgotten!) after a morning jog in Cubbon Park
Type of Dosa: Type 2 ghee/benne masala dosa
Known for: Being one of the softest and spongiest idlies in Bangalore city and having a pretty great masala dosa and khali dosas. Instead of breakfast time, I suggest visisting this area on a Saturday or Sunday evening to catch a glimpse of the lively crowds that gather to eat at one of the many dozens of outlets in that viscinity.
Type of dosa: Type 2 ghee/benne masala dosa
3. MTR, Lalbagh (the original one)
Known for: Being legendary and synonymous for a masala dosa, especially for folks outside of Bangalore thanks to number of outlets spread across the city. I have visited 4 different outlets but found the original MTR which was in business even before our Independence. The Masala Dosa is unique with its relatively thin, not-so-crispy but delicous taste. It was once famous for being one of the few places which served ghee with the Dosa (some say they cooked it in Ghee earlier on). Watch out for the crazy crowds on a weekend morning thanks to those folks who compensate for lost calories after a stroll/jog in Lalbagh. The thali, rava Idli, Bonda Soup and Mangalore buns (available at the Indiranagar outler at least) are pretty kick-ass as well.
Type of Dosa: Type 1 old Bangalore
Known for: Being the better “Chikkanna Tiffin Room” in the Cubbonpete area. Be prepared to wait for a good 15-20 minutes for your dosa to be served to you. The golden-brown colour is like liquid gold!
Type of dosa: Type 2 ghee/benne masala dosa
Known for: A very very simple looking place serving the spiciest chutney I have had anywhere at all. I have worked in sales roles for while earlier which entailed a fair bit of travel across the city and this was always on my go-to list. I was pretty unimpressed by the look of their outlet and searched twice to make sure I was at the right place. But boy-oh-boy, looks dont matter in this case. Their idli-vada-sambar is pretty amazing as well. I left with tears in my eyes thanks to the spicy chutney (and how good the dosa was). The khara bath is top 5 in the city for me.
Type of Dosa: Type 1 old Bangalore
Known for: Revolutionizing the darshini into a new age, limited menu, smaller serving and fast service (and unbeatable hygiene standards). I believe they were the ones who pioneered this format which was later copied by innumerable new places. The crowds here are the biggest you will see in ANY of the outlets mentioned in this list. Some of you may be surprised to see this darshini not included in the "Godlike" places given how legendary this place has already become. While I do agree that their Dosa is very good, I like this place far more for the idli-vada-chutney and the supreme chow-chow bath.
Type of Dosa: Type 3 New Bangalore
7. Vidyarthi Bhavan, Basavanagudi
Known for: Being the most well know Dosa joint in Bangalore after MTR and another legendary outlet which was opened pre0Independence. Do read this article for more. The golden-brown colour of the dosa itself evokes a familiar taste in your palette and the generous serving of a rather liquid chutney to dunk your dosa into. I would say the most legendary and unique differential about VB is the way the dosas are served (see the pic below to figure why). Some old timers may find it to be a surprise that I have not included VB in the "Godlike" category given that the oldest tribal debate between North and South Bangaloreans is the classic CTR vs VB (which is best) conundrum. I just find the dosa here to be a little overrated and not at par with some of the dosas in the next category.
Type of Dosa: Both 1 and 2 - Old School Bangalore with a serving of benne
Known for: Being a near clone of Taaza Thindi (I believe that they may have the same owner) but a wider assortment of foods which are served
Type of dosa: Type 3 new Bangalore
9. Shree Sai Dosa, Rajajinagar
Known for: The coma inducing amount of ghee that they put in their dosas. Oh, which taste amazing. The chutney is also topped the fried gram tadka (vagarne). This is a not so well know place located close to the popular Navrang theatre and was another late discovery for my after my Sunday morning jog at Cubbon Park. I give it full credit for making me a fan of the type 3 ghee masala dosa more than any other outlet mentioned in this list.
Type of Dosa: Type 2 ghee/benne dosa
Type of Dosa: Type 3 ghee/benne dosa
IDC Kitchen Indiranagar (also has outlets across the city)
Known for: My most frequently visited place in the last 4 years both because of the proximity and the non overload of ghee which works well if you dont want to feel drowsy later. I’d strongly recommend their khali dosa as well. I absolutely love their sambar, especially at their Indiranagar outlet.
Type of dosa: A mix of type 1 and type 2
Known for: Pioneers of the Sabbaki (Sabudana) Masala Dosa and the “trimurthy” pulao. You will find many “SLN Muddanas" across Bangalore including these 2 outlets and it’s said that all of them are relatives who bicker over the right to hold this name and have old opened similar sounding outlets. Beyond the unique Sabbaki masala dosa, the ghee laden pulao is to die for!
Type of dosa: Type 4 - Others (Sabbaki dosa)
Known for: Being another hidden gem family run place in Cubbonpete that serves golden-brown ghee masala dosas.
Type of dosa: Type 2 ghee/benne masala dosa.
Known for: A tiny little establishment in the middle of nowhere that is easy to miss but has a very heavy and spicy bath masala dosa. A typical workers place where people drop by for their “tiffin” before starting the day
Type of dosa: A mix of type 1 and type 2
Known for: The spongiest dosa I’ve ever head and a delight to eat, especially if you’re out shopping at Commercial Street or thereabout.
Type of dosa: Type 4 Others - butter sponge dosa.
Godlike:
Known for: The achieving the impossible trinity of a THICK, crispy and and the trademark golden yellow colour without wear and tear. Honestly, they deserve far more accolades on their walls than Burrp! or Zomato or Time Food type of awards. This is another old Bangalore place with notable history as seen here. Also, avoid Sundays given the absolute mayhem in getting a table which may take upwards of half an hour. The feels when you eat that first bite when the thick butter ridden dosa (Served with 2 chutneys) slowly dissolves in our mouth and leaves behind the best after taste possible. I discovered the place only thanks to my college mates from that part of town but have visited the place religiously ever since through thick (Crowds) and thin (Covid!). It is oft said that a idli at Veena stores up the road followed by a benne dosa at CTR is the best breakfast you can have. I also recommend their pretty awesome Mangalore bhajji as an appetizer just before you eat the dosas which take some time to get served.
Type of Dosa: Type 2 benne/ghee Dosa
2. Lakshmi Nataraj Refreshments aka "Pandus", Nagarathpet/Chickpet
Known for: Being a pioneer of the ghee soaked "bath" dosa and also popular for the podi masala and masala dosas. I have faint memories of eating at a much smaller roadside "thela" over 15 years ago when I first ate their popular bath dosa (I could not believe one could eat dosa with a "pulao"!). Fast forward 15 years, I got to visit this place often during market visits in the crowded markets nearby. It is pretty tricky to find the place as it is located in the corner of a narrow bylane of a crowded and narrow street. It is said that the man selling this minted so much money in the last few years that he purchased many properties in the vicinity and rented them out commercially (And property rates are NOT cheap in that part of town!). Anyhow, the dark brown color of the ghee-soaked podi masala dosa and the 2 chutneys served with a topping of fried gram tadka makes for an absolute treat. Their idli and the afternoon meals are also something definitely worth trying.
Type of dosa: Type 2 ghee/benne dosa
Known for: A small old school outlet right next to Bugle Rock Park and the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi. The dosa here is a fusion of what you get at CTR and Bengaluru Cafe so you know it’s got to be good!
Type of dosa- Type 2 - Ghee/Benne Masala Dosa
4. Umesh Dosa Point, Kumarapark/Sheshadripuram and Indiranagar
Known for: A favourite breakfast point of Marwaris who throng the place on weekends (lol). I personally find Umesh dosa as the most complete and consistently well-made Masala dosa across any outlet - it is hot and crispy and the outside and soft on the inside giving it a crispy touch but still melts in your mouth. The dosa here has never let you down (hey, even CTR has served me undercooked dosa or the potato masala more than once) and this consistency alone has made Umesh Dosa my go-to place for all kinds of dosas (podi masala dosa is as good) and also for their ghee soaked idli sambar.
Type of Dosa: Type 3 ghee masala dosa
Known for: A new age limited menu quick service darshini (a concept pioneered by Taaza Thindi) which serves some amazing idli-Vada and Chow-chow bath and an even better Masala Dosa. Unlike most darshinis in Bangalore that were started by the Nayaks and Kamaths from Udupi, this place was started by a couple of engineers. The dosa here has a fantastic buttery taste and is so crispy, despite the thickness, that you can also hear the loud crunch in your mouth. The chutney is seriously underrated and adds to the texture and taste.
I often make this joke when I visit Bengaluru Cafe “Hey Bengaluru Cafe dosa, what’s your skincare routine?!”
Type of Dosa: Type 3 new Bangalore +Type 2 benne dosa
Sri Srinivasa Hotel, Basavanagudi:
Known for: A small little place in the narrow old streets of Basavanagudi run by family members (And open only till 12 30 PM) that serves the THICKEST dosas in human history. Their USP is their pudina masala dosa but the podi masala dosa is pretty damn good as well. Their vada is top 3 in the city for me!
Type of Dosa: Type 2 Ghee/benne dosa
Cubbonpete Tiffin Room, Basavanagudi:
Known for: A unique podi masala dosa which has has a powdery texture when you crunch into the dosa. They used to be be based out of the actual Cubbonpete area before (hence the name) but have shifted base to this place for good now.
Type of Dosa - Type 2 - ghee/benne Masala dosa
Known for: A truly hidden gem deep in the bylanes of Cubbonpete that really believes in making you earn the extremely elusive masala dosa. The kind gentleman at the counter smiles at you when you ask him for a dosa and tests you by checking if you are willing to say “yes” to a waiting time of 20/30 minutes and if you are willing to bide that time by eating an “appetizer” such as plate of idli or half pulao. I was politely asked to buzz of the first time I visited this place (I thought I could play it smart) but succeeded in passing the acid test the next time - oh it was so worth it! The golden-brown texture of the dosa is just…… (speechless)
Type of dosa - Type 2 ghee/benne masala dosa
Known for - easily the best Khali Dosa invented by humanity. It is so soft that it melts in your mouth as if it were in liquid form already. The masala dosa and the thatte idli are also great here and watch out for the Mangalore bajjis in the evenings! This place, which is a sister concern of the now famour Bengaluru Cafe, is open till 1 AM and can be on your late-night drive and eat list.
Type of dosa: Type 2 ghee/benne masala dosa (although its the khali dosa you should be going there for)
ADDENDUM:
I add a few more honourable mentions to this list without classifying them into any category:
Asha Tiffins, HSR Layout and Brookfield - it has fallen down the pecking order for me
Skanda Sai Dosa Camp, Cambridge Layout
If you like Tam style thin and wafery dosas, you can also try The Filter Coffee in Indiranagar/Kalyan Nagar, Guru Tiffin HSR Layout or Sendhoor Cafe at multiple outlets.
VV Puram Food Street - a tiny establishment which is towards the end on the left hand side whose name I don’t recall but serves the best idlis!
Onion dosa camp at Siddiah Road at Wilson Garden
Babai Tiffins, HSR Layout (Hyderabad style outlet)
South Thindies, Jayanagar- they some some unique varieties like a methi-jaggery dosa
Brahma Tiffins, Bellandur - decent place for folks who live in this part of town
Sriramgam Cafe, Indiranagar - yet another decent-ish ghee soaked dosa place
So there goes my list of some of the best places for a variety of dosas in all of Bangalore. If you're truly interested in visiting some of these places, here's a couple of ways to go about it:
1. Make a mental map of the locations of these outlets and the next time you plan to pass by the given area for whatever reason, stop by for a quick bite irrespective of the time of day (as long as it is open)
2. Just go to Lalbagh or Cubbon Park (or even Agara Lake) for a morning jog on a Sunday. I go swimming once a week to Basavanagudi/Jayanagar swimming pools and have ample opportunities to hit the Mecca of Bangalore thindi.
Run/walk/swim enough to get you really hungry and build up an appetite. More than half of the list here is within a 5-10 minute drive of either parks/swimming pools.
I'm sure there are dozens of other hidden gems I'm yet to visit. Some of the names which come to my mind are Siddappa Hotel SR Nagar, HVR Malleshwaram, YDH Canteen Shantinagar, M.S. Dose Corner RMV Layout, Krishna Dosa cart etc. What are your favourite places on this list and what else would you recommend to me?
I aim to write more blogs on other go-to places for different foods (and drinks) so do give me a little encouragement if possible!
PS - Some of these images are taken from Google images given that I may not have visited some places for a while. Credit to whoever has taken them originally
Amazing !!! Gonna put it on my to-eat-from list for this year...
There is one Palleturi Dosa HSR - specializing in Andhra style spicy Dosa !! Can try that...
This is a gem of an article and would love more such articles on other cuisines!