Route 42 is the newest watering-hole stationed in Koramangala 5th Block, a locality which is already crowded with a lot of pubs and lounges spread across. This indicates that the drinking space here is packed and competition is going to be cut throat, but for us common folks it is a reason to rejoice as we believe in getting spoilt for choice! So what makes Route 42 stand out from other places in the vicinity, read on to know more about my experience here at a recently held bloggers meet.

The place is new and its on a verge of becoming a landmark 😛 ! Until then, here is how to reach – Take the lane adjacent to Black Pearl and you will find Route 42 on your left side. Basically, a couple of buildings before Happy Brew and right opposite/beside Tilt Gastro Pub. The ambiance here is inspired by Goa streets and add to that the staff here are dressed in colorful floral printed shirts which goes well with the theme. It is not uncomfortably dark which is a good thing, lots of breathing space inside to make you stay there for more.

There are two elements that will surely catch everyone’s attention the moment you step inside – A huge FOOD sign made using an actual bicycle and a massive caricature which depicts the growth of Namma Bengaluru. Well, they are easily a conversation starter, especially for dummies who come here for their first awkward date!! The complete music system here is top notch, basically doesn’t hit your ears but at the same time the audio is spreads across evenly to give quality output.

Route42 has an elaborate menu which covers all the basic cocktail and mocktails. There are certain food dishes available here which are not to be found elsewhere, atleast in prominent food joints. Lets begin with the beverage section, few ladies in our group grabbed a cocktail each, thanks to them that we got to try out Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada.

Daiquiri here is available in different flavors and you can get one based on your preference – Classic, Mango, Kiwi and Pineapple. We also tried the Mango Mock-o-lada which has a sorbet like texture, and flavored from a mixture of mango, lime juice and coconut milk. Strawberry and Banana smoothie was our second pink drink which was a nice blend of strawberries and Bananas.

While we were sipping on our drinks (I preferred having the Hoegaarden all throughout!) we were served with a lot of small bites which din’t look small at all. The portions here are large and you will surely end up cross checking the menu to make sure if it is really priced so well!

We started off with Paneer Garlic Stick, Cheesy Shooms, Jalapeno Poppers and Tawa Ke Lazeez Khumb from the vegetarian section. Cheesy Shooms and Jalapeno poppers are a good buy for cheese lovers, and if you love spicy food then Tawa ke Lazeez Khumb should be on your table.

Other noteworthy vegetarian options here are Cajun Spiced Fried American Corn, Kung Pao Baby Potatoes and Cheesy Garlic Fries, personal favorite being the Fried American Corn which went well with my beer!

Non Vegetarian folks gorged on Prawns Chatpata (tangy and spicy) and a lesser known dish called Banana Leaf wrapped Fish in Sambal. The later here is a Southeast Asian fish preparation made from Sambal, a sauce that has well balanced flavors alternating between different levels of spiciness.

Later we had Murg Angara, a simple yet tantalizing chicken preparation which can be your go to side dish if you are confused as to what to order, and am sure you will never go wrong with it.

We even got to try out their pizzas – Farmhouse special pizza in both veg and non veg variants. Veg pizza looked busy with a lot of assorted veggies scattered all around, maybe the vegetarians like it this way.

I set my eyes on the Chicken Farmhouse Pizza which was done pretty well, the generosity was evident as the pizza had more chicken than veggies.. Good stuff indeed!

From my lil experience of eating out elaborately outside, I have felt that the main course section receives less importance and the dining experience goes for a toss (talking about places where you get drinks). This was not the case in Route 42, we tasted almost 6 different items from the menu (3 veg and 3 non veg) and everyone appreciated the efforts put in to bring out such brilliantly done dishes.

Vegetarian folks indulged in Penne Arrabiata, Red Thai Curry with Rice and Vegetable Stroganoff whereas the non vegetarian guys tried Country Style Grilled Chicken, East Indian Kheema Pao and Pandi Curry.

What caught my attention was the taste and appearance of Pandi curry which was almost as if the curry was sourced from Coorg. Akki Roti here completes this dish and I can easily say it was one of the best Coorg styled Pandi Curry combo (curry+roti) that I’ve tried outside.

We ended our eating marathon with Banana Nutella Wanton which were crispy on the outside and had a nice soft texture inside, the overall platter was a wonderful delight. I would have preferred having slightly more dessert options on the menu, currently I see you get 2 options in Desserts section.

Route 42 has come at the right time and at the right location (busiest street in Koramangala!) and keeping in mind the approaching year end celebrations which translates to packed pubs, this place is definitely going to cater to a lot of happy tummies. As we got to interact with the people responsible for running this place we understood, and eventually witnessed that the food items served here are right on spot (what you see on the menu is what you get), there are no fancy terms used to name a dish nor something is done in an elaborate manner to make it look cumbersome. Overall, I liked how Route 42 has managed to embrace simplicity and excel at the same time. This is one place in Koramangala 5th Block you would not want to miss!