Bangalore

Smack in the city centre, brightly lit Brigade Road is rife with boutiques, pubs and malls that are ideal for everyone from window shoppers to die-hard retail junkies, says CRAIG D’MELLO

A short walk from Cubbon Park and an hour from the airport, Brigade Road is the commercial and cultural centre of India’s Garden City. The city’s lush gardens, lakes and good weather seem to keep its inhabitants in perpetually good spirits. But Bangalore is more than just greenery and sunny skies. Head to Brigade Road for a healthy dose of Bangalore buzz.

1 ALL THAT JAZZ
Live jazz goes down even better with iced tea and a margarita pizza. If you’ve just arrived in town and it’s a weekend, Java City (47 Eureka Bldg, Opp High Gates, Church St, tel: +80 (0)41 121 787) is a great place to start the evening. Maybe it’s the laidback attitude of the servers, or that you can linger unbothered for hours, but this moderately priced coffee shop is full to the brim on weekends, especially when the veteran house band performs.

2 HIGH FASHION
Missed by many travellers, the Tibetan Market (5 Tibetan Shopping Centre, Indo Dubai Plaza, Rest House Rd) may be hidden away but it’s well worth the effort of tracking it down. From Tibetan incense and healing treatments to stylish jackets and eccentric footwear, the market stocks a vast selection of goods at the lowest prices around. After your shopping spree, try the yummy momos (dumplings) at Taste of Tibet on the third floor.

3 SEE THE LIGHT
Get in tune with your mystical side at Psybaba’s (41/2 Castle St, Off Brigade Rd, tel: +80 (0)40 913 670), the flowerchild of owners Saher and Tanya and one of the more off-the-wall shops around. With its handcrafted leather shoes, UV glow bags, organic perfumes, customised footwear, tie dyes and pixie couture, it’s the only truly psychedelic boutique in Bangalore.

4 READ ALL ABOUT IT
Tucked away in a residential culde- sac, Select Bookstore (71 Cross Brigade Rd, tel: +80 (0)25 580 770) has been around since 1945. Perfect for bibliophiles, antiquarians and scholars, the shop houses treasures ranging from handwritten manuscripts from Coorgi royalty to rare Mahatma Gandhi postcards. For those on the hunt for a long-sought-after tome, or anyone who just loves the aroma of old books, Select is the place to go.

5 CHEERS, BIG EARS
Pecos Pub (34 Rest House Rd, off Brigade Rd, tel: +80 (0)25 586 047) may be less exclusive than it once was, but the old-time ambiance and timehonoured traditions of serving up good music and bargain-priced beer live on. Wash down the fiery chilli beef or prawn dry fry with a few cold ones and request your favourite tracks from the manager/ DJ. The pub’s old wooden tables and message-scrawled walls tell of a beerdrenched history.