Must visit book cafes in Bangalore by Aishwarya Lakshmi

A cozy affair- A book in hand and some freshly brewed coffee

“I do believe something very magical can happen every time you read a book.” – JK Rowling

While the realm of books is fascinating, the place where they are found is equally alluring. Snuggling at a cozy café with refreshing coffee and some fries on the side is another feeling altogether. With neatly stacked books, bookworms around the corner, and a world of chaos behind closed doors- A book café is a magical portal for imagination, creation, and a world beyond reality and myth!

Here are some recommendations for book cafes in Bangalore:

Champaca Bookstore, Vasanth Nagar

Snuggled away from the busy city, lies a quaint bookstore on the rooftop of a bungalow in Bangalore’s sleepy neighbourhood of Vasanth Nagar. With large French windows and a small kitchenette, this place is one of the most happening bookstores in Bangalore with collections ranging from wildlife and ecology, queer stories, feminist writing, politics, mental health, folklore and mythology, humour, caste, poetry, translations from regional languages and fiction. The lush greenery of Bangalore’s oldest trees adds to the flavour of tranquillity which makes this place a must-visit. Founded by Radhika Timbadia in 2019, Champaca Bookstore, Library, this independently owned, women-run bookstore has a thriving community of bookworms and budding writers, who come together and discuss books and poems over a cup of coffee and some freshly baked muffins. They have events all around the clock from book signings to discussions on new releases and poetry reading that manages to attract bookworms from all around the city. Their curated reading has an interesting collection with ethos covering themes like geography, gender, languages, and ethnicity.

Café timings – 10 am to 7 pm, closed on Mondays

Atta Galatta Café, Kormangala

Silver oak trees swaying around the rather normal-looking house in Koramangala’s sleepy locality is a known hub for book nerds and coffee lovers. With zero boundaries, Atta Galatta café on the second-floor houses thousands of books ranging from fiction, poetry, classics, mythology, and much more. The native interiors with Athangudi tiles, exposed brick columns and wooden starks bring a homely ambiance to the place. With neatly arranged books around the cozy corner, freshly-baked muffins and tarts on the table, and a lively crowd of book lovers and artists, the café is more of a hangout place for those who want to get away from Bangalore’s traffic and chaos. With musical evenings and book reading sessions, the café also prides itself on hosting book signing sessions of accomplished writers and poets.

Café timings – 11 am to 7 pm, closed on Mondays

Dialogues, JP Nagar

No strings attached! Snack as much as you want, read as much you want, spend as much time as you want and may be when you get a bit bored hop over a fuse ball table or have a casual chit-chat with a stranger! Time is currency at this cozy café  whose book collections and board games seem to have mesmerized people around. Started by Ankit Gupta and Saurab Priya, the café offers all the facilities at an affordable price. With a vibrant mood and chatty staff, this café is hustling and bustling not just with bookworms and college students but freelancers who seem to be juggling between a book and their work. While their potato wedges and cold coffee is a must-try, their multi-coloured bookshelf is filled with hard binds ranging from comics and novels to travel magazines and journals.

Café timings – 9.30 am to 10 pm

Café Terra, Koramangala

Attention all comic lovers! Koramangala is not just a hub for quaint and cozy cafes but theme cafes as well. Café Terra seems to be in the middle Marvel- DC tug of war for this place has most of the superhero collections. While heated debates over Batman and Iron Man seem to be a routine over coffee and snacks at this café, you would also find a bunch of comic nerds buzzing around Archie books and Manga. Decked with comic posters and puns on the walls, the café’s main attraction is its Belgian morning breakfast or Spanish omelette with coffee. With a touch of old-school charm to all those vintage editions of comic books, the ambiance here always makes us want to linger around longer.

Café timings – 9 am to 10 pm

Art Blend Cafe, HSR Layout

A hobby-aspired space, Art Blend café is an ideal place for artists, bookworms and coffee lovers. An alluring hub for creative people, this café has engaging activities for kids as well. There is no room for getting bored or lazy. With walls painted on creatively, exciting showpieces on display and a huge collection of books available, art blend café is truly a place to visit and keep yourself engaged on a lazy Sunday.

Café timings – 10 am to 10 pm

 Writers Café, Kalyan Nagar

Claimed a haven for writers, stumbling upon books, words, poems and round glasses is a common sight in this café. With the cutest eatery and always smiling staff, Writer’s café is one of the go-to places for those who stay in and around Kalyan Nagar. With an exclusive food and beverage menu and carefully curated book collection, the café offers a wallet-free experience for those who want to immersive into books and poetry with some refreshing coffee and light snacks. Away from all the city hush-hush, this place is a perfect hideout to relax and have some quiet time.

Café timings – 10.30 am to 10 pm, closed on Mondays

References:

1. Champaca, Bengaluru. A platform for books, zines, and fanzines to defend the indie-publishing scene, Lampoon Magazine
2. Bengaluru’s Champaca Bookstore has worked out a model for surviving the pandemic and its aftermath, Scroll
3. Waffles, A Full English Fry-Up with Comic Capers And A Perfect Start To The Day At This Café and
A Bit of Book, Bites, And Culture: Why This Cultural Space Is An All-Time Favourite, LBB, Bangalore
4. Atta Galatta: A new way of experiencing books, The Hindu Business Line

5. Awesome Book Cafes in Bangalore and 10 Book Cafes in Bangalore which are a must-visit for Book Lovers and Food Addicts, Metro Saga
6. This New Bengaluru Café Charges You For Time You Spend There While Food Is On The House!, Scoop whoop
7. A Belgian breakfast on Indian ‘Terra' firma, The Hindu

Pictures: Kiran