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9 min
26/06/2026
The best food places in Bangalore, when it comes to its bakeries, are not the shiny and brand new patisseries or sourdough cafes, although they do have their charm. It is the old-school bakeries like the Iyengar bakeries that stud the city and have shaped the bakery scene of Bangalore, and have been feeding this city for decades. These places sell everything from egg puffs, honey cake and the legendary Congress bun, and they carry the flavours of an older Bangalore that refuses to disappear.
Before starting with the old-school bakeries, which are coincidentally some of the oldest bakeries in Bangalore, one needs to know about the story of the Iyengar bakery. Their tale began in 1898 in Chickpet, with the very first Iyengar bakery called BB Bakery, founded by HS Thirumalachaar. He belonged to the Vaishnava Iyengar community and hailed from the Holikal village in the Hassan district. Back then, European-style bread was largely unknown in the country, and Thirumalachaar, who used to run a sweet shop, picked up bread-making from a regular English customer at his store. With time, more people from this Iyengar community migrated to Bangalore, and took to baking.
European bread making met South Indian hands to produce a hybrid baking style that became the best food places in Bangalore's informal identity. The second major wave of expansion happened in the 1970s, when droughts forced many Iyengar families, who thrived on an agrarian life, to turn to bakeries, leaving behind their roots to embrace urban life. Fast forward to 2018, Bengaluru was home to nearly 500 Iyengar bakeries, with around 20 tracing their roots back to the original lineage. Many of these 500 are still standing today, with their cosy and no-frills counters that have outlasted modern cafés.
But Bangalore's old-school bakery scene is not limited to the Iyengar bakeries and their lineage. Establishments like Albert Bakery on Mosque Road, Fatima Bakery near Johnson Market, and Thom's in Frazer Town each carry their own distinct histories, shaped by Anglo-Indian, Christian, and colonial influences that are central to this city's food identity. Together, these bakeries form a patchwork of Bangalore's most enduring and beloved best food places.
The bakers are often trained within the community, and recipes have been passed down through generations. The ingredients used are typically fresh and locally sourced, with no preservatives added, which the community continues to preserve. These places also offer an unbeatable price. Here’s what you should try across these bakeries:
Egg Puff: A flaky, layered pastry pocket with a curried hard-boiled egg, which is the single most iconic savoury item in Bangalore's old bakery canon. The sellers tend to call them ‘pupps’.
Honey Cake: Sponge base, jam layer, topped with desiccated coconut, which is one of the most beloved sweet items in city bakery culture.
Congress Bun (Kadalaikai Bun): Soft bun stuffed with spiced peanuts, which was touted to be named during the era of the freedom struggle.
Dil Pasand: Sweet pastry filled with coconut, sugar, and dried fruits, which translates to ‘heart's favourite’ in Urdu.
Khara Bun: Spicy bun with dill leaves, green chillies, and coriander, which is an everyday staple.
Khova Naan: Flaky pastry with a rich, sweet milk-solid filling, which is a Frazer Town speciality.
Keema Samosa: Spiced minced meat in a crisp pastry casing.
Benne Biscuit: Melt-in-mouth butter biscuit, with ‘benne’ meaning butter in Kannada.
Plum Cake: Dense, fruit-filled, sometimes rum-soaked, this is a Christmas staple found in almost all of these bakeries.
Without further ado, here are Bangalore’s best old school bakeries around the city that mix European baking with local baking culture, making everything from breads, cakes and biscuits for several decades.
Timings: 3 PM to 9 PM, daily (opens afternoons only)
Cost for Two: ₹200-₹300 (approx.)
When Sabir's great-grandfather, Mohammed Suleman, started Albert Bakery in 1902, it was nothing more than a godown on Sangam Road, with breads, buns, and biscuits being sold via a cycle. By 1921, the enterprise officially became a bakery when it relocated to Frazer Town. Today, over a century later, it remains one of the city's oldest and most beloved establishments. While the bakery offers all the standard bakery staples, it is the legendary keema samosas and khova naan that are a must-try. Also, try their array of puffs and salt butter biscuits. During Ramadan, Albert Bakery becomes quite crowded, with customers lining up for their special bheja puffs.
Full Address: No. 93, next to Poorvika Mobile Store, Mosque Road, Frazer Town, Bengaluru- 560005
Timings: 10 AM to 10 PM, daily
Cost for Two: ₹400-₹450 (approx.)
Founded by Thirumalachar in 1953, this is the OG Iyengar bakery, which served as an inspiration for many Iyengar bakeries that followed. VB Bakery’s signature treats include honey cake, apple cake, butter and coconut biscuits, and the khara bun congress. It is situated at the entrance of the famous VV Puram Thindi Beedhi, which is one of the most recognisable and best food places in Bangalore's old south. The Congress bun, locally called the Kkdalaikai bun, is the most sought-after baked treat here, which is a spiced peanut-stuffed bun with a flavour profile unlike anything else in the city.
Full Address: No. 20, Sajjan Rao Circle, near Sri Vasavi Condiments, VV Puram, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru- 560004
Timings: 9 AM to 9 PM; closed on Tuesdays
Cost for Two: ₹250 (approx.)
Variar Bakery was started in 1955 and reportedly sees over 3,000 customers a day, producing over two tons of biscuits and rusks daily, using no preservatives, no artificial colouring. In recent years, Variar Bakery has also added health-conscious offerings, including whole wheat rusks, jaggery biscuits, and ragi cookies alongside its classics like plum cake, palya bun, jaggery wheat bread and biscuits. The main outlet is behind ESI Hospital, Rajajinagar 2nd Block, and another branch is on Chord Road in 5th Block.
Full Address (Main Outlet): 68, 12th Main Road, 2nd Block, behind ESI Hospital, opposite Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru- 560010
Timings: Monday-Sunday, 7 AM to 10 PM
Cost for Two: ₹200 (approx.)
The Iyengars Bakery dates back to 1981, when it opened in a small 10x10 outlet on Old Race Course Road in Austin Town (the original store). It has since grown into an iconic Bangalore bakery, built on providing the best value through consistent quality. You can also try their other outlets across the city. You must try their milk bread, which tastes amazing with butter and jam. Then try their puffs, especially the veg and the egg one, khara bun, coconut bun, dil pasand, and honey cake.
Full Address: No. 45, Old Race Course Road, Austin Town, Bengaluru- 560047
Timings: 8 AM to 8 PM, daily
Cost for Two: ₹250 (approx.)
Sri Jayalakshmi Bakery has been part of Bengaluru's old bakery culture since around 1959. What makes it special is its fresh bakery items, with most snacks served warm and freshly prepared rather than reheated, at remarkably affordable prices. The late afternoon window, around 4 to 5 PM, is when items come fresh from the oven, and the bakery buzzes with students, office-goers, and families picking up tea-time snacks. Over 60 years old, Sri Jayalakshmi Bakery has evolved its offerings to also include homemade jams, masalas, and gojjus alongside its original baked goods like honey cake, khara bun, egg puff, dil pasand, and benne biscuits.
Full Address: 136/4, Lalbagh Main Road, Srinivas Colony, Sudhama Nagar, Bengaluru- 560027
Note: There are multiple Sri Jayalakshmi Bakery outlets across Bangalore, and the Sudhama Nagar or Lalbagh Road branch and the Shanti Nagar branch are the most frequently cited. Verify the nearest outlet on Google Maps before visiting.
Timings: Monday-Sunday, 8 AM to 9:30 PM
Cost for Two: ₹200-₹250 (approx.)
Located in Frazer Town, Thom's is a bakery-cum-supermarket and a one-stop shop for all kinds of baked treats. Even before any international doughnut chains entered India, Thom's was making the perfect sugar doughnuts that were warm, soft, and airy. Their strawberry doughnuts are equally good. During Christmas, it offers some of the most beloved marzipan treats and plum cakes in the city. The bakery has been at it for around 75 years, and for many Bengalureans, a festive season without a Thom's plum cake simply wouldn't feel complete. Also try their range of doughnuts, marzipan (Christmas special), sponge cake and custard bread.
Full Address: 1/2, Wheeler Road (near Vinod Petrol Bunk), Frazer Town, Bengaluru- 560005
Timings: 9 AM to 7:30 PM
Cost for Two: ₹500-₹700
Koshy's started as a bakery in 1940 and is now a full restaurant and bakery institution on St Mark's Road. The timings, cost for two, and address are for the bakery, not the restaurant. This place has hosted figures from Queen Elizabeth II to Jawaharlal Nehru over its history. The Richmond Town bakery annex at Wellington Street is the more traditional spot with its wood-furnished and fuss-free over-the-counter service. Truth, their egg puffs (other puffs are equally good), doughnuts, fresh bread loaves, plum cakes, and the much-loved chocolate biscuits shaped like macaroons.
Full Address: 1, Wellington Street, Richmond Town, Bengaluru- 560025
Timings: 8:30 AM onwards, daily (verify closing time locally)
Cost for Two: ₹350 (approx.)
Founded in 1957 on Leonard Road near Johnson Market by VP Francis and his brother, VP Thomas, who had moved to Bangalore from Kerala. VP Francis named the bakery after seeing the statue of Lady Fatima from Portugal that was touring the world at that time. Before Fatima, Koshy's was the only other place in Bangalore that sold baked goods. This bakery is renowned for its bread, rolls, biscuits, cakes, and tarts, with its bestsellers being mutton and chicken puffs. They have been supplying bread to the Indian Coffee House for the last 50 years. The original Hosur Road outlet closed in 2019 when Metro construction came through, and the current outlet is near Sacred Heart Church, Castle Street.
Full Address: No. 41, opposite Narayana Nethralaya and Sacred Heart Church, Castle Street, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru- 560025
Old school bakeries do not function like modern cafes and generally follow the rhythm of grandparents during whose peak adulthood these places enjoyed their glory days. Visit between 8 AM and 10 AM or 4 PM and 6 PM for the freshest batches, especially for puffs and buns, as items sell out quite quickly for outlets in busy areas. Many places have limited seating and are available only for takeaway, not available on any food delivery apps. Cash is also preferred at older outlets, though many now accept UPI. So, keeping these things in mind, make sure to visit these bakeries.
Long before Bangalore became a city of craft coffee and fusion menus, it was a city of egg puffs and Congress buns. The Iyengar bakeries on this list are living proof that quality and community outlast trends. Whether you are a lifelong Bangalorean returning to a childhood favourite or a visitor discovering these best food places in Bangalore for the first time, a bag of warm khara buns and a slice of honey cake is as good an introduction to this city as any.
A: Among Bengaluru's most famous bakeries is O.G. Variar and Sons, Variar Bakery, renowned for its butter biscuits, dilpasand, cakes, and decades-long reputation among locals.
