Middle Room: Bengaluru’s Newest Audiophile Bar Brings Together the City’s True Love - Beer and Music

For folks looking for a great F&B experience in Bengaluru, The Courtyard is a familiar space. Besides being an events venue, it is home to Naru Noodle Bar, a dedicated ramen bar; W.I.P Wine in Progress, which makes wines less intimidating; and Ajji House by Subko, which ties in to the coffee culture of the city, in a house where time seems to have come to a standstill. 

Here is also The Conservatory (designed as an ode to the iconic glasshouse at Lalbagh just up the road), arguably one of the most sought-after culinary pop-up spaces in the country today. 

Now, if there is one inspirational trend doing the rounds across F&B openings these days, it is nostalgia (which makes the Gen Xer in me very happy). For Akhila Srinivas, Founder, Middle Room, nostalgia has been a driving force. “The Courtyard has always championed what Bengaluru should be, needs, or what we can give to the city”, she says. And nostalgia is what spurred the idea for Middle Room – an audiophile bar, the newest offering within The Courtyard.

Bengaluru has always owned the ‘pub city’ tag, and going back to the days of Pecos, Purple Haze, and Pub World, it was always about the music and beer. Throwing it back to those memories, Middle Room is designed for sonic clarity, and what better way to achieve it than to go analogue and with vinyl?

Creating the Middle Room’s sonic identity is Sri Rama Murthy, the music programme lead. Among India’s pioneering music producers and DJs, he has travelled the world for over a year, digging through crates to collect records that are being showcased here. Working with him is Avinash, co-founder of Elsewhere India, who has co-developed the overall music programme and visual language of the space.

Step into the Middle Room, and you are greeted by a display wall right up front, which serves as a backdrop to the turntables. Stacked here are vinyls; their jackets tell you that you may be listening to Toto, Air, The Beatles, Queen, B. B. King, Hermanos Gutierrez, Jack Johnson, Tracy Chapman, and many more. Vintage audio equipment dots the shelves – from a Hitachi MQ-25 Portable Player to the Lego Icons Retro Radio. A stack of National Geographic, the famous yellow binding, will draw you to browse. 

The Middle Room functions differently from your average music venue. The focus is heavily on the listening aspect. Curated themes ensure it’s not simply a background score. Tuesday to Sunday, guests can reserve a two-hour slot, with one part of the charge going towards a listening fee, and the remaining amount redeemable against food and beverages.

Here, one can listen to a curated set by the in-house selector Sandeep Raman, spanning genres of jazz, blues, rock, funk, R&B, D&B, and more. With over 1200 vinyls and counting, there’s a vast universe of music you can expect. Each has been handpicked, played for clarity, and then added to the collection. Once a week, a music event will take place – think OGs like DJ Vachan playing a genre-fluid memory tape set or Maalvika Manoj aka Mali (who opened for Ed Sheeran), doing both a vinyl spin and a live performance.

Where there is good music, there has to be good food and drink. And in a continuing ode to Bengaluru’s love for beer and music, there is craft beer from Mannheim, Great State Aleworks, Geist, and also Hoegaarden pouring at Middle Room, along with craft beer cocktails, wine, kombucha, and even a small collection of teas if you so prefer!

Arijit Bose leads the drinks programme. The Soju Spiked Iced Tea is a happy marriage between Soju, lager, Raspberry, Earl Grey Tea, and Lime. And if you like a touch of savoury, the Michelada in the Middle – with miso chilli sour, wheat beer, clarified tomato and chilli is the one to have. Craft beers get taken up a notch in these. 

Chef Adithya Kidambi helms the kitchen and has created a compact menu that complements the music, rather than taking your focus away. Though I must admit, the Reuben - pastrami on ciabatta with the works - can take your attention away and is worth every bit of its price tag. Meat lovers have more choices, and the dishes to definitely try are the Cheese Balls (fried choux, aged cheddar and cheeto dust), Charred Broccoli elevated with preserved lime, green chilli emulsion, and almonds, and the Naga Pork Skewers with Lakhadong turmeric hot sauce. Familiar flavours, yet done in a way that befits the space you are sitting in. 

Bengaluru and dosa go hand-in-hand, and so the Birria Dosa with slow-cooked lamb leg is a crowd pleaser. As is the Mac & Cheese, Carbonara, and the Cheese Burger – nostalgia in contemporary avatars that hit the right notes. 

End your meal (with perhaps Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car or The Police’s Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic keeping pace) with a decadent Black Forest Cake with 70% chocolate!

ELLE Gourmet’s Verdict

Middle Room is a premium experience, where the music is curated by selectors, in-house and visiting. While music is the focus, one can still have a conversation without resorting to sign language, thanks to the great acoustics. The food complements the space, at once throwing back to the intimate beer and music bars of Bengaluru, while coming to your table in a stylised, modern avatar. 

Address: 105, Kengal Hanumanthaiah Rd, opp. Corporation Bank, Raja Ram Mohanroy Extension, Shanti Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560027

Time: 

Tuesday to Thursday: 6 pm to 11:30 pm

Friday to Sunday: 5 pm to 11:30 pm

Reservations: https://urbanaut.app/spot/middle-room

Meal for 2 - Rs 3500 plus taxes, including drinks