Have A Day To Spare? Go To Brigade Signature Club Resort

The latest, and only club part of the Brigade Hospitality group to be open to the public, the Signature Club Resort is great to escape the hustle bustle of the city. Designed to look like a traditional Mangalorean home with split levels, open verandas, and courtyards, the cheery red Mangalorean tiles add to the authenticity. Set in Brigade Orchard, a massive township in Devanahalli, it’s only ten minutes from the international airport. Perfect when you want to get out of town but not be too far from home. Plus, there’s no way you can’t relax here, especially when an indoor heated pool is in the picture. But make sure to tell them in advance; we dived into freezing water!

Meals at Tamarind must be taken seriously. Take some time to order in advance as the chef, Thayanithy, specialises in Afghani and Middle Eastern cuisine, and it takes longer than most stuff. It’s even more exciting that he picked up the recipes when serving the US army in various regions like Iraq and Afghanistan. We loved the Afghani Murg Malai Kebab, Mutton Kakori Kebab and good old Cauliflower Manchurian. There’s plenty of seafood — Kerala and Mangalore-style reigns supreme, with a smattering of European and Chinese fare too.

While it’s a fantastic set-up on a large veranda overlooking the nearby fields and the BIAL runway, the Pavillion Bar is currently not well-stocked at all. Plus, mosquitos will make a meal of you post sunset. So you’d rather get your cocktail {though you’ll need to wait a month for the liquor license to come through}, mocktail or drinks just brought down to the lovely courtyard with stone benches.

While we’re all for just lounging by the pool with Virgin Mojito in hand, what we absolutely adore is the yoga terrace. With nothing but greenery, tree tops and airplanes {silently, for some miraculous reason!} for company, you’ll reach the meditation peak very quickly in this serene environment. If you don’t practice yoga, just take a mat from the gym and lie on it. One of two things will happen — either you’ll surrender to sweet slumber {like we did} or you’ll zone out and start dreaming. Both win-win situations! And since you’re already out of city limits, might as well make a quick trip to the Grover Vineyards for a tour, wine tasting and lunch the day after.

For those of you who just want to unwind with a good night’s sleep, their well-appointed rooms will do the trick. Each has its own balcony sit-out with wicker furniture to enjoy a cup of tea. If you’re out on a date here, it’ll add to the romance if you ordered room service, sat back and enjoyed the view together — after all each room has either the fields, the garden or the pretty courtyard to look out onto.