Best Budget Bars In The City That Won’t Take A Toll On Your Wallet

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Skint? And in need of the sauce? We’ve got you covered – Bangalore’s teeming with nightspots that offer you a comfortable night out with little damage to your wallet. Here is a list of our favourite budget and affordable bars in Bangalore that will give you the buzz without burning your pockets.

Big Barrel

Located in RR Nagar, this brewery, spread over three floors, is the biggest microbrewery in west Bangalore (21k sq ft.) and a dream come true for all beer lovers. And it’s not just the space. Sip slowly on Mocha Stout in the afternoon and chug at Scottish Heavy at night with your friends. Meanwhile, Hefeweizen fits just about right at any time of the day. The open air rooftop with Sunday brunches, live music and Wednesday karaoke sessions gives you the appropriate ambience to enjoy your beer and if you like to get sporty, hit their snooker tables at their sports bar on the 2nd floor. And their DJ nights and ladies night on Thursdays are perfect for girls night out. 

And guess what? Happy Hours Craft Beer at INR 99 on weekdays.


Just BLR

Amidst the hustle bustle of the streets, head to Just BLR on Brigade Road and grab a drink or two while you are tired of shopping and recuperating. With budget-friendly prices of INR 199 for a mug of beer and 189 for a 30ml whiskey, Just BLR is a bar that everyone who is broke and wanting the perfect Brigade Road vibes must go to. With good music and affordable booze, it is a perfect bar to head to when broke-ish in Bangalore. We highly recommend their cocktails that are as whacky as their names, with prices that don't hit the roof. 

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Do not forget to try the spiked pani-puris that come with gin, white rum or vodka instead of flavoured water (subject to availability). Otherwise, our go-to is their Aglio e Olio pasta that goes perfect with a mug of beer. 

Price: INR 750 per person

Sathya’s

This one’s a bit of a legend – and, therefore, a landmark – in the Koramangala area; if you’re ever lost, just ask for directions from Sathya’s onwards, even though it’s a bit hidden away. Sathya’s has been around for a good while now, weathering the onslaught of new lounges and microbreweries in its own steady way. It’s a good pick for an after-work booze session when it’s the end of the month and that cheque hasn’t come in yet. You get the proper shady yet peaced out vibe here. Their rum starts at INR 150 for 60ml and their alcohol is decently priced. 

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Have their Cocktail Pitcher (yep, they have a Long Island Ice Tea Pitcher) along with their spicy chicken kebab for the best booze sesh.

Price: INR 500 per person

Scottish Pub

Scottish Pub keeps things short and simple: there’s beer and house “bulk” wine for the taking with prices going upto only INR 130. You can also have beer by the glass for as much as INR 60 and while the ambience isn't royalty, the basic stool and table seating does the job. Here, at last, is cheap wine that you can swill without worrying about tannins and terroir. Oh! and their pineapple chunks served with Amul cheese strung on toothpicks is our favourite bar snack here. 

Pro Tip: If you have a thing for wines at a budget, try these Indian wines that are under INR 2,000.

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Garlic Chicken + Bulk Wine makes for a good drinking session if you haven't tried their Pineapple and Cheese with a 'glass' of beer already.

Price: INR 400 per person

White Horse Resto-Bar

The owners have branched out into more upmarket pursuits – most popularly their sister concern - 1522 - which now has outlets across the city – but White Horse carries an enduring charm all its own. That’s because, evidently, they have an expansive beer and spirits list and a stream of North Bangalore regulars who swear by the place. But that said, this is more on the list because it is a proper dive bar, prices unfortunately are not as dive as they once were! However, you still get rum for as low as INR 90 and a mug of beer for as much as INR 120. Little more the heart desires, innit? 

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Veg Chilli with a 60ml of Blue Riband is what you should be after when you're here.

Price: INR 400 per person

Chin Lung

Chin Lung is a famous name in the Bangalore bar scene. Everybody is part of that WhatsApp group called Chin Lung, for sure. If not, make the group. One of the most popular dive bars in the city, it went through a grand transformation and is now not so dive as you’d hope. But when you’ve got your crew with you, it’s just as good. Why? Because prices are still old school! Come on, you can get a peg of Old Monk for INR 50 and mug of beer for INR 90. What more do you need? Well, except for Masala Peanuts and fries, of course.

Pro Tip: Want to set a scene at home with your best Buds (Mags - geddit?)? Make some Awesome cocktails with these Alcohol mixers available on LBB. 

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: The Chef's Special spicy Egg Dragon + Romanov Vodka works wonders together, in the bar and in your head. 

Price: INR 300 per person

Avon Restaurant

A true Koramangala homie will swear by this place that’s shady (well not so much now as the place has undergone an overhaul) and got an “atmosphere” unlike any other. On a good day, the place is bright enough for you to see who’s sitting at the next table. Probably your workmate from another floor! It’s happy hours here always — from morning to night, so relax, sip your favourite drink at MRP. Pair your drink with some greasy but yummy starters like the Deep Fried Pepper Chicken or Baby Corn Chilly, you’ve got yourself a ‘scene da‘. We're certain, this is arguably the cheapest bar in the city. Hungry after all that downing ? Belt their Lemon Chicken that is a relief to your gut and to your senses after a slosh-fest. 

Pro Tip: If you want to fill up on some good food before the boozing begins, hit these restaurants in Koramangala before you dissolve into the charms Avon has to offer.  

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Lemon Chicken along with Old Monk and coke is an absolute mood at this place. Trust us, life can't get better.

Price: INR 150 per person

Ginger Green Bar & Restaurant

We are really clueless as to why a dive bar should have murals of Tom & Jerry. But hey, as long as they keep serving us Old Monk & Coke, we are pretty much okay even if they have Teletubbies on the walls. Folks in Kalyan Nagar swear by this place with its plastic tables and chair. And how it’s a rite of passage. Chilli Chicken, Butter Chicken, and Chicken Kebabs at this place come highly recommended.

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Potato Chilli + 8PM Whiskey as the spices of the appetiser and sharp flavour of the whiskey go suprisingly well together.

Price: INR 300 per person

Viceroy's Sarathi

Another bar that’s “family friendly”. But we are thinking the family they are catering to are the fams and the squads who don’t have the greens for Toit or resto-bars on Indiranagar’s 12th Main. The ambience is very much like a family restaurant but once the drinks are on the table, feel free to squabble and cheer your team during live screenings. Also, the food is spicy, so you have been warned. The prices for their alcohol start at INR 80 for a 120ml glass of wine. 

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Mansion House Brandy + Peanut Masala on a chilly evening will set your mood just right. 

Price: INR 350 per person

Davis Bar

We hear the folks of Kamnahattan always put a scene here during broke times and when they just want some ‘family restaurant and bar’ ambience. Order the masala pappads, your rum, and a side of egg burji and you have got yourself a scene. For a dive bar, the service is quirk prompt. So, make sure you tip your waiter once you are done for the night (or day). Although the prices have hiked slightly, the vibe we get is still the same.

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Egg Burji + Rum goes well here as the flavourful eggs complements the strong alcohol. 

Price: INR 600 per person

Konians Bar And Restaurant

Konians is a must visit for those of you in need of cheap alcohol and decent appetizers. Now that they have undergone a refurbishment, the ambience is more palatable and the ample sunlight, open views of Koramangala make this place a cool place to hangout. Their fries and paneer chilly here are the perfect accompaniments to your quarter of IB. 

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Paneer Chilly + 30ml IB. The open view, cheap whiskey and spicy paneer along with people dancing all around you is the OG Konians feel. 

Price: INR 500 per person

Bob's Bar

You knew we would end with a bang, right ? Bob's Bar has taken the city's bar scene by storm and is known for its vast range of affordable alcohol and local delicacies. Brimming with Namma Bengaluru vibes, this one's an ode to all that Bangalore has to offer. Here's one place that has a good crowd and is also not shady for the prices the place has to offer. Try a local Amrut Amalgam Single Malt and pair it with a sundal or their OG chicken kabab for a good sesh.  

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Sundal + Amrut Amalgam single malt is the combo to have. You won't regret the homely food or the fine whiskey (brewed in Malleswaram FYI).

Price: INR 650 per person

Ujwal

They try to brand themselves, bashfully, as a “family restaurant”, but the unpretentiousness and the polite prices make us categorize this as a dive bar all the way through. There’s some excellent Mangalorean fare (crab masala, neer dosas) and alcohol at rock-bottom prices to make the visit worth your while. Try their Coconut Prawns, Coconut Chicken both served in a coconut and the ultimate comfort food, Dal Kichdi while you are at Ujwal. Here’s what you must pair with your drinkies when at Ujwal. 

Drink + Food Combinations We Suggest: Old Monk + Chicken Ghee Roast

Price: INR 500 per person

Pro Tip

If you intend on keeping this a home affair, you could opt to pick up alcohol from these famous liquor stores in Bangalore.