Eat, Shop, Repeat: Everything You Can Do At Commercial Street

A trip to Comm Street isn't complete without spending a few hours at this iconic apparel store, located on Kamraj Road, that is your one-stop shop for fabric, sarees, ethnic wear such as kurtis, lehengas (including bridal), and occasion wear. At Mysore Saree Udyog, you'll find real as well as replicas of Kancheepuram, Banarasi silk, Tussar, Ikat, Patola, Bandhini, crepe, Georgette, embroidery, printed, chiffon and even Art Silk. Plus, an entire section dedicated to home accessories and linen.

Located right below Mysore Saree Udyog, both Mahaveer Mall and Hi Street Mall are a must-visit if you’re looking for cosmetics. With shops selling imported cosmetics (everything from makeup to shampoos and perfumes to lotions), you get the best of everything at discounted prices. Plus, both these places also have various apparel stores that sell everything from fabric to ethnic wear at discounted prices. You'll also find some electronics shops to get everything from tempered glass to selfie sticks. 

MAS Collection at Mahaveer Mall has a great collection of cosmetics and while you’re at it, take a look at their snacks and chocolates, too. 

Praachi's Designer Home Linen is another store to visit at Mahaveer Mall. It's known for its designer home linen, and you can pick up bedspreads, pillow covers and cushions in a variety of designs, to spruce up your space. 

Located on the street next to Mysore Saree Udyog and behind Metro Shoes, Vashi's House Of Jeans is where you go to get yourself a pair (or two) of denim. Be it skinny fit, straight fit or even linen pants (in some great colours), you’re bound to find a pair that fits you perfectly. You'll find these denim pants at great prices here and plus, they have an in-house tailor who can make any adjustments. 

The last store that you must check out on Kamraj Road before entering Commercial Street is Koskii. It's another spot for you to do your wedding shopping—whether you are a bride, bridesmaid or friend of the bride. They’ve got grand lehengas with heavy handwork or machine embroidery work on them to blouses and skirts. You'll find classic choli-style and crop tops in halter neck and corset designs. They even customise embroidery at their studio, so unleash your inner designer on them.

The first store that you need to visit on Commercial Street is an old Bangalore favourite. Salonee Silks N Cotton is known for its vast collection of silks, cotton, and other fabrics. They have a swanky store just next to its OG store that's located in the basement under Anand Sweets on Commercial Street. You'll find fabric for everyday wear, custom-made wedding Anarkalis, and Kalamkari cotton and Ikkat options—basically, you'll find everything you need. 

It's a bylane right next to Anand Sweets, and this is where you can score footwear and bags at really low rates. Simple or stylish, sandals or cute flats, whatever kind of footwear you’re looking for, Gollar Lane won’t disappoint you. Adding to the joy of your shopping spree, there are stores selling funky accessories as well. Our favourites here are shops selling Kolhapuri chappals. 

LBB Tip: If you are a newbie, they might quote a higher price, so be ready to haggle if you think they are quoting the sun, moon, and stars. 

Brown Shop is your one-stop shop to find everything from thermal wear to raincoats and luggage to suitcases for your trip to Rohtang Pass or Reykjavik. The stock and variety this place offers are astounding. They have sizes starting from a two-year-old right up to adults and also stock XL sizes. Should you not be needing anything for travel, they also have thick blankets and woollens that will last you years. 

Linens N Drapes is one of our favourite home decor stores on Comm Street. You will be spoilt for choice here and whether you are moving into a new place or doing a home makeover, you will find something that goes with your decor theme here. From stools to curtains made of different fabrics like lace, sheer organza, and silk, and cushion covers to bed linen, you have everything you need to set up your home.  

Sri Suryanarayan Art Jewellers, or as it’s more popularly called, Silver Suryanarayan is known best for silver jewellery—be it real silver, sterling silver or silver plated, this store has it all. Don't let the size of the store fool you. Just politely ask the gentleman behind the counter, who is the owner, and he’ll bring out seemingly unending options for you. 

Over two decades old, Enchantic is where you can get underwear with colourful and playful designs. While they are not big on brands, you can pick up neon-hued bras with full coverage or deep-red, lacey negligees that’ll get you in the mood for a grand seduction. Satin nightgowns, monokinis, and shapewear are also part of their collections. It’s a fine spot to get naughty presents for the bride-to-be too!

Fazal & Sons is a landmark and they have four labels in the same building—Juliet, Aniya's and Dress Point.  Dress Point offers Indian party wear, casual wear and office wear like kurtas and cotton sarees. Fazal's Aniya's, on the other hand, specialises in bridal wear with everything from lehengas and anarkalis to sarees for the whole bridal party. Fazal's Juliet is the place to go for liner and invisible socks, stockings, sports bras and bodysuits.

This is a busy street that's packed with stores and street hawkers selling everything from junk jewellery to fabric and apparel of all kinds and styles. You'll also find footwear shops here. One of the stores we recommend here is the popular Surya Collections which sells a collection of laces, borders, and dress material. Swing by the store and you’ll be spoilt for choice if you are looking to deck up a plain saree, a lehenga or even a blouse. The shelves here overflow with borders with delicate embroidery work, beads, and bold motifs.

Another store we recommend is Her Choice, which is very popular with women of all ages, so be prepared to shove and push to make your way into the store. Find everyday kurtas, tailor-made kurtas, and all kinds of fancy and occasion wear ethnic wear here. 

This swanky store looms large on Narayan Pillai Street and is spread across two floors, Moh Mith is your stop for brides and their entourage. Custom-made lehengas, designer blouses and fab fabrics are their speciality. One section of the store is dedicated entirely to fabrics. You’ll be able to browse through a variety of offerings from imported lace (that’s great for a gown) to traditional silks, Banarasis, and netted fabric with intricate embellishments. 

We are at the halfway point of Commercial Street, and diagonally opposite Reliance Fine Art is Jeweller's Street. A whole street dedicated to jewellery shops, this is where you can pick up artsy silver jewellery in unique designs. Apart from a few gold and imitation jewellery shops, the lane also has stores where you can get your nose or ear (for the adventurous, belly, lip, eyebrow, and tongue piercings are also possibilities here) pierced.

Our favourite stores in this lane include Devenran Chowdary Jewellers, B Raju Achary, and Babu Engravers. You'll also find stores in the business of selling, cutting, and polishing the gemstones, and those that restore or repair your jewellery on request.

Located on Jeweller's Street, Alankrita Antiques is an antique store for a vintage-esque selection of furniture, collectables, and decor, but also offers one-of-a-kind pieces to perk up any modern home. Find everything from gorgeous vintage mirrors to dainty enamel tiffin boxes and wooden chests to centrepieces here. 

Running parallel to Commercial Street, this lane has shop after shop showcasing an array of ethnic wear to choose from, be it readymade salwar suits, fabric or saris (starting from INR 175). And, if you’re particularly fond of mixing and matching, there are dupatta centres scattered along the street, offering dupattas of different materials, colours and patterns (INR 70 upwards). The lane is also home to many tailoring shops where you can get your salwars or sari blouses stitched, within an hour (more like 24 hours actually) even! 

Over two decades old, LB Prakash is who you need to visit on Commercial Street for bridal blouses, gowns, and lehengas. Prices for the blouses start at INR 700 and can go up to around INR 3,000 for the decked-up versions. If you love picking up fabric for your kurtas and getting them customised they will be happy to help you out with trendy designs that begin at about INR 750.

Back to Commercial Street, for more antiques and trinkets? Look no further than this cramped shop. In fact, there are two separate but similar stores, right next to each other, overflowing with artsy goods. From tiny hand-carved keychains and bells to wall hangings and giant clocks, this place has enough to keep you busy for a while. 

Another home furnishing store we love is Linens Studio. You will find curtains of all kinds and colours, cushion fillers, cushion covers, table, bed, and bath linens neatly arranged on racks, and upholstery fabric. Walk around the space and the salesperson will be more than happy to assist you with what you are looking for. 

Located in the basement of the same building as Zudio, Izzy Home Essentials stocks up on everything you need to set up your home. You can find wooden chairs, cast iron cookware, cooking utensils and serveware,  marble mortar and pestles, wooden casseroles, kitchenware, bakeware, and glassware. They also have a range of IKEA-inspired furniture. 

Dispensary Road is mostly known for its small stores that stock up on fabric, matching materials, blouse material, and embellishments. On this road, you'll find Murako Tailors for Men and Curtain World showcasing curtains of all kinds. It's also where most autos are parked, should you wish to catch up once you are done with your shopping spree. You'll also find Antegra Silver at the beginning of Dispensary Road (when you come down the Safina Plaza side). 

Commercial Street hasn't got a lot of choices when it comes to food, but within Commercial Street and nearby lanes, there are some popular joints for you to grab a bite when you are taking a break from all that shopping. 

Anand Sweets & Savouries: Chaat and sweets are on the menu since the space is small and with no seating. You might find little or no space to grab your bite, especially during weekends. We recommend picking up their sev puri or papdi chaat for on-the-go. 

Woody's: Head here for everything from coffee to dosa, and everything in between. There's plenty of seating available here. 

Bhagathram Sweets: Apart from Indian sweets, you can order samosas, kachoris, and chaat here. Their Chinese Chaat is a favourite. 

Bhartiya Jalpan: If you are feeling particularly peckish, order their chole bhature or their North Indian Combo meals. Otherwise, there are snacks like samosa and chaat to keep hunger at bay. 

Tibb's Frankie: Pick up a chicken roll or paneer roll along with some soft drink from here. 

Shiv Sagar: From North Indian lunch options to dinner, this family restaurant has something for everyone on the menu. On weekends the place can get crowded. 

McDonald's & Burger King: You don't need us telling you what's here but just FYI their washrooms are quite clean. 

Shree Idli Corner: At the corner of Jeweller's Street and Veerapillai Street is this hole-in-the-wall joint run by Srinivasa and his wife. You get soft, cloud-like idlis, vada, and savige bath here starting at as low as INR 30. The place opens at 5 pm every day and you'll find there's a lot of crowd by 7 pm. There's just one bench opposite for seating. They also take UPI payments and water bottles are available. 

Khan Saheb: This is located on Kamraj Road, and you can get filling rolls on all kinds—chicken, paneer, vegetable, and egg. Seating is limited. 

Sreeraj Lassi Bar: Refresh yourself with some flavoured lassi and snacks such as fries and sandwiches at this popular joint. 

Finding parking here can be tedious, especially for four-wheelers. We recommend parking near Safina Plaza side and then walking down to Commercial Street. If you are coming on your scooter or bike, you can park on nearby lanes. The Army Parking is another spot for parking as well.