2005-04-17

Opus - Palace Cross Road, Bangalore

I believe my slot for favourite restaurant in Bangalore has just been filled. Opus is a Goan restaurant and stage for musical talent right in the heart of Bangalore. It's there because there was nothing like it before. Created by Gina and Carlton Braganza, Opus has the stars as its roof, a bricked and pebbled garden as its floor and white cushions with little stone tables fixed into the ground for visitors to laze around. They also have a stage area where musicians and plays perform live. Once a week Carlton's band plays.

The crockery has been finger painted by Carlton and you'll notice a fish theme all around.

While you may want to visit Opus for the food on occassion, the live shows are the real attraction. If you're an amateur artist and would like to perform there, just contact Gina.

Opus is one of the few restaurants that serve pork in proper Goan catholic style. I didn't see any sorpotel on the menu, maybe I didn't look closely enough. The sausage pulao is good, though I found it a little salty. The lamb chops are great.

Service is where Opus is found lacking. Having a packed house doesn't make things any easier. In short, if you go to Opus, intend to sit back and chill. Don't be in a hurry. Just get a good view of the stage and relax. You're bound to see Gina running around the place in her cap and Carlton strolling around with his camera shooting the band from various angles.

They have a Rs.100 entrance if a live band is playing or a play is showing.

Blues rates it:
Food - Goan
Service - Not if you're in a hurry
Price - Highish
Decor - Excellent
Music - Excellent
Overall - A live band with food attached

Recommendation - Go there often, weekly if you'd like. Treat it like an evening of art and music with a few goan cocktails and drinks.

Getting there:
The easiest way to get there is to start off from Mt. Carmel's College and move towards Windsor Manor. Slow down after you cross the underpass and look out on your left for the Dance Studio Inc. You'll see the board for Opus a little further inside.

Phones: Gina: 9844030198, Neil: 9845953242

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey...
thank u so much...
it's a great ego boost to see stuff like this
send me ur email id and i will put u on the opus mailbase (its a rapidly growing number) ...
lots of exciting stuff this week as well ... a play .. sat nite live and sunday brunch , and of course sun kroaknight
hope to see u there soon
cheers
carlton

10:57 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey...

and us English folk love the place too and I am personally pleased to announce that I will be performing there from end of this month and onwards for as long as Carlton will allow me too on my blues harp (1 for every key this year), also been dusting off and tuning up the vocal chords to give that man a much needed run for his money (though in a much lower key of course!)

2nd the comment about slow service, have moaned about it before too but hell, who's in a hurry, still the best chilled out entertainment spot in Asia!!

Cheers
Malc

4:36 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its Dance Studio Inc.

5:59 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice place to relax and enjoy drinks with friends and has a sexy bartender who swallows....

5:13 pm  
Blogger S I D said...

I am frm chennai & visited the place sometime in March when I & my gang had been on a holiday to Bangalore for an escape away from our work. I have never been to Opus before but found the place amazing, with an excellent surround sound and the perfect ambience.
This place ranks way up there in every way possible, the atmosphere, the entertainment, the music, to put it simply it is one of the best place to go out have a really nice time; it’s amazing what they have done to the place with the furniture, screen and the lighting, amazing. My hat is well and truly off to you guys, THANK YOU. Highly recommended by me and my mates. Delightful surroundings, friendly assistants, yummy food & good beer. No rushing and such a pleasant change from most Saturday venues in Bangalore.
The place was interesting from arrival and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Its such a relieve when you go out in a gang like us and get treated so well - unlike some places where we go & they seem to think a group like us need nothing more than a crap salad and a few crisps to keep us happy while we drink the bar dry. No delays either... the staff were helpful and knew what they were doing. The food & the drinks was great value for money.
The guys who run it know how to serve, the place is easily the best place and its easy to see why its still our best ever place just because they are always so cool, play great music to dance and party and know how to treat.
It’s a really place to catch up with your gang. We had a great time and I would heartily recommend this place to anybody. Thank you very much and keep up the good work guys. I am happy that I am going to meet up with my girlfriend this weekend for thanks giving and I am planning to take her to Opus. Hey Opus We'll be back this Saturday that for sure.

Ciao
SID

1:56 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Had a nice evening at Opus yesterday. the quiz was fun, the music good, the food so-so. The service... well, this exchange at the end of the evening kind of spoiled things...

Me (politely, assuming it was a simple mistake that would be rectified immediately): "The two of us ordered three beers, but we have been charged for four on the bill".

Waiter (very seriously): "You had 4 beers sir"

Me: (taken aback) ... I am 100% sure that we had three beers.

Waiter (sounding a little sterner): "No Sir. You had 4 beers"

Me: (speechless)

Owner: (stepping in) It's ok. charge them for three beers.

I think I also heard the same waiter say "clear up", or "clear off" to an adjacent table when it got to closing time.

3:25 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have been to Opus but its not that great then any goan resturants in Goa. The food is all goan , but i would say goan food made in south indian style. The sannas taste more like idlis , cheruusao (goan sausage ) no where close to what goan resturants make .The Abience is not goan ..its mostly a modern type of look . Bands playing are good but not worth paying a extra Rs 100 when the food is on a very higher side

10:54 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everything else is great but the service definitely not. I didn't get what I ordered when it was around 10.25pm the waiter told me that the last order was at 10.30pm. WOnderful and most of my friends were still at the karaoke. When I told him that, he made it pretty obvious that he was annoyed and was terribly rude.
But nevertheless, I had a great time.

3:21 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi, i'm going to Bangalore in a few months and i'm a big fan of Goan cuisine. I'll be sure to pay a visit.

If you need any Restaurant furniture let me know and i'll bring some brochures with me

9:36 pm  
Blogger Archna said...

Pls add me to the opus mailing list!
My email id is archnanayar@gmail.com

12:26 pm  
Blogger Philip said...

sorry, I don't manage Opus. You'll have to contact Opus directly for that.

12:33 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Carlton,

Cant wait to get to Bangalore to go to opus i am sure its a rocking place after i heard them at Bandra Gym the other day. Wish I knew this place before would have surely checked it out.Love the song English Alphabets its great.

5:25 pm  

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