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This aesthetic Bengaluru restaurant proves it's more than just good looks
At Amicii in Indiranagar, the city gets quiet. Not silent. Softer. Pretty? Yes. But the cashew burfi opera and cream cheese cigars are what will bring you back.
The second I walked into Amicii, Bengaluru got quiet. In my head, I was in Singapore. The green, slow version. The one with glass canopies and plants growing out of walls, where you go on a weekend with nowhere else to be. Maybe it was the mint-green arched ceiling letting in the light or maybe it was the vines trailing down cream arches. Maybe it was just the feeling that someone here wanted you to exhale. Also read | I dined with chef Kunal Kapur at his new Bengaluru restaurant: 3.5 hours, 8 courses, 1 serious tofu conversation
My Instagram feed had been full of Amicii reels for weeks, the red archway, the giant red flower on the ceiling and the neon bar. I came for the aesthetics. I stayed for a couple of hours. And I’ll go back for the food. That’s Amicii’s quiet magic: it’s beautiful enough to get you in, and calm enough to make you stay.
The space: The three moods of Amicii
1. The conservatory
The first thing you see is height. That green arched glass roof over the top floor. Trees above, marble tables below, long communal tables with curved chairs. Daytime here is all light and plants. It’s where you’d have brunch and watch the afternoon move slowly.
2. The bar + the drama
And then there is the bar. Pink tile. Amber lighting. Bottles lit in arched alcoves like art. Above it all hangs the photo everyone takes: a massive red 3D flower against the cream arches, with greenery spilling down. The red neon sign at the second bar below says, “PS don’t forget to have a good time,” and a squiggly neon light guides you to the washrooms.
3. The nooks
Inside, on the first floor, it gets warmer. Burnt-orange banquettes with planters running along them. A mix of marble and wooden tables. Framed lines on the wall, like, 'In the end, we’ll all become stories'. These are the corners for solo meals and a book, or for two friends who end up staying way too long.
Outside, the 'Amicii' sign glows gold through the trees. It feels less like a restaurant entrance and more like a hidden courtyard you were lucky to find.
The chef behind the menu
Before the food came, I spoke with chef Ravi Kumar. He has 30 years of culinary experience, and it shows in how he talks about food: not loudly, just clear. “We worked so hard to get this menu,” he told me. “It has been over one year since we opened. People come here for the food," the chef added.
His idea was simple. “We made the menu so it will be on the healthier side. Nowadays, everybody looks for healthier food. So we reduced the oil. Other places use frozen fish. We are very keen not to use any frozen food. It loses freshness and taste. We don’t want 300 dishes on the menu, or for it to get messy. There are 10-12 dishes per section, so we can give good quality.”
110 to 150 dishes in total. Indian. Asian. Sushi. Western. The goal isn’t to be everything. It’s to be good at the things people order twice. He also pointed me to their ‘drinks master’, Gautam. Small bar. Focused list. Nothing extra. Just right.
What I ate
Everything I tried at Amicii felt familiar, until it tilted slightly. I began with a spinach-and-feta cocktail samosa — crisp, and served with red chutney. A classic Indian street food, dressed for brunch. Then I had the sabudana vada with boiled peanut masala. Then came the cream cheese cigars with sweet chilli — golden and dangerous. So good. I enjoyed the burnt pepper cottage cheese as well — it was smoky and light. On request, the chef made paneer ghee roast (served with neer dosa), which isn’t even on the menu.
The Asian section is where Amicii is most confident. The asparagus cream cheese uramaki was tasty. The edamame, truffle, and cream cheese dim sum was delicate, while the edamame fried rice with stir-fry tofu was fragrant, featuring seared tofu and veggies that tasted so fresh. You taste chef Ravi's 30 years in the details. The rice. The sear. The fact that nothing was frozen.
To end my meal, I had cashew burfi opera. “Usually, you get kaju burfi after a meal. Here it’s Italian style," the chef said. White opera slice, caramelised cashews, small burfi bites, and sinful soak on the side. It was memory and technique at the same table, easily my favourite dish of the day. I’m going back for this alone.
Unwind with solo afternoons, aesthetic dinners
Bengaluru has many pretty restaurants. Amicii is one of the few that’s pretty and serves unique comfort food. You can go alone and work from the long table. You can go with friends and share eight dishes under the red flower. You can go for dinner when the neon is on, and the bar is warm. It’s the kind of place that makes you slow down. And in these times, that feels like luxury.
The author was hosted by Amicii upon editorial invitation.
