Breakfast of champions: Bengaluru’s RCB Cafe serves the best of global delicacies every Sunday

Sunday brunches are everything. They not only soothe your senses, especially if you spent Saturday night partying wildly, but they also prepare you for a better Monday and week ahead in general.

To be honest, a perfect Sunday brunch can really set the tone for the upcoming week.

And in the city of Bengaluru, breakfast is a very popular meal. Ask anyone for recommendations and you’re sure to hear at least a handful, with some iconic names being repeated—Koshy’s for English breakfast, Hole in the Wall for their American spread, Taaza Thindi for the kesari bath, and Central Tiffin Room and Vidyarthi Bhavan for the dosa. 

However, for the foodies who want to explore a bit further—possibly global cuisines—there’s a new place to be. The RCB Cafe Breakfast Club, which was launched in July, promises to bring you the best of everything across India and the globe to the same table. 

With its elaborate and versatile spread, the RCB Cafe on Museum Road is giving the city’s brunch scenes a major boost. 

“Consumers today are eager to try diverse cuisines and variations of their favourite dishes. The RCB Breakfast Club takes the city’s foodies on an adventure to explore the different cultures and unique ingredients,” Maanoj Sharrma, RCB Bar and Cafe’s Executive Chef, tells YS Life. 

Set at the junction of St Mark’s Road and Church Street, the cafe is easy to spot. With red and gold interiors and Blues music in the backdrop, it has a European alfresco-style dining experience. It is almost rare to find an open space this large in the heart of the city. 

Besides the menu and ambience, what sets the RCB Cafe Breakfast Club apart is its concept of featuring a new chef every Sunday, providing them with a platform to showcase their magic while also offering something new to customers every week. 

Previous editions of the cafe have featured themes across Kerala’s cuisine (offering a special menu of Egg Molee and Nadan Chicken curry), an ode to the classics (offering classic eggs benedict and rancheros eggs), a coastal fare (featuring egg appam, kuzhi paniyaram), vegan special (think basbousa cake tart and steamed baozi buns) served by guest chefs like Anna Minocher, Curly Sue, Saapad Raman, Stelida, and Surakshith YP, among others. 

More recently, I walked into the RCB Cafe on a sunny Sunday morning to try their curated crowd-favourite selection. For this particular Sunday, the special menu featured the likes of Greek Omelette, Smoked Chicken Benedict, Loaded Belgian Waffle, Breakfast Smoothie Bowl, Guacamole Toast Two Ways, and a drink called Rejuvenation—a special mix of tender coconut water, pomegranate pearls, basil seeds, honey, and rosemary.  

Besides this, customers can also order dishes off their usual all-day breakfast menu, which has something for everyone—waffles and endless omelette options, among others. 

The most-loved breakfast enjoyed by regulars of the cafe is the Royal Challengers Breakfast, the chef revealed. The humungous spread consists of a baker’s basket (focaccia, multigrain toast, and a carrot and raisin muffin), along with a choice of eggs, grilled chicken Krakauer sausage, mushrooms, blueberry yoghurt, baked beans, hash browns, a beverage of choice, and more. Certainly, a plate for the champions.

For this Sunday, however, I chose a Breakfast Club favourite—the Smoked Chicken Benedict. A savoury amalgamation of English muffins, hollandaise sauce, and poached eggs, this dish is always in demand, said Maanoj. 

Personally, I have had better versions of eggs benedict.

But after a roasted hazelnut cappuccino, Chef Maanoj insisted on offering some unique options from the RCB Cafe’s menu. 

The first to reach the table were Shrimp & Dill Hoppers, followed by paper-thin appams with steamy mutton stew. Just one bite of these dishes was enough for me to realise what I’d have missed after braving Bengaluru traffic on a Sunday morning to reach this cafe and not trying these showstoppers. 

The hopper was definitely the highlight of my meal. A staple of Sri Lankan cuisine, it is a delicate bowl-shaped pancake made of rice flour and coconut served with shrimps that have been cooked in curry powder, cilantro, shallots, and cayenne pepper. A word of caution: try not to take a bite of the cayenne pepper unless you have a high tolerance for spicy food.

The appam and mutton stew, on the other hand, brought back fond memories of my trip to Kochi. Authentic in its flavours and aroma, with the mutton cooked to perfection, it is one thing I’d love to sample the next time I am at RCB cafe.  

Is the cafe planning to go beyond India’s Silicon Valley? The Chef said no… “Our roots are in Bengaluru and we intend to honour that through everything we do… RCB  Cafe works to curate unique, immersive experiences around food and beverage, art, and music, and we will continue to create programmes and concepts to highlight this intersection.”

Side note: the cafe is also home to String Break, acoustic music evenings on weekends that feature artists Sid Jonathan and Mike Kerr. 

While there are no expansion plans around the corner, RCB Cafe plans to soon feature celebrity chefs, cultural pop-ups, workshops, and live music at its breakfast club. And if you want some spirits along with your breakfast, the cafe also plans to offer beer and wine to further elevate the relaxing Sunday experience. 

Where: 1 Sobha Mall, Ashok Nagar 

When: Every Sunday, 8-11:30 am

Cost: Approximately Rs 800 for two