A WHOLE NEW WORLD WORLD

Nostalgia makes way for the neoteric with Lapis, The Oberoi Bengaluru’s contemporary-cool new restaurant

- AMRITA BOSE

Built around a magnificent 152-year-old rain tree, stepping into The Oberoi Bengaluru with its lush tropical gardens and koi ponds is like stepping through a time sieve. With many firsts, The Oberoi has been turned into a tour de force of world cuisine: Singapore’s iconic cocktail bar, Old Man, popped up at the Polo Club; pan-Asian restaurant Szechwan Court made way for the Japanese Wabi Sabi; and all-day diner Le Jardin now reinvents itself as Lapis.

As part of The Oberoi since its opening in 1992, Le Jardin had its loyalists, especially for its leisurely Sunday breakfast or brunch. But with changing times, breaking away from the functional monotony of five-star hotel coffee shops and reimagining the restaurant as a culinary destination in Bengaluru’s Central Business District – minus any “five-star coldness” – seemed like the best way forward.

Le Jardin regulars might find the setting familiar, but the deep blue celestial ceiling with golden lines, made to match the exact hue of a lapis lazuli stone, is new. The huge glass doors lead to a cosy patio and open deck seating, tucked among lush foliage – making the most of the Bengaluru weather.