Watch | This Bengaluru hotel is a hit with biriyani lovers

Watch | Do you like donne biriyani for breakfast?

When you think of breakfast in Bengaluru, images of crispy masala dose or soft, steaming idli with sambar immediately pop into mind. But that’s not all the city has to offer.  

What if we said you could have biryani? Not just any biryani but donne biryani – a South Indian speciality made with short-grained rice and served in dried plantain, or donne, pouches.  Non-vegetarian breakfast options are not new to Bengaluru, with every establishment flaunting its own dedicated fan base. 

Standing tall with a 114-year legacy, is Shivaji Military Hotel.  Tucked away in a quiet bylane opposite the bustling Banashankari Bus Stand in south Bengaluru, it is easy to be fooled by Shivaji Military Hotel’s calm exterior.   

Enter, and you hear the chatter of hungry customers, starting as early as 8 am. As the day wears on, the din only grows louder, the lines longer and the service feverish.  Started in 1908 by S Mannaji Rao, Shivaji Military Hotel has been run by three generations of the Rao family. In over 100 years of its existence, the hotel has seen its share of ups and downs.   

But its popularity truly soared after Bengaluru became a software hub. Currently, it is being managed by Mannaji Rao’s grandsons, Rajeev and Lokesh.  

What’s a typical day like at Shivaji Military Hotel?

Reporting: Nalme Nachiyar and Simran Ahuja

Script and voiceover: Nalme Nachiyar

Videos: Sudhakara Jain