Three 25-year-olds, Saddham Ali Koya, Vighnesh Venugopal and Rezvin Nazar, always knew what they wanted-- to open the best art café in Bengaluru. And, the dream came true three years ago when they brought a slice of Kerala into the heart of Koramangala with Dyu Art Café. The journey itself was a reward in many ways, as these dreamers set out to hunt down an empty plot near the famous Forum Mall, put together the café from the scratch, and won over Bengalureans with a Kerala-flavoured fare.
"Many people think Dyu Art Café is an old house turned into a restaurant, which is not true," Rezvin, one of the partners at Dyu Art Café, told International Business Times. Tucked away in the streets of Koramangala 5th block, the café has been serving guests for over two and half years now. It sees people from all age groups and different backgrounds (right from comedians to authors and film writers) walking in to enjoy a great display of art works by different artists and down some delicacies.
The café, for many, offers a bit of nostalgia with its Kerala-Portuguese architecture and design. "We wanted to construct a place that could bring art lovers under one roof. And we wanted the place to highlight traditional Kerala- Portuguese architecture. The houses in Kochi have greatly influenced the structure, architecture and colours of the café," Rezvin says.
The influence is apparent as you step into the café. The restaurant is designed in a Tharavadu style architecture. At the entrance, you will find stone benches and a verandah with people sitting and enjoying the evening with a drink in their hands. When you walk in, you see an art gallery filled with paintings by international artists decorating the walls of the café.
The café has a combination of stone and wooden benches for seating. In the top, there is a balcony seating area where diners can enjoy their meals while enjoying a conversation and a view. Inside the café as well, you will find a variety of art exhibits. It's hard to believe all these are a brainchild of a bunch of 20 somethings with no background in architecture, art or engineering.
The owners chose to open an art café as they wanted to create a platform for artists to showcase their works. "Kochi is also known to host Kochi Muziris Biennale that serves as a platform for artists who want to showcase their creative work to the world. Following a similar concept, the café was opened to not only serve as a good place to eat but also a platform for artists to connect with the general crowd. And not only art, we encourage writers to launch their books here and many more events pertaining art, music and books are hosted here," the 28-year-old explains.
Artist-curator Bose Krishnamachari inaugurated the cafe.
"About nine Bengaluru-based artists participated in our first exhibit. Ever since the inauguration, we have had numerous exhibits by artists based out of India, Italy, Turkey, Canada and many other places. We get email requests from artists who are interested in putting up their works at the café. Due to the demand, we keep works for a period of three months and refresh the collection," he informs.
The café has seen exhibits from artists like Sebastian Varghese, Nurten Sozeri, Vera De Jong among others. Artworks of children from the age group of 5 to 15 from across the country also found its way to the walls. Currently, the café showcases Turkish artist Nurten Sozeri's art work. The place not only serves as a place for art lovers but also a great venue for book readers meets, book launches etc.
The café offers a variety of pizzas, burgers, coffees, steaks, salads, pastas and pastries. However, the must try dishes at the café include: Chocolate cake, Banoffee pie, Coconut Pudding, Spicy roasted veg pizza, cold choco and orange lime.
The cafe is a great place to sit by yourself and catch up on a good movie or TV series. The staff is very friendly and unobtrusive. The cafe also welcomes artists who want to put up their art works at the venue and are also open to hosting events.
