The Bangalore Thali Inflation Problem
Walk into any chain South Indian restaurant in Bangalore today and you'll see "mini meals" priced at ₹250-300. Full thalis at ₹400-600. The thali used to be the most affordable, complete meal in the city — that is no longer true at the big chains.
But it is still true at neighbourhood Brahmin cafes. **Shastrys Cafe in Kodigehalli serves a complete South Indian Set Meals for ₹120** — and it is not a small portion. It is the full traditional Brahmin lunch sequence.
What ₹120 Buys You at Shastrys Cafe
Rice: — unlimited refills (the traditional Brahmin practice)
Sambar: — fresh, with seasonal vegetables, no powder packets
Rasam: — peppery, digestive
Palya: — rotated daily, fresh seasonal vegetable
Curd rice: — cooling closing course
Sweet: — obbattu, kesari, or payasam (depending on the day)
Papad: — crisp, fresh-fried
Pickle: — homemade
Buttermilk: — spiced, traditional
For ₹120 (~$1.50), this is one of the most complete authentic South Indian meals you can find anywhere in Bangalore in 2026.
Why It Is This Affordable
Shastrys Cafe is a small neighbourhood Brahmin cafe — not a chain, not in a mall, not paying premium rent. The kitchen is run by people who care about the food, not by a centralised commissary that has to amortise corporate overhead. The ingredients are locally sourced, the cooking is in-house, and the menu is focused — no ten-page menu trying to please everyone.
Where Else Can You Find ₹120-Range Thalis?
In 2026 Bangalore, this price point is rare. A few neighbourhood places still hit it:
Brahmins Coffee Bar (Basavanagudi): — tiffin only, no full thali
Veena Stores (Malleshwaram): — tiffin only, no thali
Hegde (Vidyaranyapura): — tiffin focused
Shastrys Cafe (Kodigehalli): — full Brahmin thali at ₹120
If you specifically want a complete sit-down thali at this price, Shastrys is one of the best in the city.
How to Order
Dine-in:: No.880, NTI Layout, 2nd Phase, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Kodigehalli, Bangalore – 560097
Lunch hours:: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM (Sundays closed)
Zomato:: [https://www.zomato.com/bangalore/shastrys-cafe-sahakara-nagar-bangalore/order](https://www.zomato.com/bangalore/shastrys-cafe-sahakara-nagar-bangalore/order)
Ownly (by Rapido):: [https://ownly.in](https://ownly.in)
