The Elephant Bar

The Verdict

The Elephant Bar is the signature bar-and-dining room of the Royal Orchid Brindavan Garden Resort, a 1940s-era property built as the summer residence of the Mysore royal family and converted to a hotel in the 1990s. The room is named for the stuffed-elephant-foot side tables that were removed in the 2000s, and the bar itself is the original teak counter imported from Burma in the 1940s — a 15-metre-long piece of joinery that remains the room's dominant feature.

The menu is multi-cuisine with a focus on the Indian and Continental registers that the Royal Orchid group runs at its heritage hotels. The North Indian section — particularly the kebabs from the tandoor and the butter chicken — is the reliable choice; the Continental section is modest but the grilled lamb and the fish preparations have their partisans. The bar programme is the restaurant's strength — a competent cocktail list, a serious single-malt whisky selection, and a small wine list that is adequate for the occasion.

The dining room seats approximately 80, split between the bar area and a quieter section along the windows that overlook the Brindavan Gardens. The room is open-air on the terrace side during the October-March cool months. Service is in the Royal Orchid style — professional, slightly formal, and anchored in long-tenure staff who know the menu in detail.

The Elephant Bar is not the most ambitious kitchen in Mysore but it is the most evocative room — a piece of preserved colonial and royal-era architecture that functions as a working restaurant and bar. For diners who value a sense of historical occasion and slower-paced evenings, it is the Mysore answer; for diners who want the cutting edge of modern Indian cuisine, the Bangalore restaurants 145 kilometres north are the better choice.

Why It Works for Close a Deal

The Elephant Bar is the Mysore business-dinner room for a counterparty who values context over menu ambition. A 1940s-era royal summer residence, converted into a hotel bar and dining room, with the original teak-wood bar imported from Burma, a drinks programme anchored in classic cocktails, and a dinner menu designed to support two-hour business conversations. The pace is slow, the service is formal, and the architecture is the argument.

Also in Mysore

For diners planning a broader Mysore itinerary: Sapphire offers indian and continental at a different register; Shikari is the alternative for a second-night booking; and Tiger Trail anchors the city's close a deal map. The full grid is on the Mysore index, and the broader Close a Deal occasion page collects the most relevant peers globally.