CTR (Central Tiffin Room) — Indian Hospitality Magazine
Cafe Edition

CTR (Central Tiffin Room)

Malleshwaram's 105-year tiffin house — the benne masala dosa that defines a neighbourhood

C

Family-run establishment

Founder · Est. 1920 · Malleshwaram, Bangalore

Central Tiffin Room — known universally as CTR — has been serving the benne masala dosa from 7th Cross, Malleshwaram, since 1920. The benne dosa is the specific contribution: dosa prepared with generous quantities of butter (benne in Kannada), resulting in a preparation that is rich, crisp, and unapologetically indulgent. The recipe is over a century old and has not been modified.

Malleshwaram is one of Bangalore's oldest planned neighbourhoods — a grid of numbered crosses and mains that was developed in the early twentieth century. CTR arrived early in the neighbourhood's history and has been part of its identity since. The tiffin house is not separate from the neighbourhood; it is the neighbourhood's anchor institution.

The queue at CTR rivals Vidyarthi Bhavan's in consistency and length. Weekend mornings produce waits of thirty to forty-five minutes. The crowd is the neighbourhood and anyone from across the city who maintains the CTR pilgrimage as a regular practice.

CTR (Central Tiffin Room) — additional image

“The dosa has been the same for a hundred years. The butter has been the same for a hundred years. We do not know any other way.”

What Defines CTR (Central Tiffin Room)

Benne Masala Dosa— The butter-dosa that is CTR's identity. Generous butter, crisp griddle work, spiced potato filling. The reason the queue exists.
Filter Coffee— South Indian filter coffee in the tumbler-davara format. Strong, hot, and served as the dosa's companion.
Set Dosa— Soft, thick, spongy dosas served in sets of three. The alternative for those who want something gentler than the benne dosa.
Khara Bath— Spiced semolina served with a generous topping of cashews and curry leaves.
Kesari Bath— Saffron-infused sweet semolina. The finishing item.

The Experience

The experience is the queue, the order, the dosa, and the departure — in that sequence, without deviation. The dining room is functional: shared tables, fast service, and the knowledge that the person behind you in the queue would like your seat. CTR does not encourage lingering. The dosa itself is the experience.

Rated & Reviewed By

Zomato 4.5★ · Condé Nast Traveller India · Times Food Heritage · Outlook Traveller

Editorial Notes

  • Closed Mondays.
  • CTR's benne masala dosa and Vidyarthi Bhavan's masala dosa represent the two benchmarks against which every dosa in Bangalore is measured.
  • The Malleshwaram neighbourhood context — with its temple-street market culture — adds a dimension to the CTR experience that is lost in isolation.
  • Recommended for hospitality students studying single-product mastery and high-turnover tiffin operations.

Getting There

Nearest Metro: Srirampura (Green Line, 12-minute walk east through Malleshwaram). The tiffin house is on 7th Cross, Malleshwaram. Auto-rickshaw from the metro station.