Empire Restaurant — Indian Hospitality Magazine
Legacy Restaurants

Empire Restaurant

Church Street's 55-year late-night institution — Bangalore's biryani and kebab anchor

E

Empire Group

Founder · Est. 1969 · Church Street, Bangalore

Empire Restaurant opened on Church Street in 1969 and has since become Bangalore's most ubiquitous non-vegetarian restaurant chain. The Church Street original — bright, efficient, and operating until 1 AM — established the format: biryani, kebabs, tandoori preparations, and the Indo-Chinese dishes that are a Bangalore speciality, served at prices that made them accessible for daily consumption rather than occasional indulgence.

Empire's significance is not in the uniqueness of its preparations but in its reliability and accessibility. At any hour of the day or night, at any of its numerous branches, a Bangalore resident can obtain a plate of biryani or a serving of seekh kebab that meets a consistent standard. This reliability — scaled across a city — is itself a hospitality achievement.

The Church Street flagship occupies a central position in Bangalore's most active dining and nightlife street. The post-midnight crowd — returning from pubs, cinemas, and events — has relied on Empire as the last kitchen open for over fifty years.

Empire Restaurant — additional image

“Bangalore is a city that eats late. We are the restaurant that stays open. That is our contribution.”

What Defines Empire Restaurant

Biryani— The Bangalore-style biryani that is Empire's most ordered preparation — rice and meat, flavoured and consistent across locations.
Seekh Kebab— Minced meat kebabs from the tandoor. The starter order that most tables begin with.
Chicken 65— The deep-fried, spiced chicken preparation that is a South Indian restaurant staple.
Tandoori Chicken— Whole chicken, marinated and tandoor-cooked. Empire's version is the late-night standard.
Rumali Roti— Paper-thin bread served as accompaniment to the kebabs and curries.

The Experience

The Church Street branch is bright, loud, and efficient. The service is fast. The tables turn quickly. The crowd is Bangalore at its most diverse: tech workers, students, families, and the late-night cohort that has nowhere else to go at midnight. The food arrives within minutes of ordering.

Rated & Reviewed By

Zomato 4.1★ · Times Food · LBB Bangalore · The Hindu

Editorial Notes

  • Empire's citywide presence makes it Bangalore's most significant non-vegetarian chain — studying a single branch tells one story; studying the network tells another.
  • The Church Street flagship is the cultural reference point; other branches serve the same menu in different neighbourhood contexts.
  • The late-night operating hours (until 1 AM) are a competitive advantage in a city with limited past-midnight food options.
  • Recommended for hospitality students studying restaurant chain scaling and late-night food service.

Getting There

Nearest Metro: MG Road (Purple Line, 5-minute walk south to Church Street). The flagship is on Church Street, central Bangalore.