“Back in the day, when my uncle started the restaurant, the chef cooked over coals,” recalls Devdas Alva, who inherited Ankur from his uncle and founder, Mudanna P Shetty. Taking us through the history of this Fort landmark, Alva continues, “For my uncle, Ankur was more than an eatery, it was a shrine; a temple. He didn’t even allow us to step inside with shoes on!”

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Started as a ‘respectable’ pure-vegetarian Udipi joint by Shetty, it was only decades later that the need was felt to introduce a bar. “There were a few basic bars in the area; but there was no space that served vegetarian food, while also providing a space for businessmen to conduct meetings.” Ankur decided to fill that gap, and in 1973, it became a vegetarian restaurant and bar.