Coffee at Lalit Mahal

Lalit Mahal always had the royal charm of an expensive place growing up. I had only heard legendary tales of how the coffee there was expensive, and tasted bad too. On my recent visit to Mysore, we decided to peep in and check out what the hype was all about. At first glance, it seems deserted - the halls are empty, and the staff is greeting you like they've never had guests for days. But the inside of the palace is ornate and exudes old world charm. I walked into the most regally decorated restaurant I'd ever come across. It pleased my eyes to see that the walls and tables were decked in my favourite shades of blue. We walked out into the adjoining garden area where small tables with silver teapots spoke of leisurely conversations in tranquility. As we had dropped in at the odd hour, we were granted the option of having light refreshments only. We ordered Mysore filter coffee, wondering if it would be any good. 15 minutes later, our coffee arrived in a silver teapot - having enough to fill 2 cups and some more to spare. I was impressed with the quality and quantity of coffee provided. Although the coffee was priced no different than the ones offered at the swanky cafes, it made me want to come back more for some royal treatment.