Chifa Bengaluru: Marathahalli's New Latin American and Cantonese Fusion Sundowner

Bengaluru is no stranger to new restaurants, but every now and then a place arrives with a fresh concept. Chifa, a new three-floor restaurant and bar in Marathahalli, is one of those places.

Part Latin American kitchen, part Cantonese-inspired eatery, and part sundowner destination, Chifa brings a style of cuisine that remains largely unexplored in Bengaluru. Add creative cocktails, a rooftop vibe, and an approachable price point, and you have one of East Bengaluru's most interesting new dining spots.

If you're looking for a place that goes beyond predictable menus and standard bar food, Chifa deserves a spot on your list.

What is the cuisine at Chifa

Chifa is a culinary tradition born in Peru during the 19th century, when Chinese immigrants, primarily from Guangdong province, settled in the country and began blending Cantonese cooking techniques with local Peruvian ingredients.

The result was an entirely new cuisine. Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, wok cooking, and Chinese-style fried rice blended with native Peruvian ingredients such as ají chillies, potatoes, maize, and seafood. They also incorporated produce introduced through centuries of cultural exchange in South America. Together, these influences created flavours and techniques that were distinct from both traditional Chinese and Peruvian cooking.

The Bengaluru restaurant takes inspiration from these roots while expanding the concept further. Alongside Cantonese and Latin American influences, you'll also find touches of Indian flavours and global techniques throughout the menu.

A three floor restaurant designed for different moods

One of Chifa's biggest strengths is its layout. Instead of creating a single dining environment, the restaurant is spread across three levels, each offering a different experience.

The lower floors are more enclosed and suited to relaxed dining, conversations, and longer meals with friends or family. The top floor is where the restaurant truly comes alive.

Designed as a sundowner space, the terrace offers open views, evening breezes, and a noticeably different atmosphere once the sun starts setting. Whether you're meeting friends after work or planning a weekend dinner, this is the section of the restaurant most people end up talking about after their visit.

If you're booking ahead, requesting a terrace table is highly recommended.

What to eat at Chifa

The menu here is designed around experimentation. One of the most talked-about creations is the Chilean Pani Puri with seabass. It takes a familiar Indian street food format and reimagines it through a Latin American lens.

Another standout is the Spanakopita, the classic Greek pastry filled with feta and spinach. Seeing a dish like this alongside Chifa-inspired plates tells you a lot about the kitchen's willingness to explore beyond traditional boundaries.

The Achari Chicken Tikka is another crowd favourite, bringing Indian spice profiles into the restaurant's broader fusion philosophy.

Beyond these signatures, the menu includes a wide range of Asian fusion dishes that form the backbone of the dining experience and have received consistently positive feedback from diners.

What makes the menu work is that the dishes are inventive without feeling gimmicky. The combinations are deliberate rather than experimental for the sake of being different.

The cocktail scene at Chifa

For many diners, the cocktails are as important as the food. Multiple reviews highlight the drinks programme as one of the restaurant's biggest strengths, with several guests describing the cocktails as among the best they've had in Bengaluru recently.

The Silky Agent has emerged as an early favourite and is frequently recommended by returning diners.

The drinks offering is a key part of the experience, with a dedicated cocktail programme featuring both classic serves and house creations alongside wine, beer and non alcoholic options. Whether you're stopping by for pre-dinner drinks or pairing cocktails with your meal, there is plenty to choose from throughout the evening.

That said, the cocktail programme is clearly a major part of the Chifa experience and contributes significantly to its growing reputation as a sundowner destination.

Why Chifa stands out in Bengaluru's dining scene

Bengaluru has plenty of rooftop bars, cocktail destinations, and fusion restaurants. What makes Chifa different is that it combines all three while introducing a cuisine that very few restaurants in the city currently explore.

The restaurant manages to balance accessibility with originality. You don't need to understand Peruvian culinary history to enjoy the food, but if you're curious about the origins of the cuisine, there's genuine substance behind the concept.

It is rare to find a restaurant that feels equally suited to a casual after-work drink, a weekend dinner, or a destination meal with food-loving friends.

Chifa successfully occupies that space.

Location, timings and pricing

For quick planning, here are the essentials:

• Location: Marathahalli, East Bengaluru
• Cuisine: Latin American, Cantonese Chifa, Asian Fusion
• Type: Casual dining restaurant and bar
• Timings: Daily from 12 PM until late
• Cost for two: Approximately ₹1,000
• Vegetarian options: Available
• Parking: Not available on-site
• Reservations: Available through EazyDiner, Zomato, and District
• Phone: 080 4026 5566

The ideal time to experience Chifa is between 5 PM and 8 PM. This is when the terrace comes into its own, the weather is typically pleasant, and the restaurant's sundowner atmosphere is at its strongest.

Weekday evenings tend to be calmer and offer a more relaxed dining experience, while weekends bring a livelier crowd and a more energetic vibe.

Either way, booking ahead is recommended, especially if you're hoping to secure a table on the top floor. So if you're looking for your next evening out in East Bengaluru, this is one opening worth making time for.