CTR (Shri Sagar, Central Tiffin Room)

CTR, formally Shri Sagar and long known as Central Tiffin Room, is a South Indian vegetarian tiffin house on 7th Cross, Margosa Road in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru. Dating to 1920, it is one of the oldest continuously operating tiffin rooms in the city and is closely tied to the identity of the Malleshwaram neighbourhood, an area of temples, wide old streets and traditional shops. The restaurant is best known for benne masala dosa, a dosa finished with generous white butter (benne in Kannada) and filled with a lightly spiced potato mixture. The butter-laced dosa is the dish that has become emblematic of CTR, and many local diners regard it as the reference version in Bengaluru. Other items commonly ordered include khali dosa (a plain dosa without filling), kesari bath, idli and filter coffee. The kitchen is vegetarian and serves no alcohol, so the beverage programme centres on coffee and tea. The dining room is small and simple, with shared tables, fast service and a steady flow of diners. Noise is high and turnover is quick; visitors should expect to sit alongside strangers and vacate the table soon after eating. Dress is casual. Prices are low, with dosas around INR 100-150, which makes the restaurant an inexpensive stop despite its reputation. CTR takes no reservations. Service is walk-in only, and a queue that moves fast tends to form outside at peak breakfast hours and at weekends. The restaurant typically operates in a morning session and an evening session, and it is commonly closed on Mondays, though hours can change and should be confirmed locally. Malleshwaram itself rewards a longer visit: the Kadu Malleshwara Temple, the 8th Cross market street and the residential lanes are within walking distance. Because CTR and Vidyarthi Bhavan are frequently compared, travellers interested in Bengaluru's dosa culture often visit both on the same trip, spending a morning in Malleshwaram and another in Basavanagudi.