Whiff of a bygone era

The smell of milk, cream, and pulpy fruits, fused in sweet whiffs could belong only to one place – Lakeview Milk Bar on M G Road in the city of Bangalore (now called Bengaluru) in Southern India.

There can’t be a more winsome ode to a bygone era.

In pre-independent India, when M G Road was still called South Parade, Lakeview’s was started by an Englishman James Meadow Charles in 1930. In 1947, when India gained her independence, Lakeview saw a change of guard in the country as well as in its ownership. James Meadow sold the business to a Bangalorean and moved back to England. It has stood there, for over eight decades now, witnessing blushing couples on first dates, kids squabbling over dessert orders or a mother and daughter enjoying a quiet conversation over a cold coffee and milkshake. There were no fancy dessert names on its plain menu card. Just a couple of exotic exceptions like Honeymoon Special Ice Cream and Red Velvet Sundae. The rest of the items had straightforward descriptions like Fruit Salad with Ice Cream and Jelly, Triple sundae and Vanilla Milk Shake.

A classic, Sunday afternoon meant a visit to Lakeview for ice cream, followed by a matinee show at M G Road’s famous cinemas (Plaza, Blu Moon, and Blue Diamond, all razed to the ground now to make way for Namma Metro stations).

Although the Lakeview of today is housed in a new building on M G Road, and a few meters away from its old address, this dessert destination has survived the blitz of newer, cooler, Millenial joints like Smoor, Berry’d Alive, Corner House or even CCD.

I guess some whiffs just cannot be blown away. They will linger on as a gentle reminiscence of times that are meant to dwell in nostalgic recollections.