Ideal Cafe
36 people recommend, 4 warn against itvia r/mangalore·30 comments quoted below
The comments quoted below are a sample of the full tally across 36 threads.
What people say, in short
Ideal Cafe is a pure vegetarian spot in Mangalore that people recommend for its wide menu, dosas, pulao and ice creams, with many calling it a solid alternative to the crowded Pabbas. Diners single out the masala dosa with cashews, the pulao, and sundaes like gadbad and tiramisu, and one commenter notes the budget-friendly burgers; another prefers this Hampankatta branch over the mall outlets for its old-school chaos and the chance of actually getting a seat. The caveats: several warn that it is essentially the same as Pabbas, that queues are long and portions have shrunk, and one diner who expected a large serving of ice cream got only a tiny scoop. One commenter also finds the chutney inconsistent.
Address
Shop No.101, Door No. 13, VR9R+X58 Ideal Cafe, 1-25/16, Road, opp. Sharavu Ganapathi Temple Road, G.T, Hampankatta, Mangaluru, Karnataka 575001, India
At a glance
- Price
- Budget
- Signature dishes
- Masala dosa, Pulao, Gadbad
- Best for
- Vegetarian, Budget, Family
- Opinions divided
- Yes
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
Recommended among veg restaurants in Mangalore.
Suggests it among good pure vegetarian restaurants in Mangalore.
Says Pabbas and Ideal are essentially the same, so trying both is pointless.
Lists it among pure veg options.
Recommends it for vegetarian ghee roast options like paneer, soya and mushroom.
Complains of long queues and shrinking portion sizes.
Wider menu with decent food, not just ice creams.
Recommends it as a less crowded alternative to Pabbas.
Very good but chutney is not consistent.
Says Ideal Cafe is not bad for dosa.
Recommends all branches including Pabbas.
Recommends the Hampankatta branch for its old-school chaos and for actually being able to get a seat.
Praises the masala dosa, especially the cashews added to it.
Says Ideal sells decently sized burgers at a budget-friendly price, even with delivery.
Says the pulao at Ideals is excellent.
Recommends ice creams like gadbad plus many snacks to sample.
Recommends it for vegetarians.
Recommends it for dessert/ice cream.
Lists Ideal Cafe as a vegetarian option.
Says it is much better than Janatha Deluxe, at least in cleanliness.
Any branch of this cafe recommended for dessert.
Lists it among pure vegetarian suggestions.
Suggests Ideal Cafe as a breakfast option.
Recommends machine gun, gadbad and tiramisu at Ideal cafe.
Recommends Ideal Cafe for ice creams.
Alternative to Pabbas; recommends trying the Tiramisu or Gudbud.
Likes the pulao but complains packing uses too much plastic.
Recommends neer dosa and paneer ghee roast there.
Says to visit Ideals for its ice cream.
Points people to the old Ideal opposite Wenlock and the original Ideal Traders, for the nostalgia.
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to Ideal Cafe, as the crow flies.
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Freshness
Last verified 18/10/2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.