Hampi is a memoir in stone. The ruins of a metropolis almost a thousand years old compel you to slow down, deliberately, while you take all the grandeur in. It is only befitting for Hampi to be laced with cafes and restaurants that make it impossible to rush through your meals. The many cafes lining the path leading up to the river are decorated with cane furniture and play trance music at most times of the day, adding to the laze. One of them, though, is truly different: The Mango Tree.

To begin with, The Mango Tree makes you find itself. As the road draws to an end, a small unassuming board announces the presence of the restaurant. Bikes – they fill the ruin town – are not allowed beyond a point. You need to walk through a banana plantation to even spot the restaurant, but you are happy to leave the bike behind as the shock of green invites you.

Behind the green plantation is another world. As you take your footwear off to settle down on one of the many black stone platforms, a strange sense of comfort spreads within you. The restaurant is located on a ridge right above the river Tungabhadra, which you can see from wherever you are seated. During the monsoon, the last few steps of the restaurant are submerged as the river swells. It doesn't get closer to the river than that.

The Mango Tree, true to the tradition of the most touristic places, serves more or less authentic world cuisine, from North Indian and Chinese to even Israeli, plus of course the evergreen backpacker's favorite - the Nutella pancake!

But while the food is only the appetizer at The Mango Tree, the real treat is lounging with the river rolling by, its gushing water soothing many urban souls. This is also a suitable place to pick a corner and introspect, make travel notes, or read that book you haven’t had chance to catch up on. Maybe order a glass of tea or two or intermittently chat with the friendly polyglot waiters.

Whatever be the reason that you choose to visit The Mango Tree for, it will be an experience that you will cherish, a memory of when time slowed down. Don’t miss it.