Waiters at Bengaluru restaurant take orders without speaking a word. Gestures do the talking

Some restaurants satisfy your taste buds, others become an experience for a lifetime. Bangalore’s Ishaara falls in the latter category. Situated at the Phoenix Mall of Asia, the eatery is committed to serving delicious cuisines across the globe, prepared with fresh and locally sourced ingredients. But besides its wide range of flavourful foods, Ishaara is a must-visit spot for an absolutely wonderful reason. If you take note, the Hindi word ‘ishaara’ translates to gesture in English and the restaurant perfectly encapsulates this meaning.

Sign language does the talking at Bengaluru restaurant

Stepping inside the restaurant, a patron is greeted by warmth and inclusivity, where communication transcends language barriers. Every staff member you meet here is specially-abled and cannot speak or hear, but they are all driven by an indomitable spirit to take the challenges in their own stride. They take orders and interact with you through sign language. Even without speaking a single word, their warm smile and expressive faces make every non-verbal communication feel welcoming.



Thanks to Ishaara’s founder, Prashant Issar, the restaurant welcomes people with disabilities with open arms, changing their lives forever. For example, Thirtharaj, a staff member from Kolkata associated with the eatery, never dreamed of landing a job owing to his speech and hearing impairment, as per a 2024 report by The Times of India. However, he was recruited by Ishaara as a server and was not treated differently, categorising him as someone who has limited potential. Instead, the restaurant trained him and taught him the fundamentals of hospitality. With proper guidance, Thirtharaj became the heart of Ishaara, proudly providing for his family.

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Bengaluru restaurant’s motto and more details

According to owner Prashant Issar, employing specially-abled staff should never be an act of charity or a marketing gimmick. It is more about making them feel belonged in a society that often shuns them as different. He advocated understanding their strengths and making them aware of their skills so that they can transform the qualities into valuable assets. As per Prashant, Ishaar’s hospitality thrives on warmth, focus, and intuition. The staff who work here might be speech or hearing impaired, but they light up the room by greeting every guest with a genuine smile.


Ishaara’s interior is replete with a tropical charm comprising plenty of trees and plants, accented by teak wood, natural veneers and handcrafted terrazzo flooring, transporting you to a space of tranquillity. The logo symbolises the word ‘smile’ in sign language, and even the menu is thoughtfully curated with sign language describing each dish to help visitors communicate with the staff. Some of the delectable dishes here include Sweet Potato & Beetroot Chaat, Shahjahani Chandani Chicken Tikka, Rawas Dill Tikka, Dal Haveli, Thalappakatti Biryani, and Gajar Halwa Crumble.