Empire Restaurant is Bangalore's most reliable late-night eating option, serving Mughlai food — chicken biryani, rumali roti, seekh kebabs, butter chicken, kheema — from multiple branches across the city at hours when most other restaurants are closed. The Church Street branch is the most centrally located and invariably busy; the queue at the door on weekend nights is almost a Bangalore institution in itself.
The food is good rather than exceptional, and the settings are functional rather than comfortable, but neither of those things matters when it is midnight and you want a proper plate of chicken biryani. Empire is also good value — portions are generous and prices are fair. If you're exploring the MG Road or Brigade Road area at night and need a meal, this is where most Bangaloreans end up.