Carlton Towers
Behind TGIF
Airport Road
Ok, that Behind TGIF, is soon going to change to "TGIF is in the same complex as Opium u know". Yes Opium is opening on the 4th of July and I think the owner has something going here. There's some connection with the ownership of Purple Haze out here.
Opium is built on the lines of the Lounge Bars that have been gaining popularity in Mumbai. They have these sofas and really comfortable seating areas on one side. Chairs in the middle, and a huge bar at the other end. The lighting and paintings are supposed to represent dawn to dusk, so the sofa area is well lit up and this gradually darkens down till you reach the bar. The floor has these little lights in between. Kind of silvery walls. I felt it had a quality of understated chic and elegance.
The first thing u see as you enter is the DJ console located just at the entrance but way above it. Constant scrutiny still didn't help me identify how he ever got into that little way-up section -- there didn't seem to be a particular entry/exit point to get into that console. Final analysis: he uses a ladder to climb into that cubby hole of his, and then the ladder is taken away so he remains out-of-bounds for the rest of the evening.
This same guy is opening an open air restaurant next to Opium and an Indian restaurant next to that, so we were kind of sampling everything. If you ever go here, do have their Chocolate Mousse its better than anything i've tasted anywhere. As we were not shown a menu card, I am not too sure of the rates. But he said they would be commensurate with those of Sparks, Urban Edge and Mars 2211.
Music was decent and played at a reasonable decibel level. Try their chinese crispy fried vegetables. Their cocktails are also good. Well blended. Definitely worth a try.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=171&City=Bangalore
Later changed my opinion, their food isnt good at all. Its this night n day kind of decor. N they no longer put in as much rum in the mousse as they did on the first day. "People Complained" or so they say
Saturday, June 30, 2001
Thursday, June 21, 2001
Cosmo Village, Bangalore
Midway between Shoppers Stop and Brigade Road.
Nice quiet joint. In the early days (2-3 years back) they used to have these really comfy sofas where you could put your feet up (literally), sample some fusion cuisine and enjoy your drink. The low lit, no music blasting kind of place.
Although Cosmo has gone in for 3 new looks for its 3 floors, the music is still at a pleasant decibel level, the waiters still courteous. and the ambience is still something out of a 60's Hollywood flick. At least at the terrace level.
The terrace level is something like the 180 Proof garden in a way. With individual sofas and an eclectic yet comfy feel about it. Of the other 2 levels, one reminded me of the 180 ft restaurant in Indiranagar. The other was comfy sofas in an air conditioned room. The terrace level's my favourite because of the added open air advantage.
Drinks are about a 100 bucks a peg. CD's are 20-25 bucks extra. Snacks are in the 100-250 range. They serve good dinner too. So if you want to make a meal of Khau Sway or a similar single dish meal after you are done with the liquid refreshments, then this is a nice place to go to.
Ideal for a casual, open yet intimate kind of evening.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=210&City=Bangalore
Nice quiet joint. In the early days (2-3 years back) they used to have these really comfy sofas where you could put your feet up (literally), sample some fusion cuisine and enjoy your drink. The low lit, no music blasting kind of place.
Although Cosmo has gone in for 3 new looks for its 3 floors, the music is still at a pleasant decibel level, the waiters still courteous. and the ambience is still something out of a 60's Hollywood flick. At least at the terrace level.
The terrace level is something like the 180 Proof garden in a way. With individual sofas and an eclectic yet comfy feel about it. Of the other 2 levels, one reminded me of the 180 ft restaurant in Indiranagar. The other was comfy sofas in an air conditioned room. The terrace level's my favourite because of the added open air advantage.
Drinks are about a 100 bucks a peg. CD's are 20-25 bucks extra. Snacks are in the 100-250 range. They serve good dinner too. So if you want to make a meal of Khau Sway or a similar single dish meal after you are done with the liquid refreshments, then this is a nice place to go to.
Ideal for a casual, open yet intimate kind of evening.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=210&City=Bangalore
Saturday, June 16, 2001
Downtown, Bangalore
41/42 Residency Plaza
Residency Road
Ph : 5582050
Timings: 11 A.M to 11 P.M
Happy hours: 11 A.M-6 P.M (50% off)
Bob : 0.8
I guess I will always be a little senti about this pub because this was the first pub that I had seen the insides of around 6 years back. I loved the music then and I love the music now.ÿ
BOB is 0.8. A mug is rs35, a pint 70 and a Pitcher is 175.ÿ Cocktails are in the range of 90 to 200. Their Pinaÿ Colada is one of the better ones that I have tasted in Bangalore ( Bangaloreans seem to prefer beer and all other drinks at most pubs seem sub-standard).ÿ
The music is slow and hard-rock and generally the danceable kind.ÿ Not the techno stuff where all you do is shake like an electric current is being passed through you. Eagles, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Ricky Martin .... .ÿ
The interiors are quiet. If you want to seat a big group, there are these huge seating areas where you can still feel that you are on the same table (even without the influence of the liquid you have come seeking).ÿ Idealÿ setting for having a party when you have a lot of friends.ÿ
The only problem is the crowd. Although they do have a small dance floor (a rarity in Bangalore) you wouldn't really feel like dancing with the kind of crowd on the floor. Seems that most of my kind of people prefer to dance to techno (or at least pretend to), so the kind of people at a place that plays my kind of music is not my kind at all. A catch-22 situation for sure.
Well my problems are not yours, so if you like a littleÿ "old fashioned" music and want to shake a leg and don't mind your floor-mates (as in dance floor) then this is the ideal place to be.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=4&City=Bangalore
Residency Road
Ph : 5582050
Timings: 11 A.M to 11 P.M
Happy hours: 11 A.M-6 P.M (50% off)
Bob : 0.8
I guess I will always be a little senti about this pub because this was the first pub that I had seen the insides of around 6 years back. I loved the music then and I love the music now.ÿ
BOB is 0.8. A mug is rs35, a pint 70 and a Pitcher is 175.ÿ Cocktails are in the range of 90 to 200. Their Pinaÿ Colada is one of the better ones that I have tasted in Bangalore ( Bangaloreans seem to prefer beer and all other drinks at most pubs seem sub-standard).ÿ
The music is slow and hard-rock and generally the danceable kind.ÿ Not the techno stuff where all you do is shake like an electric current is being passed through you. Eagles, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Ricky Martin .... .ÿ
The interiors are quiet. If you want to seat a big group, there are these huge seating areas where you can still feel that you are on the same table (even without the influence of the liquid you have come seeking).ÿ Idealÿ setting for having a party when you have a lot of friends.ÿ
The only problem is the crowd. Although they do have a small dance floor (a rarity in Bangalore) you wouldn't really feel like dancing with the kind of crowd on the floor. Seems that most of my kind of people prefer to dance to techno (or at least pretend to), so the kind of people at a place that plays my kind of music is not my kind at all. A catch-22 situation for sure.
Well my problems are not yours, so if you like a littleÿ "old fashioned" music and want to shake a leg and don't mind your floor-mates (as in dance floor) then this is the ideal place to be.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=4&City=Bangalore
Friday, March 30, 2001
Bunker, Bangalore
Residency Road
Ph : 5585140
Timings: 11 A.M to 11 P.M
Happy hours: 11 A.M-6 P.M (50% off)
Bob : 0.85
If I am not mistaken, the Bunker is below what used to be called Oaken Cask before I arrived in Bangalore. Located strategically between Galaxy and Symphony theatres it is an ideal place to pop in for a short break between movies.
BoB is 0.85. A tap costs rs30, a pint 60 and a pitcher costs 150. No free snacks though. A large rum cost me 110 bucks and the thums-up was an additional 30 bucks, which I felt was daylight robbery. The draught beer is Kingfisher, as in most pubs in Bangalore.
I had just finished a gruelling 3 hour session at a business meeting and sat through 3 hours of a movie and decided that i needed to chill out. But the guy I was with had some urgent unfinished business to take care of, so for the first time in my life I experienced sitting alone in a bar. Well of course I got the occasional stares but otherwise it was quite cool in spite of it being a Sunday night. Of course this didn't stop me berating my friends when they finally put in their appearance around 30 mins. after I had been there alone with my tap.
The music varies from Tina Turner to Guns'n'Roses. The DJ is extremely accommodating and entertains most requests unlike some other places I knowÿ The Bunker can be split into 3 seating areas. One is the family room on the outside which is separated by a glass wall from the main pub. Then the inside of the pub itself has 2 different areas: one has the psychedelic lights and neon colored seats and the other is a more comfortable seating area where you can choose from sofas or bar stools.
They have this huge TV, I think it’s a 29" and one or two smaller ones. People who come here vary from teenyboppers celebrating a birthday party to business executives unbuttoning their coats and loosening their ties as they enter.
I didn't taste their cocktails as they weren't recommended by anyone I knew; they range between 150 and 250. Maybe I will review the cocktails on a day when I am in a more experimentative mood.
Snacks range from rs30 for the nuts and chips to 100 for the non veg. items. We had the drums of heaven. But I wouldn't recommend them to anyone else. We had to wait for ages for them and by the time they came it was stone cold and not too tasty either.
In the beginning the waiters were really nice and accommodating but then the headwaiter started getting on our nerves. Would insist on refilling our mugs from the pitcher after we had hardly taken 2 gulps. I guess there was a shortage of pitchers by then and a major recycling movement must have been on. He would insist on holding a light to our cigarettes in spite of us having taken our own lighters out (Was he afraid that we would burn the place down ?)
Anyway, after some time his service became a bit too ingratiating so we decided to prepone our trip to the disco which I will review in my next missive.ÿ
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=3&City=Bangalore
Ph : 5585140
Timings: 11 A.M to 11 P.M
Happy hours: 11 A.M-6 P.M (50% off)
Bob : 0.85
If I am not mistaken, the Bunker is below what used to be called Oaken Cask before I arrived in Bangalore. Located strategically between Galaxy and Symphony theatres it is an ideal place to pop in for a short break between movies.
BoB is 0.85. A tap costs rs30, a pint 60 and a pitcher costs 150. No free snacks though. A large rum cost me 110 bucks and the thums-up was an additional 30 bucks, which I felt was daylight robbery. The draught beer is Kingfisher, as in most pubs in Bangalore.
I had just finished a gruelling 3 hour session at a business meeting and sat through 3 hours of a movie and decided that i needed to chill out. But the guy I was with had some urgent unfinished business to take care of, so for the first time in my life I experienced sitting alone in a bar. Well of course I got the occasional stares but otherwise it was quite cool in spite of it being a Sunday night. Of course this didn't stop me berating my friends when they finally put in their appearance around 30 mins. after I had been there alone with my tap.
The music varies from Tina Turner to Guns'n'Roses. The DJ is extremely accommodating and entertains most requests unlike some other places I knowÿ The Bunker can be split into 3 seating areas. One is the family room on the outside which is separated by a glass wall from the main pub. Then the inside of the pub itself has 2 different areas: one has the psychedelic lights and neon colored seats and the other is a more comfortable seating area where you can choose from sofas or bar stools.
They have this huge TV, I think it’s a 29" and one or two smaller ones. People who come here vary from teenyboppers celebrating a birthday party to business executives unbuttoning their coats and loosening their ties as they enter.
I didn't taste their cocktails as they weren't recommended by anyone I knew; they range between 150 and 250. Maybe I will review the cocktails on a day when I am in a more experimentative mood.
Snacks range from rs30 for the nuts and chips to 100 for the non veg. items. We had the drums of heaven. But I wouldn't recommend them to anyone else. We had to wait for ages for them and by the time they came it was stone cold and not too tasty either.
In the beginning the waiters were really nice and accommodating but then the headwaiter started getting on our nerves. Would insist on refilling our mugs from the pitcher after we had hardly taken 2 gulps. I guess there was a shortage of pitchers by then and a major recycling movement must have been on. He would insist on holding a light to our cigarettes in spite of us having taken our own lighters out (Was he afraid that we would burn the place down ?)
Anyway, after some time his service became a bit too ingratiating so we decided to prepone our trip to the disco which I will review in my next missive.ÿ
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=3&City=Bangalore
Monday, March 19, 2001
Tiffany's, Bangalore
Vittal Mallya Road
Ph : 221 3130/ 221 0377
Bob : 1
Never thought that this would be a place to drink. After all those books floating around the place, always associated Tiffany's with a breakfast joint within India or without.... Would never have stepped into this place except for the unfortunate incident of a car breakdown and what a find it turned out to be.
Tiffany's is THE Place to go for a relaxed afternoon drink and meal. No loud music. No over 13 somethings competing for acoustic and physical space. No outrageous display of flesh to make u feel guilty about missing those morning walks. What better place for a relaxed afternoon and a chilled beer.
There was some really unobtrusive music playing- point 1 against Tom's
Comfortable seating - point in favour of Tiffanys'
No Christian Brothers -point to Toms
Lots of jogging enthusiasts around - point to Toms
Good service- point to Tiffany's
decent food- draw
yakkable quotient - draw
relaxed atmosphere- draw
I guess u could call Tiffany's an upmarket Tom's. Cocktails were about 100/0 bucks each ; BOB around 1. Free MOB with a sizzler. Really nice waiters - not too officious or patronising or loud. Just nice, with a hint of that old world charm around them.
Yes, this is a good place for a weekend afternoon beer and biryani kind of a thing.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=179&City=Bangalore
Ph : 221 3130/ 221 0377
Bob : 1
Never thought that this would be a place to drink. After all those books floating around the place, always associated Tiffany's with a breakfast joint within India or without.... Would never have stepped into this place except for the unfortunate incident of a car breakdown and what a find it turned out to be.
Tiffany's is THE Place to go for a relaxed afternoon drink and meal. No loud music. No over 13 somethings competing for acoustic and physical space. No outrageous display of flesh to make u feel guilty about missing those morning walks. What better place for a relaxed afternoon and a chilled beer.
There was some really unobtrusive music playing- point 1 against Tom's
Comfortable seating - point in favour of Tiffanys'
No Christian Brothers -point to Toms
Lots of jogging enthusiasts around - point to Toms
Good service- point to Tiffany's
decent food- draw
yakkable quotient - draw
relaxed atmosphere- draw
I guess u could call Tiffany's an upmarket Tom's. Cocktails were about 100/0 bucks each ; BOB around 1. Free MOB with a sizzler. Really nice waiters - not too officious or patronising or loud. Just nice, with a hint of that old world charm around them.
Yes, this is a good place for a weekend afternoon beer and biryani kind of a thing.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=179&City=Bangalore
Wednesday, January 24, 2001
Jazz Garden, Pune
Koregaon Park
Bob : 1.25
The Jazz garden is set in a cluster of restaurants serving cuisines of different countries. (catering mainly to the foreigners who frequent the Osho ashram) What sets it apart is its open air setting.
There was a huge stage on which the 3 piece band looked woefully small. They were playing 60’s music and we could recognise a couple of the numbers. Non-recognition of other numbers was not due to our ignorance of 60’s music. I believe they have different bands every time. Something of a talent search I guess. Hope you have better luck with them.
BOB is about 1.25 depending on which brand you would prefer. Some of the coctails were decent but the coconut milk in my pina colada defnitely passed through a dehydration process on its journey from its originating coconut to my glass. I also felt that the alcohol content in my dessert of Crepes with chocolate rum sauce was higher than that in the Pina Colada.
The head waiter was more than helpful although service was a little slow. The fresh air was invigorating with warm liquids inside us. A beautiful setting for evening drinking in the summers.
You do get a lot of firang crowd because of the proximity of the ashram, also a lot of students from the various institutes springing up in and around Pune. It’s a student puller because of the informality of the place. Jeans is almost de-rigeur other than the maroon outfits.
Worth a try if you are the type who feels claustrophobic with all the tobacco fumes in regular pubs or are in the mood for some fresh air after a long day at office.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=134&City=Pune
Bob : 1.25
The Jazz garden is set in a cluster of restaurants serving cuisines of different countries. (catering mainly to the foreigners who frequent the Osho ashram) What sets it apart is its open air setting.
There was a huge stage on which the 3 piece band looked woefully small. They were playing 60’s music and we could recognise a couple of the numbers. Non-recognition of other numbers was not due to our ignorance of 60’s music. I believe they have different bands every time. Something of a talent search I guess. Hope you have better luck with them.
BOB is about 1.25 depending on which brand you would prefer. Some of the coctails were decent but the coconut milk in my pina colada defnitely passed through a dehydration process on its journey from its originating coconut to my glass. I also felt that the alcohol content in my dessert of Crepes with chocolate rum sauce was higher than that in the Pina Colada.
The head waiter was more than helpful although service was a little slow. The fresh air was invigorating with warm liquids inside us. A beautiful setting for evening drinking in the summers.
You do get a lot of firang crowd because of the proximity of the ashram, also a lot of students from the various institutes springing up in and around Pune. It’s a student puller because of the informality of the place. Jeans is almost de-rigeur other than the maroon outfits.
Worth a try if you are the type who feels claustrophobic with all the tobacco fumes in regular pubs or are in the mood for some fresh air after a long day at office.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=134&City=Pune
Thursday, November 23, 2000
Club Zendra, Chicago
923 W. Weed Street,
Off North Avenue.
In Chicago nite life begins on Friday at the mystical hour of 12 midnite, when all manner of creatures looking for revelry creep out of their holes where they have been lurking for the week. In anticipation of these predator groups that emerge at 12, lesser mortals are allowed free entry until the hour of 11. After that, ladies entry is a $10 and gents is $15 at the club Zendra.
Club Zendra is located in the downtown area. Actually this particular block where it's located has at least 8 pubs on its circumference. Here jeans is not normally acceptable dress code at most pubs and bars. More (less in case of women) smart outfits r the norm. Wearing jeans makes u feel totally like the "Out" crowd. 1 rum and 1 coke (for my non drinking jr whom i bumped into at Chicago downtown station.... thats another story, another time) cost us $9 if u feel like converting that was approximately Rs 405 for which I could have got a whole 750 ml bottle of my fav Xian bros back home.
This place had 3 atmospheres. Lower floor, upper floor and pseudo open air. There is a bar counter on the lower floor and the upper level. Both have the sexiest bartenders I have ever seen. Yes they are female. The music downstairs is listenable and dancable altho i couldn't recognise any of the artists (MTV out here has chat shows, serials, movies but hardly any music) The music (if u can call it that) upstairs can tear your eardrums apart and drive u insane or back to your whole for another whole week of recuperation.
Party nites r Friday and Saturday. Oh !!!! how could i forget the dancing styles they have out here ? They have so many varieties and basically they all look like the couples (male-female, male-male, female-female, menage-e-trois or group dancing) are fornicating with their clothes on. Seriously it's an interesting display of the pre-mating rituals of the homo-sapiens. Crowd is basically yuppy, You have to show id proving u r above 21 years of age before you may enter. They are very strict about this.
The bouncers here would give king kong a complex. No food, no snacks served (at least at Zendra) a drink is a drink. altho they garnish even a plain old R&C with a cherry, wedge or lemon or orange or an olive. After all those candied cherries i have been having with my Pina Coladas back home it was a real pleasure to see a fresh (ok ok maybe pre frozen) cherry with its stalk intact. Had fun, and survived the trip to see another day.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=117&City=Chicago
Off North Avenue.
In Chicago nite life begins on Friday at the mystical hour of 12 midnite, when all manner of creatures looking for revelry creep out of their holes where they have been lurking for the week. In anticipation of these predator groups that emerge at 12, lesser mortals are allowed free entry until the hour of 11. After that, ladies entry is a $10 and gents is $15 at the club Zendra.
Club Zendra is located in the downtown area. Actually this particular block where it's located has at least 8 pubs on its circumference. Here jeans is not normally acceptable dress code at most pubs and bars. More (less in case of women) smart outfits r the norm. Wearing jeans makes u feel totally like the "Out" crowd. 1 rum and 1 coke (for my non drinking jr whom i bumped into at Chicago downtown station.... thats another story, another time) cost us $9 if u feel like converting that was approximately Rs 405 for which I could have got a whole 750 ml bottle of my fav Xian bros back home.
This place had 3 atmospheres. Lower floor, upper floor and pseudo open air. There is a bar counter on the lower floor and the upper level. Both have the sexiest bartenders I have ever seen. Yes they are female. The music downstairs is listenable and dancable altho i couldn't recognise any of the artists (MTV out here has chat shows, serials, movies but hardly any music) The music (if u can call it that) upstairs can tear your eardrums apart and drive u insane or back to your whole for another whole week of recuperation.
Party nites r Friday and Saturday. Oh !!!! how could i forget the dancing styles they have out here ? They have so many varieties and basically they all look like the couples (male-female, male-male, female-female, menage-e-trois or group dancing) are fornicating with their clothes on. Seriously it's an interesting display of the pre-mating rituals of the homo-sapiens. Crowd is basically yuppy, You have to show id proving u r above 21 years of age before you may enter. They are very strict about this.
The bouncers here would give king kong a complex. No food, no snacks served (at least at Zendra) a drink is a drink. altho they garnish even a plain old R&C with a cherry, wedge or lemon or orange or an olive. After all those candied cherries i have been having with my Pina Coladas back home it was a real pleasure to see a fresh (ok ok maybe pre frozen) cherry with its stalk intact. Had fun, and survived the trip to see another day.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=117&City=Chicago
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