Blue Nile
Raj Bhavan Road
Somajiguda
Hyderabad
Opened about 2 weeks back.
Its located behind Spice republic, so u enter spice republic, pass the loos and then enter blue nile.
the decor is quite cool. aquamarine, blue n purple diffused hidden lighting gives the appearance of a new york lounge bar. Kenny g playing in the background.
was hoping for a good selection of food and then saw the ubiquitious "we serve 5 cuisines" When will hyderbadi restaurateurs learn to concentrate on one type of cuisine but master that properly ?
decided to go in for the buffet at 200 bucks + tax. This was an absolutely disastrous move.
the buffet was an amalgam of indian, chinese what have you. its a wonder they didnt try to work in the mexican thai cuisine too. guess there werent any leftovers....
in the salad selection, other than the pate and roast pepper salad, nothing was worth a second bite.
the food had chinese side dishes with no rice or noodles that would complement those items, instead there was indian pulao, naand and plain rice.
the fish was hard the chicken n mutton full of bones.
the gulab jamuns at desserts were disastrous too. the kheer was edible and there were some fruit salads that i could not muster the courage to try.
only hope that he setlles down decently and improves the food quality like what hapenned with their sister restaurant spice republic.
but as of now, for my money, Id rather go to Ohris Far East on Banjara hills
Monday, October 11, 2004
Thursday, October 7, 2004
10 Downing Street, Hyderabad
Ten Downing street
Lifestyle Complex
Begumpet
Hyderabad
040 5562 0015, 5562 9323
Ten Downing Street, has its regulars. And the owners and the loyalists have an all round sense of contentment. This is my kind of place. TDS is frequented by working professionals who want to unwind after a hard days work. Couple of call center parties do come here, then after awhile realise its not really their kinda place and drift away and restore the ambience to normal. This is a place you can go to when your boss has $@!~%d you over and TDS will welcome you & your tired, weary, minds and bodies.
The Décor is kind of like what an English study is pictured to be in the movies. Warm wooden panelling including on the floors. There's a small library at one corner which partly has genuine books and partly pasted prints of book spines. Some cool curios can be seen in some of the cabinets too. The central bar table where the bar tender mixes the cocktails is a good place to sit. The most coveted seating though is the slightly worn leather sofas just at the entrance.
BOB is 125 onwards. Their draught is quite good. A mug is 100, a pitcher is around 400. 60 ml hard liquor is 160 bucks. Accompanying mixer is 40 bucks. Heard a rumor that they don’t sell small pegs. Cocktails are rs 250 onwards. Tried the Whiskey Sour and the Screaming orgasm which would have been better with more alcohol content and less ice. But good never the less. The bloody mary was appreciated though.
No complimentary snacks, but some of his food is really good. Especially the meat balls. Definitely try this. The shepherds pie is out of this world, as is the pasta. The cook for the continental stuff is great but not so for the others. The chinese snacks are average. Thai curry to be avoided at all costs.
In the noons there's a total VFM offer. For 150 bucks you get a beer, a main course, soup and desert. This includes the shepherds pie option.
DJ Black Jack totally rocks. He knows what the regulars want him to play and he sticks to it. Look out for him on Tuesdays for sure. Wednesdays is Ladies night. Ladies get beer, hard spirits and a choice of 3 cocktails absolutely free from 8-10pm. Thursdays is Karaoke night and theres some pretty good talent around. Sometimes you get a guest DJ who wants to play out his collection, but the crowd always manages to bring the DJ back on track.
If you are in the 25-45 age group and looking for a chilled out place to relax, look no further. Teeny boppers who have started addressing me as aunty/maam, please avoid this place. Ive found my sanctuary in Hyderabad, please don’t attempt to disturb it.
Lifestyle Complex
Begumpet
Hyderabad
040 5562 0015, 5562 9323
Ten Downing Street, has its regulars. And the owners and the loyalists have an all round sense of contentment. This is my kind of place. TDS is frequented by working professionals who want to unwind after a hard days work. Couple of call center parties do come here, then after awhile realise its not really their kinda place and drift away and restore the ambience to normal. This is a place you can go to when your boss has $@!~%d you over and TDS will welcome you & your tired, weary, minds and bodies.
The Décor is kind of like what an English study is pictured to be in the movies. Warm wooden panelling including on the floors. There's a small library at one corner which partly has genuine books and partly pasted prints of book spines. Some cool curios can be seen in some of the cabinets too. The central bar table where the bar tender mixes the cocktails is a good place to sit. The most coveted seating though is the slightly worn leather sofas just at the entrance.
BOB is 125 onwards. Their draught is quite good. A mug is 100, a pitcher is around 400. 60 ml hard liquor is 160 bucks. Accompanying mixer is 40 bucks. Heard a rumor that they don’t sell small pegs. Cocktails are rs 250 onwards. Tried the Whiskey Sour and the Screaming orgasm which would have been better with more alcohol content and less ice. But good never the less. The bloody mary was appreciated though.
No complimentary snacks, but some of his food is really good. Especially the meat balls. Definitely try this. The shepherds pie is out of this world, as is the pasta. The cook for the continental stuff is great but not so for the others. The chinese snacks are average. Thai curry to be avoided at all costs.
In the noons there's a total VFM offer. For 150 bucks you get a beer, a main course, soup and desert. This includes the shepherds pie option.
DJ Black Jack totally rocks. He knows what the regulars want him to play and he sticks to it. Look out for him on Tuesdays for sure. Wednesdays is Ladies night. Ladies get beer, hard spirits and a choice of 3 cocktails absolutely free from 8-10pm. Thursdays is Karaoke night and theres some pretty good talent around. Sometimes you get a guest DJ who wants to play out his collection, but the crowd always manages to bring the DJ back on track.
If you are in the 25-45 age group and looking for a chilled out place to relax, look no further. Teeny boppers who have started addressing me as aunty/maam, please avoid this place. Ive found my sanctuary in Hyderabad, please don’t attempt to disturb it.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Smokin' Joes, Hyderabad
Somajoguda,
Hyderabad
5563 4442, 5563 4443
No Pork
Yummy, yummy, yummy.
The best pizzas that are home delivered. Pizza hut is best for in-house, but for home delivery nothing to beat smokin joes.
Try the Chicken bonanza, napolitana, mexicana and the smokin joes special. These r my favourites.
7" - rs80-135
10" - 120 - 200
12" - 160 -280
they also offer 4 non veg 6" for 240 and 4 veg 6" for 190
U can get special bases like thin crusts and whole wheat at no extra charge. Total VFM.
The cheese and sauce base is juicy and makes the pizza that much tastier. Toppings are really generous. Most pizza places have the sum total of your toppings as x, so whther u have 3 or 10 toppings on your pizza, the total toppings will be x, whereas with smokin' joes, u actually get x*no. of toppings. so that makes for a loaded pizza.
they have stuffed crusts too. My advice would be avoid the stuffed crusts, It turns the crust hard at the sides and since yr base gets turned inwards, it lessens surface area of the base and hence toppings get decreased in this scenario.
Their chilli corn cheese toast is cheesy n yummy. Heard good reports of the pasta but havent tried it yet, nor the dessert.
Good treat, on the days u dont wanna cook n just order in or u just have to have something cheesy. For hyderabad, this is the best dose of cheese u can get after the shepherds pie at TDS.
Hyderabad
5563 4442, 5563 4443
No Pork
Yummy, yummy, yummy.
The best pizzas that are home delivered. Pizza hut is best for in-house, but for home delivery nothing to beat smokin joes.
Try the Chicken bonanza, napolitana, mexicana and the smokin joes special. These r my favourites.
7" - rs80-135
10" - 120 - 200
12" - 160 -280
they also offer 4 non veg 6" for 240 and 4 veg 6" for 190
U can get special bases like thin crusts and whole wheat at no extra charge. Total VFM.
The cheese and sauce base is juicy and makes the pizza that much tastier. Toppings are really generous. Most pizza places have the sum total of your toppings as x, so whther u have 3 or 10 toppings on your pizza, the total toppings will be x, whereas with smokin' joes, u actually get x*no. of toppings. so that makes for a loaded pizza.
they have stuffed crusts too. My advice would be avoid the stuffed crusts, It turns the crust hard at the sides and since yr base gets turned inwards, it lessens surface area of the base and hence toppings get decreased in this scenario.
Their chilli corn cheese toast is cheesy n yummy. Heard good reports of the pasta but havent tried it yet, nor the dessert.
Good treat, on the days u dont wanna cook n just order in or u just have to have something cheesy. For hyderabad, this is the best dose of cheese u can get after the shepherds pie at TDS.
Monday, August 16, 2004
Lautre, Hyderabad
Life Style Building
Begumpet
Bob : 0.75
Decided to assemble at Lautre before hitting 10 Downing where it sometimes gets too crowded to locate your friends. Didn’t stay here too long so can just about list the pros and cons :
Pros :
Excellent food. The oriental prawns are amazing for their size and the price. Music is soft rock sometimes graduating to hard rock. It isn't crowded.
Cons :
It has no crowd !!!
The seating is like a mess hall with better seats and dimmed lights.
The tables are soooo HUGE.
So this is what I surmised. Well, I mentioned before, we didn’t spend too much time here... Actually the poor owner just can't seem to strike the right balance. He seems confused as to whether he wants to serve gourmet food, have a relaxed lounge or a rocking pub. If he improves the lighting a bit, I think this place could become one of the best lounges around in the true sense of the word. A place you can relax with good food in your tracks or sweats.
Getting to the rates, they are quite reasonably priced. But after partying in Delhi, the whole of Hyderabad seems reasonably priced. BOB is 75 to 120 depending on the brand. Rum is 65 for Old Monk and 75 for Bacardi 30ml. The cocktails range from 175 to 250. Food is very reasonably priced. They serve an afternoon buffet for 150/- which also doesn’t have too many takers. But it's better to order a la carte than try the buffet which is not always excellent or so I heard.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=268&City=Hyderabad
Begumpet
Bob : 0.75
Decided to assemble at Lautre before hitting 10 Downing where it sometimes gets too crowded to locate your friends. Didn’t stay here too long so can just about list the pros and cons :
Pros :
Excellent food. The oriental prawns are amazing for their size and the price. Music is soft rock sometimes graduating to hard rock. It isn't crowded.
Cons :
It has no crowd !!!
The seating is like a mess hall with better seats and dimmed lights.
The tables are soooo HUGE.
So this is what I surmised. Well, I mentioned before, we didn’t spend too much time here... Actually the poor owner just can't seem to strike the right balance. He seems confused as to whether he wants to serve gourmet food, have a relaxed lounge or a rocking pub. If he improves the lighting a bit, I think this place could become one of the best lounges around in the true sense of the word. A place you can relax with good food in your tracks or sweats.
Getting to the rates, they are quite reasonably priced. But after partying in Delhi, the whole of Hyderabad seems reasonably priced. BOB is 75 to 120 depending on the brand. Rum is 65 for Old Monk and 75 for Bacardi 30ml. The cocktails range from 175 to 250. Food is very reasonably priced. They serve an afternoon buffet for 150/- which also doesn’t have too many takers. But it's better to order a la carte than try the buffet which is not always excellent or so I heard.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=268&City=Hyderabad
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Underdeck, Hyderabad
Under Deck
Taj Banjara
Rd No. 1
Banjara Hills
Hyderabad - 500 034
Ph : 040 5566 9999
The whole place is designed to give you a nautical feel. As you descend the stairs and even before you enter the pub, the flooring is covered with the same metal plates that the deck of a ship is. A few well placed lifebuoys and other props at the entrance just emphasise the name. The inside of the pub has a nice rich wooden panelling all over. This pub is a little on the smaller side but the décor is really cool if you are looking for a place with a difference. Although I can tell you that none of the ships that I have been on has interiors anything like this pub but then again, who cares ?
They have a live band playing there quite often. Music is normally good recognisable, lyrical music. Not the trance, house rubbish you get at the so called "hapenning" places. They have karaoke nites sometimes and the junta that comes up to sing is normally really good. Lots of firang and expat crowd here. Mostly the people put up @ the hotel. But the atmosphere is quite chilled and relaxed. Jeans and t-shirt is more than acceptable here as are sandals for the guys. So banish the thought of a stuffy 5 star pub.
Rates are ok. BOB is 100 to 160 depending on size and brand. Cocktails are classified into the 275 / 295 and 325 categories. Didn't try any, so wouldn't comment. Old Monk is 125 and Bacardi is 150. Prices go upto 2500 for a peg of blue label. Complementary popcorn and nuts are served in good quantities with the drinks. Their snacks are quite yummy too.
The staff dressed in white with sailor scarves is very polite and obliging altho its sometimes difficult to catch their eye once the crowd increases.
Decent place especially for winding down at the end of a weekend on Sunday nite, or even mid week relaxation.
Taj Banjara
Rd No. 1
Banjara Hills
Hyderabad - 500 034
Ph : 040 5566 9999
The whole place is designed to give you a nautical feel. As you descend the stairs and even before you enter the pub, the flooring is covered with the same metal plates that the deck of a ship is. A few well placed lifebuoys and other props at the entrance just emphasise the name. The inside of the pub has a nice rich wooden panelling all over. This pub is a little on the smaller side but the décor is really cool if you are looking for a place with a difference. Although I can tell you that none of the ships that I have been on has interiors anything like this pub but then again, who cares ?
They have a live band playing there quite often. Music is normally good recognisable, lyrical music. Not the trance, house rubbish you get at the so called "hapenning" places. They have karaoke nites sometimes and the junta that comes up to sing is normally really good. Lots of firang and expat crowd here. Mostly the people put up @ the hotel. But the atmosphere is quite chilled and relaxed. Jeans and t-shirt is more than acceptable here as are sandals for the guys. So banish the thought of a stuffy 5 star pub.
Rates are ok. BOB is 100 to 160 depending on size and brand. Cocktails are classified into the 275 / 295 and 325 categories. Didn't try any, so wouldn't comment. Old Monk is 125 and Bacardi is 150. Prices go upto 2500 for a peg of blue label. Complementary popcorn and nuts are served in good quantities with the drinks. Their snacks are quite yummy too.
The staff dressed in white with sailor scarves is very polite and obliging altho its sometimes difficult to catch their eye once the crowd increases.
Decent place especially for winding down at the end of a weekend on Sunday nite, or even mid week relaxation.
Sunday, March 24, 2002
Windsor Pub, Bangalore
7 Kodava Samaj Building,
1st Main, Vasanthnagar
Ph : 2258847
The seating and ambience is like Tom's but homelier. (Maybe because of the smaller area, but you kind of get the feeling of being in the drawing room of a house shared by a few bachelors). The cashier doubles as the CJ (Casette Jockey). Music is close to Pecos in taste and a 5 star restaurant in volume. Audible but not ear-threatening. Chairs are for sitting, tables are for resting your glasses, plates and bottles.
A whole lot of MIT (as in Manipal not Massachusettes) alumni haunt this place. Total relaxed mood prevails, no false facades, no minimalistic outfits except of course the bermudas sported by most of the clientele. 4 of us shared a pitcher + 2 mugs of beer (they do not offer any other alcohol... like pecos) + 4 steaks + 2 desserts + 2 xtra orders of garlic bread + an iced tea. The bill came up to about Rs.750/- They have some excellent kerala style sea food dishes and the steaks here are great. A relaxed evening would involve getting out of your business casuals and into your lounging clothes and hawai chappals. Get on your 2 wheeled thunder and rip across to Windsor Pub. Do not forget to leave your cell phone at home. Have 2 beers while the highlights of the days match plays on the TV screen so close as to let you feel i'ts is your own private TV. Finish with a steak of your choice and garlic bread. Mmmm.... Heaven on earth.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=176&City=Bangalore
1st Main, Vasanthnagar
Ph : 2258847
The seating and ambience is like Tom's but homelier. (Maybe because of the smaller area, but you kind of get the feeling of being in the drawing room of a house shared by a few bachelors). The cashier doubles as the CJ (Casette Jockey). Music is close to Pecos in taste and a 5 star restaurant in volume. Audible but not ear-threatening. Chairs are for sitting, tables are for resting your glasses, plates and bottles.
A whole lot of MIT (as in Manipal not Massachusettes) alumni haunt this place. Total relaxed mood prevails, no false facades, no minimalistic outfits except of course the bermudas sported by most of the clientele. 4 of us shared a pitcher + 2 mugs of beer (they do not offer any other alcohol... like pecos) + 4 steaks + 2 desserts + 2 xtra orders of garlic bread + an iced tea. The bill came up to about Rs.750/- They have some excellent kerala style sea food dishes and the steaks here are great. A relaxed evening would involve getting out of your business casuals and into your lounging clothes and hawai chappals. Get on your 2 wheeled thunder and rip across to Windsor Pub. Do not forget to leave your cell phone at home. Have 2 beers while the highlights of the days match plays on the TV screen so close as to let you feel i'ts is your own private TV. Finish with a steak of your choice and garlic bread. Mmmm.... Heaven on earth.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=176&City=Bangalore
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Insomnia, Bangalore
Le Meridien
28 Sankey Road
Bangalore 52
Ph :2262233, 22682828
This week saw the launch of Insomnia, Bangalore's first disc within city limits. Current permission for them to operate is 1am. Since everything else in Bangalore is forced to close down by 11am. This place is gonna be rockin.
They are positioning themselves as "the exclusive Cocktail Lounge-cum night club" . Launched by DJ Asad, the place has a good night-clubby feel about it. And it is definitely gonna be exclusive as they are charging membership to enter their hallowed trio of halls. A couple membership will set you back 40G's, a single male will have to shell out 25k and a single woman a measly 10k. Please note that this is this years annual membership fee. Management reserves right to increase membership fee at any point of time. Only members can get entry once the club starts functioning at full speed. And of course you may take your friends along. How many takers they will have......"lets wait and see".
The music is good as you have one of the top DJ's of Bangalore running the show. Atmosphere is cool too, the cocktail lounge is upstairs. Really well spread out. As you move downstairs there's another bar with seating arrangement for another couple of people who like their music loud enough to discourage conversations across the table and a sunken dancefloor.
Neat set up. Good balance. At least that's what it looks like now. As yesterday was the launch, and everything was on the house, I have no clue about their pricing. Will get back to you guys about this.
If their place really sets Bangalore afire it will be because of their extended hours of partying capability. Check it out in the next 15 days unless you have a friend who is definitely going to take a membership. Then you can pile on to him/her to take you along any time.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=200&City=Bangalore
28 Sankey Road
Bangalore 52
Ph :2262233, 22682828
This week saw the launch of Insomnia, Bangalore's first disc within city limits. Current permission for them to operate is 1am. Since everything else in Bangalore is forced to close down by 11am. This place is gonna be rockin.
They are positioning themselves as "the exclusive Cocktail Lounge-cum night club" . Launched by DJ Asad, the place has a good night-clubby feel about it. And it is definitely gonna be exclusive as they are charging membership to enter their hallowed trio of halls. A couple membership will set you back 40G's, a single male will have to shell out 25k and a single woman a measly 10k. Please note that this is this years annual membership fee. Management reserves right to increase membership fee at any point of time. Only members can get entry once the club starts functioning at full speed. And of course you may take your friends along. How many takers they will have......"lets wait and see".
The music is good as you have one of the top DJ's of Bangalore running the show. Atmosphere is cool too, the cocktail lounge is upstairs. Really well spread out. As you move downstairs there's another bar with seating arrangement for another couple of people who like their music loud enough to discourage conversations across the table and a sunken dancefloor.
Neat set up. Good balance. At least that's what it looks like now. As yesterday was the launch, and everything was on the house, I have no clue about their pricing. Will get back to you guys about this.
If their place really sets Bangalore afire it will be because of their extended hours of partying capability. Check it out in the next 15 days unless you have a friend who is definitely going to take a membership. Then you can pile on to him/her to take you along any time.
http://www.tulleeho.com/bc/bar.asp?ID=200&City=Bangalore
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