Where's the party tonight

Extreme work conditions have mechanised people all over the world. In the long tough race of earning luxury and experience, human minds often get saturated and long for breaks. That is when the thought of parties and holiday planning come up. In a busy city like the national Capital, people hardly get enough leaves to take a long trip to the mountains, so they tend to cool their minds and let out their frustrations by dancing, without being judged, drinking away their problems and letting their heart out through conversation during get-togethers at lounges over the weekends.

Connaught Place (CP), or the more famously known Rajiv Chowk, has been a party hub for all party animals, but with new franchises and the ever extending city people had started to move further away to Southern Delhi for parties and drinks. Recently it has been found that CP is back in booming business, be it for a party or for a relaxed evening, Delhiites are thinning in and around CP again! The reason behind this reappearance? As per party lovers around CP, the place has always been synonymous with social gathering and moreover the central location allows people all over the city to travel and meet with their beloved ones in a convenient way. “One of the major reasons for the pouring crowd in CP is the convenience of Delhi Metro. Had there being no metro connectivity the crowd would have not been this much,” said Jyoti Prakash aka Rana, F Bar. “Since there has been a reduction in the roadside stalls, the crowd had reduced slightly. The crowd in CP is mostly middle class, so they want lots of options to shop, eat and chill out, which is the very cause of the existence of CP. On Fridays and Saturdays, we get the cream crowd, it is very different from the daily crowd, who comprise on the regular office goers and college students. F Bar is an international brand, which is one of the major reasons for people’s preference and the other important component is the dance floor. “We have also got celebrities, like Badshah, Honey Singh, Kangana Ranaut, Imran Khan and many more coming here, which is yet another attraction for the crowd. People can also book certain areas in here for separate or personal parties for which a lot of interested customers step in.” he added.

“We usually come to CP because it is very convenient for us. CP has a lot of options, one can shop, eat, drink and party around in here, while Hauz Khas is mostly for party and drinks. After working hard throughout the week, we need a break and so CP is the perfect place to hang out for us as we are not party animals, we simply seek some relaxation,” said Delhi High Court lawyers Vrishti and Neelima. Most Delhiites second their thought as CP to be the most convenient place for fun with numerous options for shopping, food joints and party places. CP seems to be a complete package of fun and frolic for everyone.

When asked why people all over Delhi come to CP to try out cafes and restaurants, Ajay Mallick, manager, Cafe OMG, which is about to open in CP said, “We expect younger crowd to come over, since there are universities nearby and the reason they like to enjoy themselves with food and drinks. Because of the central location of CP, lots of people from all over the city come here to spend some time. These days people are also very health conscious, they not only like to party but they also need some fresh air and prefer to walk a bit around the park which is not possible in shopping malls. Hence CP seems to be the perfect location for a café, bar or lounge. The concept at Cafe OMG is of ‘hell and heaven’. Our interior decoration is unusual and we also have an innovative and different food and bar menu to stand out from the already existing restaurants and lounges here.”

“We have several activities and events like Sufi nights and Salsa nights. On Fridays we have international Djs performing. With these different activities and genres of music, people find interest in F Bar. We also have different schemes happening throughout the day with happy hours and food discounts for customers. CP has a different fan following than Hauz Khas. The latter consists more of a school and college crowd since it is cheap, but CP has its own class. We have also heard that the government may allow CP to be open 24*7...” said Harpreet Singh, Sr Manager events and F Bar.

“We feel good when we come here, the area is well known and it is also safe as the crowd is quite good. The interiors are very good in the cafes here. CP is a very nice option for get-togethers and parties,” said a group of bubbly school girls who had come over to CP for a post board-exam celebration. “I like coming to F Bar in CP because of the good ambience and good food. I reside in central Delhi, so it is very convenient for me. Hauz Khas is very cheap, nobody would really know you, so if it comes to only partying then I might think of going to Hauz Khas, but otherwise CP is an all time favourite,” said Harman, a college student. 

With numerous bars and lounges like ‘Lord of the Drinks’, ‘F Bar’, ‘My Bar’, ‘The Vault’, ‘Capitol’, ‘Open House Cafe’ and several more present in the very beneficial location of central Delhi, party enthusiasts are flooding in CP again, and this time with more hope. There is also a large section of party lovers who believe southern Delhi to be the god of all party places in the city, but they also do not deny the friendly ambience of CP.

“Hauz Khas is the new party place. I’ve got tired of coming to CP, there are only a few good places, but Hauz Khas has a lot of options and is also more organised, even Greater Kailash is also a good place for partying as it has a very good crowd. Whereas in CP I have to find out places and walk a lot. Hauz Khas has new party themes, every day there are parties. Dj Virus had come a few days ago in Hauz Khas even Nucleya had been there,” said Sunidhi Sabat, a college student. “While Greater Kailash is very pricey for food, CP and Hauz Khas are somewhat the same, but Hauz Khas is very pocket friendly as girls get free drinks! One can hang out there without being worried of getting to meet too many known faces!” she winked, talking on the matters of pocket friendly nature of the party areas in Delhi.

“CP is more like a hangout zone, people come here and then go somewhere else. Hauz Khas is meant for parties alone, even Chris Martin had come to Hauz Khas,” said Anshuman Singh, photographer.

“I love to hang out in CP, at Bank House, Capitol and My Bar. CP is both for the class and the mass, as it has everything under one umbrella. Bank House has lot of young people enjoying there and has the perfect blend of food and ambiance,” said Deepti Lata Patra, a PR professional.

Thousands representing Gen Y pour into CP everyday to shop, meet friends, taste delicacies in the nearby restaurants and share great ground breaking thoughts over cups of coffee or mugs of beer! CP is not just for any particular section of the society, it represents mass of Delhi. Be it the cream of society walking with branded briefcases and donned in expensive sunglasses, or carefree young college goers, CP defines fun for all, even though there are other options specially designed as party hubs. CP may contribute to the increasing boom of bars and lounges and more youngsters may throng the place with rumours of it being open all day long.