Tank up? Not!

More often than not we are caught saying, 'Let's get a drink!' or 'Man! I need a drink.' For those who don't like drinking at home and like heading out to a cool joint, the Capital has innumerable options. Which is great. What however is NOT great is the fact that a lot of bars fail terribly to make it to the list of 'must-be-visited-again' and therefore the line-up of good watering holes get quite depleted. 

Frankly, for people who like their drink, there is not too much that is demanded. For starters - a well stocked bar - it is very disappointing if you walk into a swanky pub and then get to hear that they do not have your choice of poison. Am sorry, Grey Goose will not be replaced with Gorbatschow, nor Hoegaarden with Carlsberg. It is sad to have to pay all that much and yet not get to drink what you want and sadder still if the replacements on offer are not as good. Fat Ninja in Hauz Khas village had to cancel/update/alter our orders about four times till they figured that they don't even have what we want. Also - it would be great if you could mention at the time of the order placement that you do not have a particular brand. 

Second, please do not spoil the cocktails. If you can't make it - say so, we will order something else. I remember Cafe 27 in Kailash Colony absolutely murdered the Whiskey Sour on our only trip there, it made us believe that simple 100 Pipers on the rocks or beer was the safest option. For a bar - that isn't a good thing. And, most importantly, do not use cheap local equivalents of liquors for cocktails - the taste is too evident. It is great if you want to make a cocktail in plenty for ladies nights (read 100% Rock and the erstwhile Urban Pind) and it gets people super drunk super fast, but it will not work for those who want those 'few' good drinks. 

Third - ambience. Actually what makes a bar a good one or a bad one can be best answered Vidya Balan's Silk Smitha style - ambience, ambience, ambience! And ambience is not just the view or the setting, it is also the number of people in the bar. You could have a great location and a hauntingly empty bar - that is not good. Most of the bars in Hauz Khas have incredible views - but the footfall is sad. The same applies for the bars behind Saket Citywalk. You will almost always find Amsterdam empty, feel lucky if you see two-three people sitting there. Charlie's Bar Exchange comes with a very cool concept but is low on footfall. And yes, Harry's in Citywalk. You will always get a table here (it is empty!), however the Harry's at Khan Market is packed to the brim. Again, crowded, smoky interiors are a different kind of fun if that IS your thing - pick My Bar (GK 1), 4S (Defence Colony), Raasta, Garage Inc. If it is not, that's the list of where not to go. Imperfecto (Hauz Khas) is an excellent place if you don't mind the corwd but still need breathing space. Bootlegger seemed to be more of a night club when we walked in and walked out almost instantly; the My Bar in Hauz Khas has a dance floor - cheap drinks and dance floor is NOT the best combination (quoting a very good friend). 

Fourth, and last, service. We do not want distracted, forgetful attendants who have to be reminded a million times about the order and we would also appreciate a little help when we are choosing cocktails. You should know what your bar makes best, it is not rocket science. And it helps all the more when bars decide to pull out obscure names for drinks - for example - Mona Darling for a Bloody Mary. And worse than forgetful attendants are weirdly attentive ones. Chamanlal surely has a good few of those and we are never going there again!

 

After all these complaints I must add that these are our views. We might have mentioned bars you absolutely adore and good for you, we stick with what miffed us!