Back to the streets hunting for food, I easily visualise myself in the same shoes as seven years back. In Mumbai for work nowadays, with the struggle on to meet timelines at office and househunt during relaxed hours I am left with no choice but to depend on restaurants for my dinner.
Amongst the expansive options Mumbai throws at one for food, there is a special place for the many Bars or what they call themselves "Bar ani Restaurants". The first one I encountered and fairly a good one was Sujata Palace, right outside IIT Bombay main gate. The 5 year stay and 1 year later that I put up at Andheri for work, I made countless trips to this paradise, which served awesome biryani, parathas and of course liquor. Without fail it provided quality service to us the students, our professors, and several others. In a corner you could see an old man going for his drink everyday (only later we found out he was the owner). The restaurant doesnt sit at the same place anymore since it got run down during a road widening project. But not before it provided me the confidence to trust this in-Mumbai-ubiquitous-chain of quick service and decent grub.
On one such trips to a famed Bar ani Restaurant I also experienced the phenomenon called dance bar, this was just at the start if sophomore year at college. The only thing I remember of that sudden realisation of not being in a friendly territory was us rushing out of the place at a fasterr pace than we entered it.
Apart from the fine dining options and several street food options in Mumbai, I have always found these restaurants to sit with friends and chatter. I just returned from one, with familiar sights. Men, women, young and old alike, all enjoying their drinks and dinner at the place. And not without me bumping into a man, who I have seen for the third time today, as many times as I have been to this place closer to where I am currently put up. He and his side kick, gulp down numerous drinks in the same time while I fend for my food.
That said, these pieces of urban life are very unique to Mumbai. I like some, I dont like others....still the city works...somehow. It chugs along only to find some respite later in the nights at these Bar ani Restaurants....
Amongst the expansive options Mumbai throws at one for food, there is a special place for the many Bars or what they call themselves "Bar ani Restaurants". The first one I encountered and fairly a good one was Sujata Palace, right outside IIT Bombay main gate. The 5 year stay and 1 year later that I put up at Andheri for work, I made countless trips to this paradise, which served awesome biryani, parathas and of course liquor. Without fail it provided quality service to us the students, our professors, and several others. In a corner you could see an old man going for his drink everyday (only later we found out he was the owner). The restaurant doesnt sit at the same place anymore since it got run down during a road widening project. But not before it provided me the confidence to trust this in-Mumbai-ubiquitous-chain of quick service and decent grub.
On one such trips to a famed Bar ani Restaurant I also experienced the phenomenon called dance bar, this was just at the start if sophomore year at college. The only thing I remember of that sudden realisation of not being in a friendly territory was us rushing out of the place at a fasterr pace than we entered it.
Apart from the fine dining options and several street food options in Mumbai, I have always found these restaurants to sit with friends and chatter. I just returned from one, with familiar sights. Men, women, young and old alike, all enjoying their drinks and dinner at the place. And not without me bumping into a man, who I have seen for the third time today, as many times as I have been to this place closer to where I am currently put up. He and his side kick, gulp down numerous drinks in the same time while I fend for my food.
That said, these pieces of urban life are very unique to Mumbai. I like some, I dont like others....still the city works...somehow. It chugs along only to find some respite later in the nights at these Bar ani Restaurants....
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