cocktails | One and a Half Minutes

Besides restaurant reviews, we’ve begun pub reviews as we are serial pub hoppers. There has been a dearth of pubs/lounges in Pimple Saudagar until last year. Since then, two or three of them have popped out of nowhere, some with their exorbitant pricing, others with sheer lack of infrastructure. Adda, has a bit of history, though. It was previously named Elevate Lounge and was a mildly successful one. There has been a renovation, probably a change of management or even ownership and Elevate has been beautifully revamped into #Adda. Yes, the hashtag is present in neon beside the name and looks cool! The name signifies the establishment – Adda – a place for hangout of like minded people, for fun and frolic.

Did you know? The term ‘Pub’ originates from ‘Public House’ which traditionally sells beer, ale and other brewed alcoholic drinks. In Europe, pubs date back to the Medieval age.

The concept of pubs is relatively new in India and probably arrived with the British. I’ve read in historical fiction and other books about Seraikhanas along major highways in the Mughal era that served alcohol, food and even had lodging facilities for travellers. But pubs, solely meant for serving drinks were probably set up by the British officials, albeit for their folks only. ‘Native Indians’ were kept out of them by guards, who must have evolved into bouncers these days.

Here comes a snippet about Adda and everything about it.

Events at Adda

Address: Shop 1, Rainbow Plaza, Near Shivar Garden, Pimple Saudagar, Pune – 411027

Contact: 020 30189670

Check them out on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

USP – Ladies Night, Offers/Discounts, Live band, Good pub food.

Decor

The entrance to Adda is led through a corridor that is strategically lit with a mirrored wall and is the smoking zone. You might encounter a lot of smoke if you’re a little late in joining the party. Once you go in, things get better though. The decor is quirky with a lot of brickbats carefully arranged on racks and graffiti that is eye catching, most of them is Hinglish.

There’s a huge black board that will remind you of school, but it’s filled with offers, discounts and events for the week from Monday to Friday. The toilet sign board reads शौचालय, and I’ve been wondering what happens to people who cannot read the Devnagari text.

There’s a wall redecorated with faux wooden doors and stained glass that gives a retro look of an old style mansion. The utensils for serving cocktails and snacks are done wackily in aluminium kettles, some of them inscribed with catchy taglines and hashtags. It looked pretty cool to me each time I’ve been there.

Continue reading →

When you mention Park Street, a cherubic smile lights up most people’s’ faces. It is synonymous to Peter Cat and an afternoon/evening of lip-smacking food extravaganza. Whether it’s lunch or dinner, Peter Cat has been flocked by Calcuttans – old and young, emigrant and resident Bengalis and innumerable tourists visiting the city. Our memories have been synced to Park Street by the mention of this restaurant. We’ve had NRIs doing a touchdown here as a part of their annual pilgrimage to Calcutta. Being such a favourite, Peter Cat rules Park Street and our hearts.

The Decor – We decided to try our pre-Christmas dinner here. Since all of Park Street is pretty much decked up like Oxford Street in London, it was a lovely ambiance. I don’t think Peter Cat did much to the decor though. Just a few stray red balloons and streamers at the entrance. But that doesn’t make a difference to the Christmas spirit. The interiors are otherwise medium well done (much like a steak, looks dry but is juicy inside). The lights are dim, tables are stacked at appropriate gaps, there’s a mezzanine and a ground for seating. I loved the lamps, as usual, here’s a snapshot.