Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts

Thursday, February 6, 2020

The Cycle Gap - Instantly Buzzing!

Adyar has a lot going for it but one striking missing link was that it was devoid of a hep and happening resto-bar. The Cycle Gap however fills the void with it's grand opening in a big complex right in the middle of LB road. The place instantly ignites a buzz feel about it with lot of local swag and designs with the color yellow coming out rather predominantly.

The music is hard hitting and it gives quite a fizz about the atmosphere. It just invokes the feel that will be enjoyed by youngsters who can congregate and drink to their hearts content with plenty of food by the side. The music also rekindled the good ol growing up days of 90's and it was a lovely little experience going back in time hearing the vintage classics which one has grown up and been associated with.

Their drinks menu is stacked up pretty well and they have a bar right at the center which is where all the action happens. The seats are all laid out particularly for large sets of groups to come in. They have lots of imported based stuff also on the attic which adds to the proceedings. We were here to thulp and see how their liquor fares out and overall it was more than impressive. The drinks had really interesting Chennai based local names and a number of them had interesting concoctions intertwined in them.

On the food side of things, we had some crispy and crunchy corn minced with chinese spices to begin our foray. The chinese tinge continued with a succulently delivered spicy panneer. To add some sweetness we also tried the Panneer tikka with slices of pineapple laid in between. The Hara Bara Veg kebab were decent and the Vol-au-vents which are basically puff pastries intermingled with cheese & mushroom were delightful to consume. One of the stand out appetizers happened to be the Chilli Bhajji which looked as local as ever but bulky in size and inset containing a delicious layer of potatoes and cheese and along with the red chutney it was simply jaw dropping in taste.

In the main course, I quite enjoyed the pizza's. They are all made in house and both the plain margarita as well as the one topped with veggies set our taste buds tingling. We also had a try at an Idiappam Parotha which was well made but the sterling stealer of the show was the beautifully made Vegetable Pie. A circle of cheese swarmed over the dish and as we unleashed the layer, the juicy cheesy vegetables were indeed spectacular. The desserts were also interesting and the fusion of mixing traditional Indian sweets with ice cream worked wonders.

The service was friendly and ever willing to help. The rates seem par for the course. On a holistic view, they've got the drinks side of it quite well in place with truckload of varieties and really interesting options. The food also is taking up shape with lot of interesting options muddled in.  On the whole, The Cycle Gap has all what it takes to attract. Though it's still very early days, one can well and truly expect them to see a surge in customer base very soon.







P.S : Review of Anna Nagar Outlet
Anna Nagar is flooded with cafes, restaurant's and eateries but one major missing link was not having a good resto bar. Cycle Gap however fills the void with it's presence in the by lanes of the Anna Nagar main road. Its situated in a complex and occupies the upper floor. The place instantly has a buzz feel about it with lot of local swag and designs with the colour yellow coming out rather predominantly.

The music is hard hitting and it gives quite a fizz about the atmosphere. It just invokes the feel that will be enjoyed by youngsters who can congregate and drink to their hearts content with plenty of food by the side.

Their drinks menu is stacked up pretty well and they have a bar right at the center point which is where all the action happens. The seats are all laid out particularly for large sets of groups to come in. They have lots of imported based stuff also on the attic which adds to the favours.

We were here as a big gang to thulp down and see how their liquor fares out and overall we were quite impressed. The drinks had really interesting chennai slang based names and a number of them had interesting concoctions intertwined in them. Even the beers were not your usual KF's and Brititsh empire but they also possessed Corona, Hoegarden etc which was a plus one.

On the food side, I just felt they were little short on few of the items. Their menu is still being designed and worked out but the vegetarian side of things didn't really brim upto expectations. They had aloo tikki, onion rings, sauteed baby corn, potato wedges, panneer tikka, veg tempura, veg nachos, veg tempura, creamy cheesy brocolli et al. Though no real complaints, they were a drift away from being extraordinary. The best of the lot was easily the cheesy cauliflower & brocolli. I wish they come out with interesting signature starters of their own than the usual run off the mill items.

On the main course, I quite enjoyed the white sauce pasta. It had the necessary ammunition to hit the bulls eye. However exact opposite was the curried pizza which was a complete damp squib. It lacked any sort of flavours whatsoever and came across as bland. The curried hot balls and rice were passable. We didn't try much of desserts.

We ended our sojourn on a high note with shots of baileys and tequila. This was the star piece of the whole afternoon and it was a euphoric way to finish proceedings. The service was amiable and ever willing to help. The rates seem par for the course. On a holistic view, they've got the drinks side of it quite well in place with truckload of varieties and really interesting options. The food however can be spruced up a wee bit. Once this combination takes shape, they'll surely be a fantastic resto pub to reckon with.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Triple B - Boats, Bessy & Beach!

There are very few stand alone resto pubs in the city which is not affiliated with a star property and Boats Beach resto bar happens to be one of them. Boats has a lot going for it. It is located centrally with a view facing the ever popular Elliots beach. Though the area is converged with eateries and restaurant's aplenty, there is not a single place nearby offering drinks. There is a leeway staircase to enter and Boats is located in the first floor of the compound.

The place seems a bit small but the atmosphere is quite electric. It was packed on a weekday evening and definitely seems happening from the looks of things. There is a dim dark aura about the place with lots of black engraving the surrounding. The glass set up is kind of chic and ignites a peppy feel. The sofa seating is comfortable and gives itself a positive vibe. It feels like a place where a good set of people can congregate, loosen up their spirits and have loads of fun.

Ambiance and decor apart, it's the vittle (food+drinks) which is key in deciding the stakes of any outlet and Boats did a fine job at it. The starters were not only presented well but also tasted great. I took immense liking to the panneer tikka, mushroom tacos and the cheesy potato blocks. The panneer was super succulent just rightly charred and totally of the melt in the mouth kinds. I found the crispness of the mushrooms inside the tacos to be a win. The crispy potato blocks with cheese overflowing generously like a lava was sinister. The Nachos weren't bad, just that the downward portion of the chips felt a little alienated. The top part though was cheesy and consisting of all the usual mexican veggies that you'd expect. I just had a small crack at the spinach corn dragon bites and found them pretty good.
In the main course section, we got a giant sized burger called the "Green Grocer". I felt it to be decent but difficult to consume as it was too tall and hard to bite. They absolutely nailed the Alfredo veg pasta which was suffused with cheese and abundant flavours. A good pasta always does wonders. The Kung Pao Vegetable dish was pretty average. It lacked the desired punch.

Coming to the desserts and drinks part, the roasted peach and cream was lovely and so was the cream brulee which was like a soft moth of chocolate covering. The mocktails were of high standard and the outright standout was the Bessie Beach Masala - a mango based drink with a tinge of chilli sprinkled along just aiding as the perfect refreshing tonic. They also have hard liquor and it's fun eating the kind of stuff Boats serves along with a chilled long shot glass of beer.
Viewing it as a holistic picture, Boats painted a caricature which looked appealing on most fronts. The service was spot on with not too much time interval in between stuff. The presentation of the items were of the highest order. There is also vibrant feel good music being played along adding to the excitement. The rates are not being mentioned as the meet was over an invite.

Boats is surely a place that is pulsating and of a gregarious nature where you can certainly have a ball of a time with a widespread mix of dine and drink options.