Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Beer cheer and a great view from the top
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Most pubs and cocktail lounges ruin their raison d'etre by blasting one's ears with bad music. But there's one that offers peace and quiet money can't buy and a great view thrown in for free.
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ANOTHER PUB opens in town. So what else is new? Well, what is new is the view. And a pretty spectacular one at that. The newly opened cocktail lounge - 13th Floor - stands tall because it is situated on the topmost floor of Barton Centre, M.G. Road. A nice little getaway right in the middle of town. Peaceful and quiet and with a great view thrown in for free.
Rajesh Rajaram, Managing Director of Hotel Ivory Tower, says he opened lounge "to provide Bangaloreans with a refined and elegant place to relax with a couple of drinks. There are a number of pubs in town that cater to the younger crowd.
These places are known for their loud music and almost suffocating interiors. My objective was to make available a classy lounge with spacious interiors and music which is played at a palatable decibel. I realised that Bangalore was ready for this kind of a concept."
The hotel decided to convert three of its guest rooms into the cocktail lounge. The furniture is meticulously designed and the terrace has a Scandinavian ambience. The decor inside is retro-American. Fluffy floor cushions, atypical sofas, and aquariums filled with brightly coloured water all make for unusual yet elegant interiors.
The cocktail lounge, inaugurated earlier this year with a few low-key private parties, has not advertised itself through any media. Instead, it's been through word-of-mouth. This, Mr. Rajaram says, was purely intentional, as "we do not want an excessively young crowd coming in.. Our target customers are those in the 30-plus age group because there are no pubs in Bangalore that cater solely to that crowd. Though we have had a mixed crowd coming in, we would like to keep it controlled in some ways."
The lounge has a seating capacity of 120 and once it reaches its limit, entry is restricted to avoid people from "crowding the place".
If you've had a tough day and are longing for some peace and quiet, take the lift to the 13th Floor. Or if you want a peaceable communion with your Significant Other, you know where to go.
13th Floor offers an unusual selection of cocktails and mocktails. Most of the drinks are named after weapons and arsenal such as B2 Stealth, Stuka, and Bangalore Torpedo. There are some eccentric nomenclatures like Flush Kleen too. The non-alcoholic drinks, christened Silent Killers, are as interestingly named as their alcoholic counterparts. There are also the standard margaritas and daiquiris.
The experienced kitchen of Ebony - the restaurant at Ivory Tower - supports the snack menu for the lounge. There are Parsi, Thai, and tandoori starters to choose from. These include Prawn and Pacon Wrap, Gai Sarong, Chicken Satay, Patrani Macchi, and Earth, Fire and Water to name a few. Also on offer are a number of sinful desserts such as Lychee Bavaria, Triple Chocolate Mousse and a slew of sundaes.The 13th Floor is open from 7 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. It can be contacted on 5589333.
SOMIKA BASU
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
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