A Victorian dining experience

Stepping into Baroke lounge on Grant Road is a bit like stepping into an old Victorian home. Ornate chandeliers hang from the ceiling, cushy chintz sofas line the walls and a polished wood bar runs along one side. There is even a floor to ceiling bookshelf to add to the effect. We decide to sink into one of the luxurious sofas and enjoy the mellow tunes drifting from the speakers.

We sip on a couple of classic Whiskey Sours while waiting for our meal to arrive. The first dish to arrive is The Quartet, which consists of an assortment of breadsticks and four different dips. Each dip is fresh, flavourful and unique in taste. While we are still trying to decide which one we like best, the next dish — Pull Apart Garlic Bread is served. Unlike your regular garlic bread, this comes as one big block of bread, with indents along which one can pull out and munch on. Delicious, hot, cheesy bread sprinkled with herb, makes for a perfect follow up for the dips.

Pull Apart Garlic Bread

Another zippy cocktail, the Highland Research in Motion is served as we wait for our Lamb Kebab Burgers to arrive. This is actually a sweeter version of the Whiskey Sour with a blueberry concoction used instead of the orange juice. The lamb burgers themselves are slightly bigger than bite sized with slightly crunchy bread and melt-in-your-mouth patty.

While we are awaiting our main course between sips of spicy and tangy Chili Michelada, a group of people trickle in. A birthday party starts and suddenly the mellow strains drifting from the speakers are replaced by loud party music, which is all very well for the dancers, but disturbing to say the least for us diners, as we can no longer hear each other speak over the music. The romantic chandelier lights are also replaced by colourful, flashing party lights. Still, we power though the flatbread, which to give the dish its due, is delicious, with a thin crust and cheesy delicious topping of cheese, basil and chicken. However, by the time our next dish, the Wolf Shephard’s Pie is brought to the table, we are rather tired of the noise and after a couple of bites of the innovative dish which is like a Western, non-vegetarian rendition of pav bhaji, we decide to skip dessert and make our exit.

Chilli Michelada

Baroke started out as a lovely dining experience, which was rather marred as the evening progressed. Our suggestion — if you are looking to grab a bite here, it’s definitely worth checking out. Just make sure it’s not on a day when a party is already taking place.

Price for 2: Rs 2,200
Address: Hotel Krishna Palace, 96/98, Sleater Road, Nana Chowk, Grant Road
Rating: 2.5