This post is the first account of my daily life in chennai, and I also wish it to serve as any north Indian’s survival kit in this city.
It’s been 2 months since I landed in this city, for the second time. I was here exactly a year back while I was working on my summer project for the Auto Major.
Though the last stint was a small one, it was enough for me to grasp some of the city and its ways.
My first 3 weeks in the city, I was under the impression that I was here only for the product training and post that I will be sent back to Bombay.
But it soon appeared that my stay here was going to a matter of months, not weeks.
So while I was supposedly going to go back in 3 weeks, I donned my touristy cap (turban, actually :P) and went sight seeing to all the places that appeared on the
tourist guide I purchased as soon as I was here.
On my list were: The San Thome Basilica Church on Santhome beach, Fort St. George, Pondy Bazaar, Elliott’s beach etc.
And pretty soon these were done.
And now, when I am almost living here, weekends pass in a breeze. Thanks to most online lists of places to hang out, which I have already exhausted.
I live in Nungambakkam which is in the heart of the city and every single place mentioned on any of those lists is accessible from here.
So for u dudes and dudettes who do have the misfortune of being thrown out of your homes in the Hindi heartland and housed in this southern city, these are the places you can really have a nice time and at least try to get over ghar ki yaad.
Of all the places I have been to so far, there is this quaint cafe which is very very inconspicuous and takes some time locating it. The name is very apt and endearing: Amethyst.
The place is in Gopalapuram on one Parvathi Road.
This place is an old colonial bungalow that has been converted to a cafe.
First of all, this is a very new concept to me. I now come to understand that cafe's like this aren’t few in this city and elsewhere
Still, the place is very charming. And you have tables laid out in the lush green courtyard as well as the verandah and the sitting room which has spartan yet comfortable furniture. The food is on the expensive side, heck, the experience is worth everything.
You have to go to this place if you have time on your hands, and you'll love spending an evening at this place, alone or with good company. Brilliant for soft conversations, although there are sometimes some ruckus making irritating college kids, trying to make a bandra 'mocha' out of this one too.
While i am at it, I will clarify what I mean by 'Bandra Mocha'.
One, I love Bandra the place. Everything about it, but the Mocha outlet there.
Two, I like the concept of mocha, and hang out there often, but each outlet I have been to, has a separate character and of all of them, I patronize the Juhu one.
You may or may not agree with me, but I find everything about Bandra mocha very irritating and most of all the wannabe funky 'yo-dudes and dudettes' trying to make a fashion show at a coffee shop.
In comparison, Juhu is more inviting, people, sophisticated yet relaxed.
Ok, now, Hangout number 2 in chennai.
Mocha! What else. This is a very different mocha than the ones you would have been to elsewhere, not that either is similar, but this one takes off on a different tangent altogether, belonging to the same class of bungalow converted coffee shops. And this one too is in the funky league, the music is loud and it is difficult to have a conversation inside of the edifice.
But the seating in the courtyard is comfy, and do not be surprised if you see people lain on the couches and sofas. The food is what you would expect at Mocha. Not very filling and a little over priced. But then it’s not really the food you're paying for.
And it just struck that I should mention, this list is not really exhaustive and definitely not in any order of preference.
Next on the list, and my favourite, is Zara-Tapas Bar on the lines of a Spanish tavern. Simply the best crowd in chennai, well priced menu (not really cheap, but then I am in love with this place, so kindly adjust) and great cocktails and food.
Zara has an in-house DJ who plays peppy but not heavy music. The mix is eclectic and really sets the mood. The bouncers are tough and still not mean. I don't have feminine company very often, yet a couple o kind words and requests will get me a nice table.
Though I will go on to talk about more pubs and discs, I would want you to know that this is still one of the best watering holes in the city and comes close to what we have to come to expect in Mumbai.
Next I will share a list of places which you can go to if all that you're dying for is a drink at some place and just guys, and the crowd be damned.
These are places which come very near to our Irla watering holes viz. Asiad and Harish Bars
1. Bamboo Bar at Savera hotel, no DJ no nothing, some arbit music, very smoky, all liquors, not very expensive.
2. High Time at GRT grand very similar to Bamboo bar, only that it will also have some firangs who are housed in the hotel itself.
3. Bikes & Barrels at GRT again, apparently this place is very popular amongst the chennai crowd, but what was irritating was that they have two separate areas. 1 for those who're housed in the hotel and or couple entry, and the 2nd area for all other random ppl which then is filled with despo boys clamoring over the balcony to have a peek at the firang chicks on the lower ground. The music isn’t much to talk about either.
4. The Leather Bar. I am sure many will argue that it is blasphemous to include this place in this list, but I am sorry. Just coz the place is in a 5 star hotel does not give you the right to overcharge for a place which is clearly nothing but kitsch. The bar is dying for more space and more than 300 plus for a small old monk is hideous. The crowd though is good, but that shouldn’t be the reason for you to get there.
Of the places I did enjoy, Diesel has to be on the list. Diesel is at the other end of G N Chetty road, right next to pondy bazaar in the same building which houses Momo's, a brilliant oriental cuisine restaurant.
Diesel is one of those peppy places you used to love hanging out in with your college buddies. The DJ is one young chappie and he so loves playing all our college anthems, sprinkled with some jhinchak bollywood numbers.
Tons and tons of awesome cocktails and shooters. Of the ones i tried, I really liked 'AK - 47' made from Irish cream, scotch and kahlua. The food is nice too.
Speed is in hotel Grand Orient near Thousand lights, and is easily one of the 'easy' places to hang out, decent lighting, nice music, good crowd, and no stag entry on weekends, decently priced stuff and a dance floor. Yes there are very few dance floors in chennai. I am not a dancy dancy person myself, but still u feel like shaking a leg once in a while and it is just the place to do out without shelling out a bomb.
More coming soon
Keep watching this space
