I’m going to say something I’ve never said before – I went to a place in the ‘burbs and I absolutely loved it!
That was not how I felt when I first got there, though. The Bandra outpost of the popular new restaurant in town, 145 (named after its address in Kala Ghoda), is in a nondescript building on a dimly lit street in Pali. But that’s all that is ‘off’ about the place.
The entrance to 145 gives way to a well-lit, spacious room with a four sided bar bang in the center and tables along the sides. The place was as packed as we expected a popular hot-spot to be on a Saturday night. But though the tables and bar stools were all taken, 145 didn’t feel crowded. Hell, there was even space to walk normally!
As we stood at the bar, we were informed that this place takes two sets of reservations – 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM – which explained the rapidly emptying room. We ordered at the bar while we waited for a table; Havana Smoke (INR 294) – a woody, rum based signature cocktail for me, and Adam’s Godfather (INR 334), a twisted whisky cocktail for my friend. A special mention of the bartenders is in order here. In spite of the busy night, they were the most attentive and good-natured folks I’ve come across in a while, and it reflected in the drinks as well.
The Havana Smoke was the perfect cocktail for a rum lover like me. The coffee bitters in it made it a little like the Black Russian, but with rum. Definite win! Similarly, the Adam’s Godfather was something a risk-taking whisky person would recall for days to come. The menu has a lot of other interesting mixes, so there’s something for everyone. This is where I must tell you that the two we had were among the stronger ones.
The food menu was as impressive as the bar menu. Along with the usual suspects, 145 serves a number of dishes with an interesting take. We called for the Pav Bhaji Cones (INR 185) and Tandoori Prawns (INR 292). The prawns were cooked perfectly and served with a yum red sauce and upma that somehow made the prawns better. Go figure! The prize however, went to the Pav Bhaji cones for their spicy bhaji and SUPER soft scones.
I don’t know if you noticed, but the prices at 145 belong to five years ago. But no one’s complaining and hopefully other places catch on, so that burbies have some actually decent places to visit.
As the night wore on, we called for a gin based Singapore Sling (INR 294) and some beers (INR 196 for a Kingfisher Ultra), along with the Spaghetti YOLO (INR 230) which was Aglio e Olio Pasta that we asked them to change to Penne.
Round two was as good as one, but the pasta was hardly anything to write home, or here, about. My advice would be to stick to the house specials and let the good people of 145 work their magic.
The crowd played lead to the fab vibe I spoke about earlier. Expats, minor celebs and super tall models got on to the dance floor as one, when the DJ started spinning commercial dance tracks.
145 is a current hot-spot and with good reason. If an indoors-only place can be so fun that it makes me forget about wanting to step out for a smoke, then it’s a clear winner. Toodles!
Cuisine: Multi cuisine
Food you must try: Tandoori Prawns, Pav Bhaji Cones
Cocktails you must try: Havana Smoke, Adam’s Godfather
Kind of music played here: Commercial
Is there a dance floor?: Enough space to dance
Avg price per head: INR 1000 approx
