What was supposed to be a nerdy board game night with nerdier strangers from the nerdiest section of the Internet ended up being my first barhop ever!
Four strangers had agreed to meet on a rainy Saturday to drink tap beer over certain board games I had no clue about. I agreed to be a part of it with much enthusiasm for beer. Battling rain and traffic, I reached Doolally, Khar to find out two of us couldn’t make it due to heavy rain and last-minute meetings.
Fret not, I was in a place filled with beer, sitting across this one dude (from now on known as ‘this dude’ for convenience) who seemed to know something about everything that Mumbai is made of. We chose a card game called Spill that worked a lot like Truth or Dare (just that there were no dares) and ordered our beers. As the game progressed and we surprised each other with some really wild stories, we ordered two more beers. After playing for an hour or more, we called for the cheque and our bill amounted to Rs. 600. All hail Zomato Gold!
Since no one else was going to show up, I was posed with what I wanted to do next. I could either call it an evening or check out a bar nearby that served cheap alcohol. It was too early to return home and I was enjoying this dude’s company so we walked to Quarter Pillar, Khar which was just two buildings away!
We took a table in the smoking area and this dude asked me if I had ever tried cheap whiskey. He scoffed when I named Signature.
He ordered 180 ml of DSP Black, a soda bottle, peanuts to munch on and a Veg and Non-Veg starter. Zomato Gold has 1+1 on food here.
A few pegs, more life stories I can’t seem to recall and rain that wouldn’t stop were turning this day into a great one. We received a bill for Rs. 750 after two hours of drinking, eating and great conversation.
Somehow, the topic of wine came up and this wonderful dude dragged me to Janta Lunch Home, Bandra when I told him I had never tried port wine. A short auto ride away from Quarter Pillar, I was a bit hesitant to go in when we reached the place. It looked, let’s say, not so polished…
After some comforting convincing, we went in and found a place deep inside the crowded maze. The place was packed! There were college students, father-son groups, uncles drinking alone because wifey wouldn’t let them drink at home during Ganpati, ladies hanging out over beer and fish dishes and then the two of us drinking port wine in front of an uncle who seemed to know everyone in Bollywood and was really secretive about his job.
We happened to be the only people drinking wine, and everyone gave us a deadly stare when my dude asked for wine glasses. There was no concept of personal space here, everyone asking everyone to make space for another butt on the bench. And the wine, well, I got drunk on it as soon as I sipped it and was sober enough by the time we left Janata. It was great! Our total bill amounted to Rs. 350, and for three glasses each it was definitely cheap. No offers, no Zomato Gold.
As we smoked a cig, my friend asked me what I wanted to do next. I don’t remember what we discussed (I think I wasn’t as sober as I thought I was) but we arrived at SamBar Pub & Kitchen, Bandra where we ended up ordering 4 pints of beer. Our cheque flashed Rs. 670 only! Zomato Gold, people, Zomato Gold!!
The courteous staff brought in a ciggie guy for us when the ‘unsober’ we asked for directions to the ciggie guy’s establishment. As I began feeling uneasy when the server asked if we would like more beer, I knew it was time to call it a night!
So, I went to 4 bars, drank beer, whiskey and port wine, ate paneer starters, munched on chakhna, bought smokes and paid for auto rides, all in Rs. 1200!
And as fun as it was, I would recommend you to experience a night of inexpensive bar hopping for yourself.
