Rewind by Radio Room, a nostalgic cocktail lounge, now makes Chennai pub crawl, a possibility

If you person partied successful Chennai until 2am successful the past 10 years and person gone location sweaty from dancing, it is apt that you are returning from a Radio Room nighttime successful MRC Nagar.

The club, which archetypal opened its doors successful 2016, often finds A-listers shuffling betwixt a oversea of Chennai folks, aged and young, who are each acceptable to guarantee that each past driblet of that LIIT is drunk with might, and each determination hits the spot. And likely, idiosyncratic else’s elbow.

Over the 10 years that I’ve partied astatine Radio Room, bouncers person changed, and truthful person I. My frequence has dropped to doubly a twelvemonth - 1 for each solstice. Which is wherefore Radio Room’s Rewind, connected Khader Nawaz Khan Road feels fresh, yet comforting.

This 60-seater cocktail barroom is intent connected serving the grown-up enactment miss an elevated nighttime out, cocooned successful nostalgia. Think premix portion euphony from the 1980s, each the mode to the aboriginal 2010s. “We can’t truly specify what 1 is nostalgic for,” says Zahir Naina, caput of operations of Radio Room. At Rewind, the pieces connected show often punctual 1 of the chic knick-knacks 1 spots astatine an Italian mob location from The Sopranos. The interiors are plush, greenish and astir chatty. They beget conversation. All eyes spell to the barroom wherever the enactment is.

Zahir is intent connected serving guests who marque reservations earlier walking into Rewind by Radio Room; who chat alternatively of crowding a makeshift creation floor. He wants an big assemblage astatine this cocktail lounge, that is serving drinks that person method and method, with house-made cordials and syrups. “No children beneath 25,” helium declares, pointing america to the barroom wherever we instrumentality our seats and proceed to portion connected a enactment night.

What arrives earlier america are plates of elevated quintessential Tamil Nadu barroom bites, reminding 1 of the touchings (snacks) that 1 finds astatine dive bars crossed the State.

There’s a chickenhearted 65 that is the cleanable shadiness of fiery red, laid atop a furniture of spicy herb chutney; a sheet of food croquette stuffed with avakkai bits, effortlessly pleasing; immoderate gunpowder squid that hints astatine spice but is alternatively addictive; and a sausage that practically melts successful one’s mouth.

Executive Chef Muthu Veerappan says that the sausages are made in-house. Then comes the prima of the night, 2 buttery benne dosas stuffed with shredded mutton coated successful a stand-out masala. There’s a vegetarian mentation excessively with paneer.

Serial-restauranter Sandesh Reddy who designed the menu, says that it is his favourite too. There is small to kick astir food-wise but the restaurant’s alternatively goopy instrumentality connected the pineapple-cheese-cherry connected a instrumentality which lacks the textural wound that 1 remembers from puerility day parties, wherever blocks of Amul cube and canned pineapple connected toothpicks were the tallness of sophistication. Do not hide to bid the classical souffle, perfectly airy, airy and afloat of delightful chocolate.

“There are 40 items connected the menu, including mutta puffs. We wanted it to consciousness acquainted and compact. We’d similar for radical to person amusive eating. Radio Room packages experiences,” Zahir says. He leaves retired the portion wherever it is ₹425.

When the drinks arrive, Hari Nath, who heads the cocktail programme astatine Rewind, explains that they bash not person immoderate servers astatine the lounge. “We’re trying thing new. Everyone who serves you is simply a bartender,” helium says. “We’ve noticed that it’s the bartenders who are astir excited astir the drinks they make. We thought it would beryllium champion to person them speech to guests.”

“On the floor, everyone is the same. Nobody is precocious oregon low,” says Umar, 1 of our server-bartenders, who says that helium has been enjoying conversations with the customers who inquire him for recommendations. “Usually, down a bar, there’s a spot of a disconnect. Here, if they’d similar a margarita, I’d suggest thing akin but caller and delicious,” helium says.

Mahendra, Surya, and Babu, bartenders making america our pickle backs, sours, grogs, and highballs, speech to america astir becoming caller fathers, losing jobs owed to wars, and execute shaker tricks. This is the acquisition Zahir promises aboriginal on. They marque drinks with debased intoxicant by measurement (ABV) drinks erstwhile you’re connected your 3rd portion and entertain perfectly, adjacent though immoderate of the drinks veer a spot excessively sweet.

I powerfully urge Golden Hour (tequila basal with a champagne syrup that is airy and refreshing), Besant Breeze (with Scotch and a portion of earthy mango dusted with chilli), and the pickle backmost (an crystal acold Jameson changeable with bitter gourd pickle brine), for a time of experimental amusive drinking. There are besides immoderate thoughtful zero-proof options astatine the barroom too, though aft a decennary of Radio Room ragers, Zahir is sceptical astir however rapidly they volition move.

A grown up, relaxed nighttime retired becomes casual astatine Rewind. It helps that Khader Nawaz Khan Road has evolved into a high-street, studded with bars and restaurants, including Roc-A-Coe and Secret Story.

Finally, a Chennai barroom crawl is possible. A triumph successful itself.

Rewind by Radio Room is astatine No 9, Oyster building, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam. Drinks commencement astatine ₹1,200, and a repast for 2 costs ₹2,000. Reservation is essential.