Hic Hic Hurray

Located on the 2nd floor of the sprawling mall,News Café is adjacent to Taman Gang and Italia. But the atmosphere and food is completely different: News Café is all about being tastefully casual and the interiors bear testimony to that. The seating arrangements are spacious,you don’t end up listening to somebody else’s conversation,and families will find it easier to come in large numbers. The colours are bright with dashes of mauve for the chairs and the wood panelling on the walls makes it warmer and cosier. Like Italia and Taman Gang,News Café too has outdoor seating but the place to be is the bar. This is where all the action is.

The granite counter may seem a little low for some well-built men,but it’s at a comfortable height for the ladies. The lavender bar stools are comfortable,this is important because a lot of time is spent here. The bar serves about 60 cocktails a day,enough incentive for one to take a pick from favourites like the Apple Martini (Rs 275) and the exhaustive range of mojitos from Ginger and Cranberry to Strawberry (Rs 325 each). If you’re on a budget,we suggest you make the right choices,there is a range of cocktails such as the French Kiss,B-52 and Liquid Cocaine that are available for Rs 175 each. The classics are a safe bet,the strawberry daiquiri is as lovely as it looks (Rs 325),but you might want to try out the News Café originals like the risqué-ly named Faithful Bitch (vodka,tang sour apple and lemonade with a drizzle of grenadine,Rs 375) or the Indian Jack (a mix of seven spirits that leave you still standing,Rs 575). There is food,if you want any,but keep it light,because the portions are surprisingly wholesome. The Do-It-Yourself Lettuce Wrap (RS 375),with fresh lettuce,diced vegetables and sauce,is a dish you can prepare as you want. The food menu served is tentative and the management plans to Indianise 30 percent of the menu. The café serves an all-day English breakfast and you can drink some Italian Danesi coffee,the café has a tie-up with the company. The coffee range is the usual fare,from the Americano to Cafe Mocha (Rs 75 to Rs 140),while liqueur coffee is available for Rs 300.

Monday nights is mixer night and if you’re lucky,you might get to see a little flair-bartending,which will become a main fixture starting January 2010. One of the most interesting things about the café are the bartenders: these are men who’ve worn different caps in their lives. There are IT engineers,stand-up comics and others who have decided that bartending is their calling. This makes for great conversation as they prepare your drink. And for Delhi women,this is one place where you can walk into a bar without being stared at,take your seat at the bar,order your drink and be left alone for the entire duration. Such a relief,we thought. News Café is not as cheap as we’d hoped but we’re going back there.

Timings: 8 am till 1 am

Contact: 011-46605774