India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (251 page)
Beyond the hotels, another popular watering hole and lounge is
Q’Ba
(E 42-43, Inner Circle, Connaught Place;
011/5151-2888;
www.qba.co.in
). It features a funky island bar on the lower level and dining upstairs—a good place to hang out with travel companions and swap stories; there are two terraces from which to admire the mayhem down below. After 8:30pm the DJ plays commercial music. Nearby is sister outfit, another restaurant-cum-bar, called @Live (K-12 Connaught Place, Outer Circle;011/4356-0008
), which dishes out—you guessed it—live music. Our old favorite
Turquoise Cottage
(first floor, Regent Sq., DLF City, Phase-II, Gurgaon;0124/280-4070
), may have shifted to Gurgaon, a satellite town closer to the airport but people still head out here because they loved the TC when it was in Delhi and it’s still a great place for rock music. Thankfully you no longer walk into a haze of nicotine smoke (due to the national smoking ban that came into effect in 2008) and the decor is pleasant, with candlelit tables. If you prefer a venue that looks and feels a bit more local (we’re talking Khajuraho-inspired erotic sculptures and wall-mounted Harappan seals), head to South Delhi’s
Urban Pind
(N-4, N Block Market, Greater Kailash I;011/395656;
www.urbanpind.com
); you can sip Masala Martinis or cocktails infused with Indian spices while tapping your feet to commercial tracks spun by resident DJ Praveen. The crowd is as eclectic as the decor; although it’s a rather sedate eatery by day, there’s dance floor action at night. Another decent option for a night of unwinding is
Baci Bar
(23 Sundar Nagar Market; midway btw. Central and South Delhi;011/4150-7445
), which is also an authentic Italian restaurant and joining the ranks is the new
Ikko
resto-bar/lounge (6/48, Malcha Marg, Chanakyapuri, east of Khan Market;98-1109-4448
), which draws in those craving the “real stuff”—Russian vodka and vintage wines to go along with South Asian cuisine served with impeccable sophistication—you’ll be sure to find the Delhi diplomat circle buzzing merrily.
NIGHTCLUBS
Delhi has its fair share of nightclubs, though most play standard commercial music. Because stand-alone bars and clubs are required by law to close at midnight, you’ll find most of the late night carousing at hotels, or alternatively, witness the major after-hours exodus to Noida and Gurgaon (suburbs which are actually in different states), especially on weekends.
There’s no getting around the megalithic popularity of ultrachic and trendy
Agni
(011/2374-3000
). The Park’s hugely popular (and undeniably sexy) bar—with a small dance floor for bhangra swingers—designed by London’s Conran & Partners; it’s worth popping into, not least for its funky decor, beanbags, and leather sofas, and nifty bar staff in designer gear by Rohit Bal. On weekends there’s sure to be a crowd you won’t be able to take your eyes off, although things shut down around 3am. If you want to party into the wee hours (5am), make your (rather long) way to
Elevate
(fifth floor, Centre Stage Mall, Noida, southeast of Delhi;0120/436-4611
or 97-1100-0728;
www.elevateindia.com
), a spacious three-story club that plays a variety of sounds including commercial, R&B, and electronic music, with some trance/psychedelic stuff thrown in for good measure. Strictly for those who need to feel the music pulsate through their bodies, the club regularly has an international DJ playing the latest world trends—the 1-hour travel time from the heart of the city is the only drawback. With its black walls and pink lights,
Decibel
(Hotel Samrat, Kautilya Marg;011/2611-0606
) in Chanakyapuri (east of Khan Market, easily accessed from anywhere in south or central Delhi) is another trendy nightclub with a large dance floor that draws a jet-setting crowd here to sip fine cocktails and dance away the calories to the fairly commercial music.