Sleeper a pleasant surprise

On first look, Park Plaza looks like a typical business hotel, tucked away on the Outer Ring Road in Marathahalli. We expected their bar and lounge, Gadang, to be much the same — nondescript and somewhat antiseptic in look and feel. Were we wrong? Yes, of course.

The décor is muted and upon walking in, the first impression is that the pearl grey walls could do with some colourful art work, particularly since the hotel lobby has some of those around. As you make yourself comfortable, the logic of it strikes you. This is a lounge in a true sense — plenty of seating, piped calming music and no dance floor that requires you to press yourself against sweaty bodies or look at moving masses of humanity desperately trying to live out the idea of ‘having a good time’. Nothing intrudes on or jars your sense of calm here.

The bar area is pretty too, with high seating, a television set conveniently put up and a little secluded from the seating area. So, if there’s a football match going on, there’s not much chance of the fans spoiling your tête-à-tête with your partner in the lounge.

The monotony of colours is broken with muted purple and a few stray light blue seats. The floor-to-ceiling glass wine cabinet too adds a nice touch. The clientele on a weeknight comprised business travellers from abroad and young professionals who appeared to be from the IT sector nearby. And without exception, they seemed relaxed and extremely comfortable in the lounge.

Like the décor, the drinks menu is classy, without any pretensions of being ‘cutting edge’. You will not find a cocktail that makes you wonder whether it’s an explosive, an expletive or a drink; but you will find tried and tested favourites like a Martini, or a Comopolitan, Long Island Iced Tea or Mojito, Bloody Mary, Mint Julep or even a Daiquiri. The signature cocktails include some reinterpretations of the classic ones, so a signature Apple Martini or a Cosmopolitan comes with an inventive fruit foam on top made with fresh fruit and gelatin leaves.

The bar menu was designed with the motto of keeping syrups and frozen concoctions away and it works a wonder. The emphasis is on infused liquor instead, with the flavour coming from the fresh fruits used for the infusions. The drinks are refreshing, the flavours of fresh ingredients come through and the mixing is top-notch. We had a very hard time picking a favourite.

For the top spot, it was tie between the Apple Martini, made with green apple infused vodka, dry vermouth, apple purée and apple vanilla foam, and the Indian Mule, made with ginger-infused vodka, cucumber juice and home-made ginger ale. The former rocked; being a common drink that often goes wrong with the overpowering presence of green apple, it was refreshing to find one that really lives up to the idea of a martini — cool, smooth and relaxing. The Indian Mule, again, was a glassful of delight, no exaggerations. It is something we recommend without reservations. The Cosmopolitan was like all good Cosmos, but the fruit foam on top made for an interesting add-on. If we found a fault, it was with the Blueberry Julep, a bit too sweet and a bit too weak to hold its own against the other cocktails.

For those who are not big fans of cocktails, Gadang has a decent collection of hard liquor, beer and wines. Scotch, single malt and Indian whiskeys are available by the glass; Kingfisher rubs shoulders with Asahi, Peroni and Amstel on the list of beers and there’s wine from across the world, with the most expensive being a bottle of French champagne, Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin, at Rs9,250 and on the lower side there are India Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc at Rs2,000 a bottle.

The regulation gin, vodka, rum, tequila, cognac, brandy, cachaca and sambuca, along with other liqueurs are also available.

The food menu, however, is a bit sparse. There’s the ubiquitous cocktail samosa and there are other snacks like parma ham wrapped melon wedges and tempura prawns. But for people who do not feel like going out to dinner at any one of Park Plaza’s restaurants afterwards, there is a lack of choice.

But that aside, Gadang really hits the spot. Understated yet not basic, elegant yet not over the top, this one should be a favourite with the Marathahalli, Sarjapur and Airport Road residents. For the rest of the city, if you decide to brave a drive and the traffic, you won’t be disappointed.