Private dining rooms ensure exclusivity while serving up the ambience of a trendy haunt.
Good food, unlimited drinks, the company of friends, hassle-free customised services, no post-party clean-up and most importantly, privacy, were the criteria that marketing executive Tripti Bhatia kept in mind when she set out hunting for a venue to bring in her 22nd birthday last week.
“I finally zeroed in on a private dining room or PDR,” says Bhatia who opted for PDR in Valhalla, Churchgate, where she could soak in the ambience of a lounge while still retaining her privacy.
In the West, standalone eating joints see PDRs as an additional source of revenue. In Mumbai too, restaurateurs are catching up to the trend, while customers apparently don’t mind doling out that extra cash for an exclusive dining experience.
“As compared to a regular dining space, the private dining option poses a 10-20% difference in costs,” says Pancham Lillaney, Manchester United Cafe Bar, marketing manager, events and promotions. The cafe, which opened in February this year, has a private dining room which caters to events ranging from corporate luncheons to family dinners.
“I had my own bartender, my favourite play list and a fabulously customised menu. And while the place was completely cordoned off from the rest of the lounge, it still had the ambience of a lounge and not the boring stiffness of a banquet party,” Bhatia states matter-of fact.
Tricia Batliwalla, Partner, Valhalla, feels that PDRs works well in metros. “Especially in a city like Mumbai that is so clued in to what the world is doing,” she says.
Incidentally, PDRs are not just for big occasions like engagements or birthday parties; often they are booked by people who just want to have fun and a good time. “People just come to catch up with friends on weekends or relax over a few drinks after a hard day at work or simply enjoy a family dinner,” says Lillaney. “We get everybody from ladies who wish to lunch together to groups of young people looking for a good time,” adds Batliwalla.
However, if the prices are playing spoilsport with your PDR plans, then apart from high-end resto bars which charge a premium for an exclusive personalised dining experience, other restaurants also offer a separate dining space at relatively cheaper costs.
Shalimar restaurant at Bhendi Bazaar, best known for its phirnis and malpuas during the month of Ramzan, has six private dining cabins tucked into its uppermost floors, featuring an elaborate floor seating arrangement with soft cushions and low tables.
The PDR cabins here are called dastarkhwans and cater to a minimum of six and a maximum of 30 people. “A majority of our customers are repeat customers and consist of either large families or groups of friends,” says restaurant manager Ahmad Khan.
With the popularity of private dining catching on, little wonder than that several eating outlets are aiming to cash in on the concept. The most recent to join the bandwagon is the upscale fine dining restaurant Villa 39, which recently launched a PDR in its premises. The 12-seater arrangement houses its own bar, sofa, dining table and even an iPod docking facility.
“The executive chef and restaurant manager attend to our PDR guests, along with two waiters,” says Kajal Fabiani, CEO, Villa 39.
Besides a personalised menu and music list, some PDRs also accommodate other customised services like hiding a ring in the dessert for a marriage proposal or playing a personalised video message.
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