The Actual List Of Ten Bars In Delhi You Should Drink At Before You Die

NEW DELHI: There is a listicle (haven’t seen that word for a while, eh?) going around on social media: 10 Bars In Delhi You Should Drink At Before You Die. That’s quite a weighty title; I love Delhi but the city could do better in the bars department, hence “before you die” might be a bit of a stretch here because you could probably skip a majority of Delhi’s bars in your lifetime and not miss too much. But for the sake of click-bait-ability, let’s let that go. In fact, I’m going to borrow the wording from the original post for my title, hoping I can garner a fraction of the views and shares the original post did.

The second objection that I have is more legit. Barring a few notable inclusions, have any of you even heard of the bars on that list? I go out quite a bit in New Delhi (and the NCR region as a whole), but where/what the hell is “Lights Camera Action” or “Lanterns Kitchen And Bar” and who the hell goes to “Lutyens Cocktail House” or “Dramz Whiskey Bar And Lounge”?

The third objection with that list relates to the fact that other than a photo, address and basic details such as happy hours information and contact numbers, the list offers absolutely no reasoning/basis for arriving at the “10 Bars In Delhi You Should Drink At Before You Die.” Why these bars? What makes them worthwhile of this weighty albeit massively exaggerated titled? What are their pros and their annoying cons? Give us a review, dammit.

Now that I’m done venting. Here’s my list of “10 Bars In Delhi You Should Drink At Before You Die.” Let me know if you think I fared better, because if not, I really need a new set of friends in Delhi so that I can spend Friday nights at “Lutyens Cocktail House.”

1. The Piano Man Jazz Club

I’m going to start with the one bar from the original post that makes it to my list. The Piano Bar Jazz Club is my newest favourite bar in Delhi. It has a very Greenwich Village vibe to it (albeit in a less grungy way). The focus of the bar is a stage, that’s platform to the city’s musical (and other) talent. The few occasions I’ve been to the Piano Man, I’ve seen a Jazz band, an acoustic singer-songwriter, and a comedy show. On all three occasions, the owner of the bar has, at some point or the other, jumped on stage, taken a seat at the bar’s iconic piano, demonstrating to the whole audience where and why this place is so special. Hashtag humblebrag.

7/22, Ground Floor, B-6, Opposite Deer Park, Safdarjung Enclave Market

2. PCO

PCO, aka Passcode Only, is Delhi’s version of a speakeasy. Tastefully done, the bar has a livelier section downstairs and a more quiet, laid back bar upstairs. The bartenders make the meanest whiskey sours in the city. You need a passcode to enter, which changes daily, but just show up and someone or the other will help you get in. I find the bar and its clientele a tad pretentious, but it’s a good concept in Delhi and still far ahead of the other imitation speakeasy-esque bars that have sprung up.

D4, D Block Market, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057

3. Gung, The Palace

Okay, before you dismiss this list as a sham with this entry because Gung is a restaurant not a bar, hear me out. The good at Gung is terrible, in fact, it’s consistently taking a turn for the worse. Yet, Gung figures on my list of best nights out in Delhi because of a) the cabins on the second floor that make it a literal private party and b) the soju. Gather a group of friends on a Friday night, book yourself a cabin at Gung, drink tons of soju, and then tell me this entry doesn’t cut it on this list.

D 1B, Near Ashirwad Complex, Block D, Green Park, New Delhi, Delhi 110016

4. The Delhi Golf Club

I’m going to skip including a photo of this because everything online is of the tacky inside section. The seating on the terrace of the main bar at the Delhi Golf Club is worthy of inclusion on this list, especially as Delhi’s temperature takes a turn for the pleasurable. You need a member to drink/eat at this bar, but if you know one (or are one), grab them and get yourself a vodka tonic on a Saturday afternoon, the Golf Club’s marvelous grounds right in front of you.

Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, New Delhi

5. The Library Bar

Head over to this bar at the Leela Hotel in Chanakyapuri if today is pay day. Not light on the pockets but quite lovely, especially the outside seating. The outside section is perfect for sundowner cocktails on a Saturday evening.

The Leela Palace Hotel, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

6. Blue Bar

Blue Bar was once the “it” bar for the “it” crowd on a Friday/Saturday night. It no longer is, which is why it makes it to my list. The bartenders make some of the best cocktails in the city, which you can finally enjoy without hordes of dolled up teenagers shoving themselves in your face. It’s open late on weekends, so if you’re looking for a late night drink and want to avoid the crowds (Delhi nightlife, for the uninitiated, operates in droves -- kids all flock to the same bar/club which loses flavour every month and is replaced by another sub par bar/club), head to the Blue Bar at the Taj Palace Hotel.

No 2, Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi, Delhi 110021

7. Monkey Bar

Monkey Bar makes it to my list not because it’s particularly great (let’s face it, most of the bars on this list aren’t), but because of it’s very chilled out, laid back, Bangalore-esque vibe. Not surprising given it’s a Bangalore export to the capital city, but surprising because Delhi tends to take everything and make it tad pretentious and Delhi-like (example: Blue Frog!). Monkey Bar has managed to retain a very Bangalore vibe whilst fitting right into Delhi’s nightlife (deadline 1 am included).

Plot No 11, Local Shopping Complex, Pocket C6 & 7, Next to Mini Cooper Showroom, Vasant Kunj

8. The Gymkhana Club

There’s something quite special about having a drink at an iconic structure dating to 1913, when it was built as 'Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club' by the colonial powers of yesteryear. Like the Delhi Golf Club, you need to be or know a member to have a drink here. Thursday’s are “green card” holders nights, which means that the city’s young and well heeled (you’re not allowed in without a collared shirt and formal shoes, boys) gather in large numbers. The spacious outdoor seating ensures that it never gets too crowded and the drinks and seriously cheap (well, by Delhi’s ridiculous standards at least).

2, Safdarjung Road, New Delhi

9. Olive Bar & Kitchen

Hate on me all you want but how many places in the world can offer you a dining/drinking experience in the middle of a beautiful white bungalow under a giant banyan tree? The yuppie’s version of enlightenment.

One Style Mile, Haveli No. 6-8, Kalkadass Marg, Mehrauli, New Delhi, Delhi 110030

10. The Bar at Home

Discount the picture above, and agree with me when I say the best drinking experience in Delhi is at home - yours, a friend’s, a relative’s, a complete stranger’s. It could also be a posh farmhouse or a cramped student dorm.

Wherever you want it to be.