Stuck right @ the back of Gem Plaza on Infantry Road is Hypnos. The first time I had been to this place was by accident. There was a sale @ the Callaway Golf equipment place and I had been there to pick some clubs ( a Wedge : i believe they have the Jaws series) for him and post that we decided to get something to drink. If you think buying a Golf club can spark a celebration: you are terribly wrong. Besides having a double digit handicap, his other dexterities include "change in scenery" with a 'not-so-subtle' approach to it. In plain-speak: his EX was getting married that day : and instead of going to the wedding mass: our man decided on some retail therapy and friendly alcohol. It could have been worse. He could have been with the next bimbette already . So off we go. A small handsign says Hypnos : and a Greco Roman face without eyes stares at you 2 the entrance.
The place:
1) They used to have scented candles that smelt like patchouli but dont anymore.I guess they are expecting the scented Hookahs to make up for it. Not that the place smells bad or anything..
2) The seating is very open spaced.They have Rustic floors with Cement platforms for seats on the outside with blue cushions and ottomans to match. The Inside seating (which is closer to the bar) has a very high ceiling and a section on top of the bar. I believe it is supposed to be smoke-free although they did not object to me lighting an occasional cigar. Personally, I prefer the inside seating a lot better when compared to the outside place. The entire place is a conflagarance of White and Blue and combinations thereof. The walls are all whitewashed , as are the plates: the blue being the cushions, Certain glasses , your ash try etc. They have neat bottles on the side rack next to the wall. All placed one above the other. I always had half a mind to run away with one of those!! The Hookah section on the outside has the Hookahs in different colors and you can opt for different flavours. Its a great way to differentiate beween a smoking faker (someone who just takes the smoke in and blows it out thro his/her nose) Vs. the real smoker: coz he has to really pull hard in case of a Hookah and the fakers dont realize that : end up coughing (hard) :0. You can cheat with a cigerrette or a cigar. Not with a Hookah.
3) Just so you know : they have a kitchen that is COMMON between their restaurants Samarkhand ( that serves frontier cuisine) and Hypnos ( that supposedly serves Med. Cuisine). So how is that of any advantage to you?
Well: for one: it is a smart Idea. Coz the BJN group manage two stables effectively @ the same time from the same kitchen. So it is very evident that they have to have super-efficient staff to keep the place running smoothly.
two: the food spread across the Med. to the Middle east is about the same. So ,techically : they are dealing with the same kind of food placement.Just that the kebabs @ Samarkhand will have extra masala : and the ones @ hynos on their platter will be just as succulent but slightly toned down.
More importantly: THREE: As one of my work collegues found the finger food too bland for her liking: and was not knowing what to do about it, we decided to order some starters that were from Samarkhand. And lo and behold!! there it was. Was very reassuring that they could produce it with minimal fuss: provided you promise to behave:)
4) Their DJ station as well is setup well. They have it up against the wall and have invested in pretty good equipment:including : when required, laser lights. The Acoustics work well , and one of the places where the possibility of screening matches was taken into account when building the place itself. You can watch a game as well: with the projector being concealed with the laser lights. This works perfectly and was not a 'last minute inclusion' a.k.a. take 5.
They have different nights with themes (although the themes never remain). Wednesday nights get pretty evenly crowded (with both men and wimmen) as this is their version of ladies night.
5) The loo has always been a source of confusion for me. They have photos of two marble figurines which are supposedly male and female: but with the blue light : and the booze notwithstanding; it is difficult to stare at a chest and ensure that the one with the 'assets' is to be avoided: or start to look further down for the crotch. They had someone "marker" them as Male and Female: but that has long since faded.
6) Guys in Peacock blue ruched shirts that have since lost color ;) Thankfully none of them are that bulky as to make it look terrible.
The Bar:
1) The Bar has two long Bar Stools with its racks having a pretty decent mix (although not top notch for Bangalore's standards) of grog. I dont remember any particular order in which they place their ware: but have noticed the occasional JD Silver Select in the ranks. They do have a series of flavoured Campari: though it surprises me : as no one ever asked for the same ,ever.
2) If you are seated @ a table: the Bar Menu is super cute. It is on a bottle : painted in blue from the inside with the Bar Menu pasted on it. When it came out : it was a very novel idea in Bangalore.
3) One noteworthy feature @ their bar ;was their Gimlets: they look a little odd and are kinda unwieldy to hold: but nevertheless it looks different : and provided you can pull it off : looks great . I guess the feature is supposed to be a Med based version of a "saucer" that was used to hold drinks back in the day. I was saved the trouble because I choose to get a Mojito: which the bartender,Ram, makes with an old fashioned glass, a few lime wedges and white Rum and Sugar and the now omnipresent Monin Lime Mojito mix. The lime mix is a syrup of Lemon and Sugar which is used to add the sour sweet taste to the Mojito.Sadly, I dont remember any cocktail that is custom-made to this place.Maybe a rare shooter: but nothing 'out of the blue' : for want of a better word. They also have a champagne bucket on a stand.Not something that I have seen in a lot of places here. I mean they rarely have the bucket. forget the stand. Neat.
Or you can use the occasion to try the Scotch and Soda routine.
The food:
1) The finger foods though are really worth the mention. They have the Hummus and Falafel : which is always a great bet @ any Med.place. Their Kebabs are also worth the mention here :and I would be lying if I say I like bland kebabs! . They dont overdo the masala on them: just a hint of it . and it tastes almost 'coconutty':unless you prefer adding the generous onion and marinated beetroot salad and the mint chutney to boot. Also they have a fine selection of small samosas:both veg and mutton.Very street food types and guaranteed to put a tyre around your waist more effectively than getting a 'six pack'.
They used to have Squids and Octopuses on a Buffet. As time passed: BOTH vanished without a trace.
All in All: a great place to taste some decent Med. food and starters, get tipsy and shake a leg. Just dont count on the cocktails necessarily to do it for you.Maybe the lady (or gent) will help with that ,on and off Hypnos.
3 and slipping,for me. Up your cocktail section a bit and have a more Enviable bar please.Its about time.
KEWLHERC2JZ
