In the mood to try out some funky cocktails with a twist?

Sometimes you are just in the mood to do some experimenting when you are out partying with your group. What better way to experiment than trying out cool cocktails? A lot of places in Mumbai claim to offer weird and quirky cocktails which would give you a burst of refreshment along with a kick of good alcohol. One such place in Mumbai is the Abstrakt Bistro and Lounge. Located in Chembur, Abstrakt offers not only a cool place to hang-out and party, but also some innovative cocktails to tickle your taste-buds. Along with their extensive food menu, this place can actually be a good break from a regular pint of beer or a peg of whiskey.

 Abstrakt has four pages of their menu card devoted only to cocktails for you to choose. From their special in-house cocktails paired with all kinds of alcohol, to their extensive Champagne cocktails, they have a lot of mixes to offer. Not only do they have an exclusive variety of cocktails, but also a number of Abstrakt Signature shots if you are in the mood to party hard. Apart from the regular mix of signature cocktail, they also have a special cocktail menu which changes on a weekly basis. Gola Sharbat and Risky Gulaknd are worth trying if you like a desi twist. The rates of the cocktails are not very high, so you can actually try a few before you hit the bottom.

The food menu, though not very unusual, also is very extensive. They serve almost everything from a garden salad to a full three course Indian meal. They have a lot options in Chinese, Indian and Continental, whatever suits your taste-buds. The food is normally priced, just like a regular lounge or your simple go-to restaurant. The taste is pleasing and the quantity is enough to fill your growling tummy.

On weekdays, the place starts filling up after eight in the evening. On weekends it’s packed, and finding a table after 8:30 in the evening might be a tough task. It is easily accessible as it is located right on the Sion-Trombay road. The staff is courteous and polite. The place has a good ambience to chill-out or to have a blast. The Bistro is located on the ground floor, while the lounge is located on the floor above. The bar in the Lounge opens only after 7:30 in evening. So all the early-timers, can chill with a beer in the Bistro for a couple of hours, before hitting the dance floor.

Though not very over-the-top, it is a good place to check-out if you just want to have some fun. You might actually end-up being a regular, for which they have a special loyalty programme. So if you like experimenting with your drinks while you are bar-hopping or if you just want to have a quiet evening with your friends, Abstrakt is good place to do both.

Ever wonder what THE GODFATHER of the burgers would taste like?

Burgers have always been a high point in our lives. The thought of a big cheesy, juicy burger gets us salivating every single time. Combine the burger with delicious desserts and you have got yourself a treat. A definite place in Mumbai that offers such treats without being tough on your pocket is Howra.

Howra is a not so fancy outlet situated just next to the famous Priyadarshini Park in South Mumbai. Howra does not have proper restaurant format. It’s a small open cafe, situated alongside two other small food outlets which share the same eating area. Though the place is not very famous throughout Mumbai, it is moderately crowded as it is a regular haunt of its loyal customers.

The star burger at Howra is “the Godfather.” It is this huge burger, which is definitely too big to even take a bite. It has all the amazing qualities that a mouth watering burger should have, and of course it’s always dripping with creamy cheese. The quantity is more than enough for two people. Combine it with fried Oreos, which obviously is their top-rated dessert, and you are set for the day. The place is totally pocket-friendly. But finding a place to sit in the evening might be an issue as they have a very limited seating area. The staff is super-friendly and would even give you a tip or two on how to eat such gigantic burgers.

So if you are a burger-head, always on the lookout for life changing burger experience, then Howra is a place to check-out. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

Picture Credits: Sachin Raut

Want to hit the bars on a TIGHT budget? Try this.

What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you make plans with your friends, to go out to a bar for a few drinks? How expensive it would be? How big of a hole would it burn into your pocket this time? Because let’s be honest, a few drinks always turn into a few too many and we all know that the bars in Mumbai are not so pocket friendly. But what if I tell you about this not so famous bar in Vashi, that serves alcohol at MRP rates during their happy hours? You wouldn’t believe me right? Well, it’s true. So buckle up guys, because now you can actually drink socially without having to shell out money like water.

Tight bar in Vashi, Navi Mumbai is perfect for people looking for an inexpensive place to drink. The rates are unbelievably low for all types of alcohol served during their Happy Hours. One small peg of White Rum costs as low as Rs. 39, while one small peg of Jim Beam scotch costs only Rs. 70. You can actually get a pint of beer for as low as Rs. 80. No matter what your poison is, they have it all and that too at really low prices. I know what you are thinking.The place must be shady, or unhygienic. But no, the place is perfectly fine and clean. It’s located in the Inorbit mall in Vashi, one of the biggest malls of Navi Mumbai. It can come off a bit shabby and tacky when compared with the regular lounges and bars of Mumbai, but you can ask for only so much at these rates. But even then the place is pretty decent than a shady, third grade liquor bar. The crowd may not be top notch, but it’s decent enough to be around. And guess what?

They have special nights all around the week, each night devoted to something different, and the best one is Wednesday, wherein all you ladies out there get drinks at MRP rates the whole time the place is open.

Inexpensive alcohol is good, but what about the food and music? They have a limited food menu with not a lot of options to choose from, the usual ones. But the taste and quality of the food is really good and you won’t be disappointed with what you order. But yes, the food is normally priced. But if you are not in the mood to shell out for food too, then they have these variety snack items, called “Chakna” which they pass around on a tray.

They are basically various types of chips in bowls, each costing only 50 bucks. You can pick out whichever you like to munch on with your drinks. They don’t have stunning music but it’s not bad either. They roll out decent music, mostly consisting of popular English music tracks of all genres.

So if you are looking for a decent place to hang out with your buddies or your girls, with decent music and food that is not overpriced, then this is the place for you. The waiting staff is perfectly nice and sweet. The place is not too shabby and it has a pleasing ambience. Tight is the place to go when you are tight on a budget.