From live bands,sufi nights to painting exhibitions eating out in the city is now an entertaining affair Theres now an all-new reason to head out and have a good time at restaurants than just an inviting menu. Restaurants in town are pulling all stops to make eating out an entertaining affair for diners through the week,by lining up entertainment programmes at the venue. For instance,the coming few days will see Bally Sagoo perform at Kava,while DJ Dash mixes it up at Cafe Oz. While you wait for your order at Cafe Amor,indulge in a foot spa and some fancy nail art. If you are at Cafe Nomad,stop by the paintings on the wall,before you browse through the menu. When we rolled out Cafe Nomad,we kept special space for housing exhibitions of different artists. Food,of course,remains the focal point but everyones now looking at an enhanced experience during a meal out, says city-based restaurateur Priya Jagat,who has multiple speciality restaurants across the city. The creative buzz at Cafe Nomad,their Mediterranean cafe in Sector 7,started first with jazz sessions that saw a live saxophone player in attendance. After a successful run,the Cafe is now hosting an exhibition of paintings by S Imobi Sharma. An artist from the North-east,Sharmas paintings reflect the simplicity of the regions lifestyle. The artwork is cheerful with vibrant colours,which add to the cafes ambience. The idea of an exhibition space within a restaurant is to give budding artists a place to expose their work free of charge and also to make diners more involved, feels Jagat. If you happen to be a stressed-out mother looking to catch up with friends over a cup of coffee,heading to Cafe Amor in Panchkulas Sector 5 on a Monday might be a good idea. Their Yummy Mommy Mondays are perfect for those looking to put their feet up (literally) and be pampered. Moms can choose from a wide range of activities such as a spa break,a makeover session,nail art etc all while sipping on our selection of smoothies and salads, says Siddharth Kumar,Vice President,Alchemist Food Beverage Ltd. Not just Mondays,but every day of the week has a special-something lined up at the cafe. Theres karaoke and tambola on Footloose Fridays,lazy brunch on Sundays among others. Personally,for me eating out is not only about food. The ambience and entertainment go hand in hand, says Kumar,who wanted to pair good meals with entertaining events. So Wednesdays have been ear-marked for a live band. The newly-launched Kava in Sector 26 is also taking the lead when it comes to clubbing live music events with menu specials. From bringing in belly dancers to hosting sufi rock nights,Kavas made weekends a lively affair. To raise the bar,they are now set to host singer-musician-DJ Bally Sagoo. When we opened Kava a few months back,I promised to bring an international feel to both dining and clubbing in the city. These events are in line with that, says Kavas owner Aakash Garg. Elsewhere,Cafe Oz in Sector 9,Chandigarh is slowly but surely picking up pace with their Friday Live events. The Aussie menu is definitely the high point but we want Cafe Oz to pulsate with local flavours and sounds as well, says Gurtej Singh Virk,owner of the city outlet. While Cafe Oz has hosted biggies like DJ Aaron,Virk is gung-ho about promoting fresh talent. We hosted local band Desi Sultans and got a good response. The next to perform is DJ Dash from Thailand, mentions Virk.
