Plate has Come a Full Circle

When last years spring menus were rolled out,even the best-groomed eyebrows arched in surprise as restaurateurs showed off the exotic shrubs and roots that were imported into their chandeliered halls.

Restaurants are slowly rolling back prices to bring in the slowdown-hit crowd

When last years spring menus were rolled out,even the best-groomed eyebrows arched in surprise as restaurateurs showed off the exotic shrubs and roots that were imported into their chandeliered halls. The eyebrows arched again when the tab came. But in between the brow-archings,patrons stayed the course and then came back for some more. This spring,most restaurants are doing the unthinkable rolling back the prices. The economic slowdown which has led to layoffs and salary cuts has stopped in its tracks a generation that was beginning to live it up.

There hasnt been a bigger crisis. The times are tough and on an average our occupancy has dipped by 20 per cent compared with last year, says Ranjith Rajasekharan,marketing head,Future Leisure & Entertainment. Its All Sports Bar in Gurgaon has a new package,timely titled Corporate Bailout to Save Fun to keep its young clientele glued to its gaming consoles and cocktail glasses. The resto-bar is offering IMFL like Bacardi,Smirnoff and Carlsberg beer at

Rs 99. A Facebook community called Save Fun was created to spread the word and mime artists took to the busy streets of Connaught Place to announce the offer.

Restaurateur AD Singh agrees the times are bad: The recession scare is making people downsize the food budget. Someone who ate steak would do with a pasta now and beer is taking place of wine for some. Also,those who dined out regularly are reducing the number of days they eat out. That is one reason Manre at Saket has brought out a pocket-friendly offer. Even though its owner Ramola Bachchan says it is all about combating the label that Manre is overpriced,shes quick to add that people are looking for more affordable meals nowadays. The economic meltdown is working on everyones psyche and it is good to change with the times. With this special package I want to reach out to a larger number of people, says Bachchan. A four-course lunch comes at Rs 650 plus taxes or Rs 950 plus taxes. This at a restaurant that opened with oven-roasted Chilean sea bass that cost Rs 1,850.

Bonsai,a pan-Asian restaurant at Connaught Place,is not going the whole hog,but its vegetarian appetisers such as lettuce wraps laden with water chestnuts and mushrooms come for a reasonable Rs 99. With even foodies watching their bills,The Yum Yum Tree at New Friends Colony hosted a Celebrate Recession bash with a retro theme and speakers blasting Smokie and Pink Floyd,and each cocktail and appetiser priced at Rs 100. We offered crabs and Chinese grills just to get people out of their homes, says owner Varun Tuli.

Rohit Aggarwal,director of Lite Bite Foods that co-owns Asia 7 at Ambience Mall in Gurgaon,says,At malls ,entertainment is the only driving force and restaurants have to work out interesting deals to get the footfall. He is hoping his Rs 195 vegetarian meal and Rs 245 non-vegetarian meal will do the trick.

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Plate has Come a Full Circle

When last years spring menus were rolled out,even the best-groomed eyebrows arched in surprise as restaurateurs showed off the exotic shrubs and roots that were imported into their chandeliered halls.

When last years spring menus were rolled out,even the best-groomed eyebrows arched in surprise as restaurateurs showed off the exotic shrubs and roots that were imported into their chandeliered halls.