View from the Stands

If your drawing room does not seem snazzy enough to watch T20 matches,you could head to The Sports Bar that recently opened at Noida’s Great India Place Mall. The bar ambitiously tries to recreate the atmosphere of a stadium with a three-tier seating arrangement facing a 47×12 ft plasma screen. A DJ is perched close to the ceiling — at 16 ft above the ground — where pipes and AC ducts crisscross,occasionally lit up by red psychedelic lights that give it a nightclub-like ambience.

The Sports Bar is massive,spread over 8,000 sq ft. Though the space is divided into a lounge bar and a restaurant,packing it to the rafters would be a daunting task. “We’re just a month old but have managed to pull in the crowds during Happy Hours,” says Nikhil Mirakhur,manager of the bar that is promoted by the Future Group.

Life-sized photographs of sporting celebrities cover the walls,while a pool table is strategically placed near the lounge entrance. Cocktails with names like Magic Johnson (Rs 369),a mix of bourbon with pineapple chunks,and Maria Sharapova (Rs 369),a vodka drink garnished with green apple,seem right for a party night,but their food menu appears woefully inadequate with unimaginative finger foods and Continental dishes. You can try the tequila-infused chicken tikka (Rs 299) or rolls (Rs 299) with tender duck meat. Vegetarians can opt for the stuffed cottage cheese (Rs 269) garnished with cherry tomatoes.

Meal For Two: Rs 1,500

Contact: 0120 4573433

Location: Great India Place Mall,Noida