How would it be if your favorite pub was right above the
floor where you work? I am sure productivity would go to an All Time
High! Shift has actually implemented this concept at HSR with a co-working
space on one floor, and the pub on the two floors above it. How cool is that! A
group of us headed over to this place post-work on a Wednesday evening, and
here's the lowdown.
Location/Ambience:
Located right above the House of Commons and beside
Punjabi Rasoi in Sector 3, HSR, this
place is easy to find. They have an indoor-seating at a lower floor and an open
rooftop setting as well. We decided to sit at the rooftop section, since it was a
breezy evening. For a weekday, it was surprisingly full.
The décor here is chic and with a huge screen put up in one section, this is definitely a great place to catch IPL matches. They have
several seating options as well, and we chose the high chairs, since they were
at the corner and offered a good view of the screen. The place is airy, spacious and
well-laid out, the only concern being the heat during day time.
F&B
Drinks:
The drinks are fairly reasonably priced, and with an IPL offer of 1+1 on mugs, pitchers and towers, this is a bargain. Here are a few cocktails we tried:
The drinks are fairly reasonably priced, and with an IPL offer of 1+1 on mugs, pitchers and towers, this is a bargain. Here are a few cocktails we tried:
Acharoska: Weird
Name, you think? Wait till you taste this one, it will blow your socks off!
This is a mojito with a twist of home-made lime/mango pickle. The aftertaste of
pickle in this drink is brilliant, and those looking for an offbeat option will
be pleasantly surprised by this one.
Jack Thomas:
Here is one for the whisky overs. Whisky, black tea, rum and a wonderful
mixture of fragrant spices make this a lovely cocktail to have!
Purple Haze: This
stunner of a drink is a concoction of black currant syrup and vodka. Not my
favorite drink, but several others in our group liked it, so choose carefully!
Food
While most pubs have limited options when it comes to food,
Shift has an extensive menu, and super-quirky names to keep you on your toes.
Also, the vegetarian food menu here is extensive departs from the usual fare of
paneer/baby corn/mushroom!
Dipspacito: This was the standout
dish for our entire meal here, and even though it was a simple recipe, it was
superbly put together. Slightly toasted fresh herbed garlic bread served with
the most delicious dip ever. The dip was a cheesy delight with peppers, spinach
mushrooms in a super-creamy base.
Cigaro: Another brilliant dish,
these were crispy cigar shaped (spring) rolls filled with a delicious cheesy stuffing,
which they call a ‘pizza stuffing’. I relished this one too!
Prawns Koliwada: These were prawns in the
famous Koliwada marinade, and batter-fried.
While the prawns were well cooked, I would have preferred a thinner layer of
the batter on the prawns to do complete justice to the original
Mutton Pepper Fry:
A staple dish for mutton lovers, the mutton pepper fry here was’t as spicy
as I would like it. It was slightly sour and slightly spicy. The mutton was
well-cooked and the quantity was decent, but a bit more sharpness from the
peppers was expected!
Dessert:
For a place serving good food, dessert was the only
course that disappointed me here. Some of the dishes need tweaking.
Coconut Malibu Panna-Cotta:
This dish looked really pretty, but the consistency was way off in this one,
and it sat there like a blob. Taste-wise not bad, but the texture was ruined,
probably due to the use of too much of gelatin.
Nutella Pancake
with Maple Syrup: This simple dish was the best dessert of the three that we
tried,light and airy pancakes with a lovely Nutella spread and dollops of
Maple Syrup tasted great!
Jok-e-Shai(Zauq-e-shahi): A pair of gulab jamuns with a layer of rabri separating the two. This was
decent, but the jamuns were a tad bit over-fried.
Verdict: A wonderful addition to the pubbing scene in
HSR, this place is here to stay, and with competitive prices, good food options
and offers on drinks, this place is worth a visit.
Food Quotient: 4.5/5
Ambience Quotient: 4/5
Service Quotient: 4/5
Unclichéd Quotient: 4/5
Unclichéd Quotient: 4/5
