A Bird’s eye view
I finally made it to Aer, the popular rooftop
lounge bar at Mumbai’s Four Seasons Hotel,
a couple of weeks back.
lounge bar at Mumbai’s Four Seasons Hotel,
a couple of weeks back.
I must begin by saying that I am no longer
a night club person and rarely frequent them so am not representative of night
club aficionados. I have been to quite a few across the world though.
a night club person and rarely frequent them so am not representative of night
club aficionados. I have been to quite a few across the world though.
I do know of folks from the city, as well as
visitors from outside, who love going to Aer.
visitors from outside, who love going to Aer.
When I reached Aer the other night, I realized the reason for its popularity. The
view from that height, the 34th floor, was breathtaking. This was at around 9.30 pm. Sitting
under the twinkling stars and watching the fairy lights of the traffic and streets and houses down below felt great.
view from that height, the 34th floor, was breathtaking. This was at around 9.30 pm. Sitting
under the twinkling stars and watching the fairy lights of the traffic and streets and houses down below felt great.
I also realized that Mumbai is pretty cool up there.
Literally.
Literally.
It felt very pleasant. One didn’t feel the heat though it is an alfresco place.
Not so silent nights
The music, as I am told it is in
nightclubs, was pretty loud. I was there for a work meeting and with someone whom I
was meeting for the first time.
nightclubs, was pretty loud. I was there for a work meeting and with someone whom I
was meeting for the first time.
We had interesting stories to exchange. That literally involved us to bend forward towards each other and talk so that we could hear each other. Not the
most lumbar friendly of conversations.
most lumbar friendly of conversations.
I ordered something called a Mumbai sour, a
whiskey based cocktail, which had a weird aftertaste which probably needs
getting used to. I tried a Long Island Ice Tea which was competent. There was nothing remarkable about the presentation.
whiskey based cocktail, which had a weird aftertaste which probably needs
getting used to. I tried a Long Island Ice Tea which was competent. There was nothing remarkable about the presentation.
The dark side of the menu
I don’t have pictures of the food to show
you. It was too dark to take pictures. So dark that it was nearly impossible to read the menu. The
staff didn’t seem to be the most loquacious and weren’t able to say much about
the food. So this was a problem.
you. It was too dark to take pictures. So dark that it was nearly impossible to read the menu. The
staff didn’t seem to be the most loquacious and weren’t able to say much about
the food. So this was a problem.
A simple solution would have been to keep small torches to read the
menu. I have seen them do that in other such dark places around the world. Least one
could expect from a 5 star hotel lounge and a popular one at that.
menu. I have seen them do that in other such dark places around the world. Least one
could expect from a 5 star hotel lounge and a popular one at that.
A few years back, I had gone to the
Australian Hotel at Sydney’s Rock precinct. It is supposed to be one of the oldest pubs
there and serves pizzas with interesting meats such as kangaroo and alligator
meat among other things. I ordered a pizza which I was very unimpressed by. I blogged about the
same. A local replied saying that its pub food and one
can’t be too picky about that.
Australian Hotel at Sydney’s Rock precinct. It is supposed to be one of the oldest pubs
there and serves pizzas with interesting meats such as kangaroo and alligator
meat among other things. I ordered a pizza which I was very unimpressed by. I blogged about the
same. A local replied saying that its pub food and one
can’t be too picky about that.
I guess the same applies to Aer.
The squids or calamari fries were soggy , chewy and
a tad smelly.
a tad smelly.
The Mumbai chaat pizza had a completely dense base and an inert
taste. It displayed none of the freshness of flavours or play of textures that one expects
with a good chaat and which one had hoped had extended to the pizza. The possibilities here were limitless but the execution
futile.
taste. It displayed none of the freshness of flavours or play of textures that one expects
with a good chaat and which one had hoped had extended to the pizza. The possibilities here were limitless but the execution
futile.
The miso cod was soft and bitter and very
fishy, pun intended, and that I returned as the quality seemed dubious to me.
fishy, pun intended, and that I returned as the quality seemed dubious to me.
We tried out a mushroom and spinach
quesadilla at the end and that had an extremely bitter after taste.
quesadilla at the end and that had an extremely bitter after taste.
They had served some masala peanuts at the
start. Those were good.
start. Those were good.
Take it or leave it
The service bugged me the most. They took
back the cod without a murmur of protest and didn’t charge for our subsequent
orders which was good.
back the cod without a murmur of protest and didn’t charge for our subsequent
orders which was good.
However, we had left most of our food and drinks untouched, and no
one even bothered to ask us if there was anything wrong after our plates went
back.
one even bothered to ask us if there was anything wrong after our plates went
back.
And this at a five star hotel.
Luckily for me, The Lucky Restaurant was still open in
Bandra so I ordered a biryani to have for dinner when I returned home with an aching
back. I had not planned to have dinner at home earlier but I refuse to subject myself to poor quality food.
Bandra so I ordered a biryani to have for dinner when I returned home with an aching
back. I had not planned to have dinner at home earlier but I refuse to subject myself to poor quality food.
How to make the best use of your money at Aer
We were on an expense account but otherwise
this would have been a very bad waste of 6,100 odd Rupees.
this would have been a very bad waste of 6,100 odd Rupees.
I know I have been avoided critical write
ups these days but if I came across something which I feel I should keep you
alerted on then I will post that here. Hence this post.
ups these days but if I came across something which I feel I should keep you
alerted on then I will post that here. Hence this post.
So here’s my tip for Aer.
Go there for the
view. Don’t expect to have much of a conversation if you are with someone. Stick to regular drinks out of bottles versus cocktails. Have the masala peanuts that come with
them, don’t order much food and have a backup plan for dinner.
Our visit was unannounced and paid for by us
Earlier post on the Australian Hotel
view. Don’t expect to have much of a conversation if you are with someone. Stick to regular drinks out of bottles versus cocktails. Have the masala peanuts that come with
them, don’t order much food and have a backup plan for dinner.
Our visit was unannounced and paid for by us
Earlier post on the Australian Hotel
