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Hyderabad Restaurant ReviewsThe best and worst of Hyderabad's culinary scene demystified 1月29日 Marriott - A pleasant surpriseThe Viceroy Hotel has been threatening to convert in to the Marriott Hyderabad for some time now. So when it finally converted, I was skeptical since I wasn't sure if they'd fully renovated the hotel. Plus it wasn't really in my side of town anyways (you can guess I don't like the Secunderabad side of the Tank!)
... so when I saw the Marriott sign while I was next to the Husain Sagar, I was a little curious to see what they had done to the hotel.
..... the verdict? Sorta south african but nice! (don't like the entrance since its sort of tucked away. don't like the "smell" since its right next to the stinky refuse of the lake).
Marriott has two restaurants and a bar.
Okra - is the coffee shop. It's the standard 5 star hotel coffee shop with a buffet (dinner = Rs. 575 so it's cheaper than the Taj). It's got a great view of the swimming pool, and is a nice find. Go check it out! (must see: the made-to-order ice-cream where you choose your "fillings" and the chef mashes it together for you).
Bidri - Hyderabadi / Indian food. Red based decor, with hyderabadi bangles doubling up as trinklets on the tables. (for the uninitiated, go to Laad Bazaar next to the Charminar for an idea of what hyderabadi bangles are like - they're shiny!!). Ok, but a little too stuffy and claustrophobic for me. So Avoid this place!
Bar - the bridge bar is a small place, and is only recommended for hotel guests. I went on Saturday night, and it only had 3 foreigners in there! But, it's a decent place to get a good drink, and it's got a view of the Hussain Sagar, which is nice. Not too expensive either - around 150 bucks for a kingfisher so it's cheaper than the Taj (Ahaala) again.
Overall, go to the Marriott if you're around the area. Ask for a table at the Okra with a view of the pool. Go at night, and it's going to be a good experience. Otherwise, just go to Eat Street (for cheap street fare) or Waterfront (for the Hussain Sagar view) if you don't want to visit a 5 star in the area!
Till next time ... Adios!
1月21日 Aromas of China .... And Zafraan Laguna!What a treat I've got for you. I've managed to visit two new restaurants in the last week, and I'm quite excited to tell you about them.
I'm excited, because both of them break new ground in Hyderabad!! And as a foodie, I can't be happier.
Prior to Aromas of China opening I had to be content with Golden Dragon at the Taj (since Mainland China has serious hygiene issues... and I haven't yet tried Shanghai Dice by the Zafraan Group). Aromas of China is on the 5th floor of the City Centre Mall, right in the same floor as Sahib Sindh Sultan, Indijoe and Firangi Paani. I recently re-visited Indijoe, and I want to say that the food is certainly better than just average. It's actually fairly good! Anyways, Aromas of China is the second iteration of the Bangalore-based Aromas of China which opened up several years ago. It's a plush restaurant, which gives the impression of an expensive restaurant. However, if you look at the prices it's actually quite reasonable. Currently you get 30% off the menu prices since its in trial mode - the menu is vast and I'm guessing it will be pared down significantly once the restaurant is "officially" open.
The menu has a large variety of chinese dishes, and there's absolutely nothing you won't find here. Food is good, the service is great as well. If you're coming in a group, I suggest a private dining room since they're quite dramatic. The one issue I have with this restaurant is that (like Indijoe as well) it is too smoky inside. Obviously they haven't spent enough money on getting special air filters installed in the a/c system but it is less of an issue here than at Indijoe (where the sizzlers make the air in the restaurant look foggy!). Overall, a great Chinese restaurant and my current favourite for the cuisine in Hyderabad (after Waterfront of course, but I don't consider Waterfront a strictly Chinese restaurant).
My second visit was to Zafraan Group's newly opened Mediterranean restaurant - Laguna. Located on Road no. 2 in the Lumbini Mall, Laguna is a really nice restaurant. The concept is refreshing (with shallow pools of water that snake around the restaurant, and floating candles. Plus a separated bar with an onyx finish), and the food is terrific (order the poached pear salad, or the chicken stuffed with prawns). For those who don't like mediterranean there is a decent selection of pastas and pizzas also available here. The drinks are quite nice (the litchi-tini is recommended) but its a shame the margaritas were not available when I visited.
There's valet parking for both restaurants. Zafraan Laguna is certainly one of a kind in the city, and catapults into my top 10 restaurants list of the city....
.... speaking of which... here they are!!
TOP 10 RESTAURANTS IN HYDERABAD (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
The one everyone's going to ask me about is fusion 9. my take on it - good food, good place. But really crappy service, and to be honest, there are 10 better restaurants in town now. A few years ago and it'd probably be #1 on the list, but the competition is heating up !!!
1月11日 BJN Group's IndiJoeTake Indigo and India Jones (both restaurants in Mumbai) and you get the name IndiJoe.
Take food from all four corners of the world (yes I know the world is round, Einstein) and you get the menu.
BJN Group (of Angeethi fame in Hyderabad) brings to Hyderabad an improved iteration of its Bangalore-based restaurant chain Indijoe. So how did it stack up to the critic test?
Not too badly I thought. It's a crowded place, and getting a table is difficult since it's in the new and crowded City Centre Mall.
Decor: nice, and modern. it's got an airy feel to it due to the wall to wall windows. theres a huge buffet table space which detracts from the restaurant, but overall this place has got a good mall restaurant feel.
Food: The menu is vast - lots of selections from all around the world. Exotic options like Fondue are fun for large groups, while Sizzlers are always a nice addition to any menu. We ate the Chicken Shashlik sizzler and the Beans Nachos. Both were all right - and that's the expectation I had as well. The place is not supposed to be the gourmet outing - just a decent, clean place to eat in a very convenient location.
Service: It was crowded as hell so I don't blame them for losing complete track of us, but yeah, it should improve in a couple of weeks I think.
BJN's other restaurants on the floor include Aromas of China (Chinese, but yet to open), Firangi Paani (a bar which is somewhat Irish / English), and Sahib Singh Sultan (Indian, and a stagecoach feel and a special "starry" rooftop - the standout of the bunch!).
Next visit - Sahib Singh Sultan! (unless Aromas opens up first!!)
12月18日 Peshawri at the ITC... In search of the best North Indian FoodITC hotels are known for their rich heritage in north indian cooking. (Think of Bukhara at the Maurya Sheraton, Delhi). Their black dal (or Dal Makhni) has been rechristened Dal Bukhara, as their style of cooking the dal has become almost universally copied.
Since Hyderabad doesn't have a Bukhara, I figured Peshawri would be the next best thing, and went for lunch this weekend.
What I ordered was the litmus test of every north indian restaurant - butter chicken, dal bukhara, kababs, and the usual naans. Simple, and easy.
The decor of the restaurant is "earthen and woody". Sort of rustic. There are stools to sit on (no backrests!! hugely uncomfortable) on most table instead of chairs. I heard from the manager that the restaurant was due for renovation, and believe me it needs it! While it is not run down or anything like that, the decor is too old for anyone to enjoy. One good thing is that you get a view of the swimming pool, and some greenery, so there's scope for this space once it is renovated.
The food was delightful, so that's a huge relief. It is heavy and rich, which is what you'd expect. And quite nice. No complaints on this department, and the butter chicken and dal are definitely on par with ITC tradition.
The menu is a plank of wood (literally) and the options are limited here, so don't go expecting anything besides the basic routine dishes. They are pricey (a meal for two will set you back around 1500 rupees) as well.
So.... its time to rank my favourite north indian restaurants in town (not accounting for price or anything else, and solely on some magical combination of food and decor). I will include restaurants that serve north indian food.
The Butter Chicken Award for the Best North Indian Cuisine in Hyderabad:-
1. Winner:- Peshawri, ITC Kakatiya Sheraton Hotel
2. Runner Up:- Ohri's Tadka, Ohri's Banjara Hotel
Honourable Mentions:-
3. Angeethi, Road No. 1 Banjara Hills
4. Grill Room, Fusion 9 (yes it has good indian food !)
5. Zafraan (Somajiguda)
COMING UP NEXT : New restaurants have opened in Banjara Hills by the BJN group from Bangalore (of Angeethi fame). So I'll be checking them out soon, and will post a review soon!! Look out for that. And I also owe you guys a terrace bay review (haven't gotten around to visiting it as yet)
As usual if you spot a restaurant you'd like me to review, let me know!
10月30日 Brunch at Little ItalyI must admit I was pleasantly surprised when I went to eat at Little Italy for brunch. There was a great variety of food on offer and at a fantastic price.
around 370 bucks buys you juice, soup, salad, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, mexican appetizers, etc. it's crazy and a lot of fun. (only problem is that it's vegetarian). plus there's a buy one, get one free cocktail deal (really happy hour!)
cool thing is that you can order any pasta or pizza from their menu ... so it's not restrictive at all!
all in all i highly recommend this. next brunch to try - fusion 9! 10月23日 Grill Room, Fusion 9 Complex, Banjara HillsSo I was quite eager to visit The Grill Room at Fusion 9 Complex, in Banjara Hills.
... I expected exotic sea-food, and fabulous cuts of meat.
What I got instead was a sizzlers and kababs restaurant.
Hey, that's not too bad either !!
Once I adjusted to the shock (and once I realize I could order from the Fusion 9 Menu also!) I settled down to wolf thai food (I know, I know, but I was in no mood for kababs)
The curry was great. The service was a little rude (forced us to relocate tables once we'd already sat. then was really slow to help out when someone in our group got stuck in their elevator!!)
Ambience : not bad, but not as nice as Fusion 9 itself. Somewhat dull, and unfinished.
Food : Good / Great
Worth a visit : Yeah, but eat at Fusion 9 instead!!
New Visits ... and one Big Miss!!Ok so I've been away for a while. Needless to say I spent the time visiting even more Hyderabad restaurants so I could bring you the scoop on the places to visit!
Some new visits and comments : -
Some to-do restaurants:
8月16日 Late Night Dining OptionsI've always been asked by friends... what's a good place to go to after 11:00 PM (last order time for most restaurants)....
... most places in India are forcibly closed down by the cops late at night. Unfortunately this limits the options available for us when the cravings hit us late at night...
But, there are some gems in the rough... some really great places to eat...
1. Ohri's Havmor (Banjara Hills) - This serves a wide variety of comfort food. They even have a buffet, and a full fledged dessert bar. Try the bulls-eye dessert, or some of the innovative smoothies (oreo shake is great). Ohri's is a hyderabad institution so go here first in case of doubt!
2. Try the Kwality Walls' ice cream trucks (near KBR park, near Nagarjuna Circle, etc.) for yummy late night snacking options
3. ITC Kakatiya's Deccan Pavilion - Best midnight buffet and possibly best biryani in town... so if you're near Begumpet, or just need to eat (post midnight though!) this is the best option. Not too pricey either (<Rs. 450 I think)
4. Taj Krishna's Encounter, Taj Banjara's Lobby Coffee Shop, Taj Residency's Lobby Coffee Shop, Novotel Coffee Shop are all open late at night for limited menu service. Basically, you will get sandwiches, butter chicken, biryani, pastas, and the like.
5. Innovative option (during weekdays only!!) would be to go to the bars. Try Touch or 10 Downing St. for terrific food and music. They are open till midnight, and during the weekdays they'll be glad to see you!! Plus, their food's quite decent. At 10 Downing you get a free pint of beer with every main course dish offered.
I'll be interested in adding to this list soon... if you know of a late night place, post it as a comment below for everyone's benefit.
Happy late night dining guys! 8月13日 Sunday Brunch Options...Ok... so Saturday night was amazing. You went out with the gang, partied hard ... and woke up HUNGRY as hell... When your buddies were wolfing down Biryani at Kakatiya, you were too drunk to eat.
You look at your clock -- 2 PM
It's too late for breakfast. Heck it's too late for lunch too... So what's a hungry dude got to do to get some hangover cure in Hyderabad?
Read on!
Top Sunday Brunches
... I still think Hyderabad has a long way to go in terms of a great "Breakfast" place. A place where you can have chilled orange juice, waffles, bagels, fluffy omlettes, and cereal and milk!! Anyone found such a place? What this Blog is aboutHyderabad is known for its spicy, Andhra food - the mutton biryani, the mirch ka salan, etc. When I was planing to move to Hyderabad everyone told me that I'd really enjoy the spicy food ...
... and they were right! Hyderabadis obviously don't have taste buds left - all burnt away with the spices! Wonder how foreigners can survive the food here!
However, Hyderabad's food scene is not just biryani anymore... Far from it! Hyderabad is one of the fastest growing restaurant markets in India... and I'm here to help you discover it all!
This blog is a culinary map for every cuisine, every occasion, and every craving. Use it wisely!
... along the way I will compare Hyderabad restaurants to those in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, New York, London, and the like!
If you're new to Hyderabad, and are wondering where to go (besides the touristy stuff) here's your guide...
ok, that's enough about this blog.... let's get down to the main course!
I'll start by listing (in no particular order) my favourite restaurants in Hyderabad & some tid-bits.... Soon I will start adding awards, criticism, etc.
Hyderabad Restaurant Honour Roll
In the next few posts, I will try to add to this list, and to come up with area-wise suggestions. Then I will do detailed reviews of each restaurant, and start a formal rating system....
Would love to get feedback!
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