Kolkata (Calcutta)
This grungy yet oddly convivial watering hole is a low-key Kolkata classic. The upper-floor bar has comfortable sofa seating, although the downstairs…
Must-see nightlife in India
Chennai (Madras)
From a keen young team comes this incredibly popular radio-themed bar in southeast Chennai. It's all about mismatched furniture, a bar made of speakers…
Mumbai (Bombay)
The centrepiece art installation at this all-day cafe/bar is inspired by Mumbai street stalls, with smiley balls, buckets, umbrellas and aluminium kettles…
Mumbai (Bombay)
Visually this place is stunning, with water pouring from the hands of a towering Japanese goddess into lotus ponds which reflect shimmering light on the…
Manali
Capacious settees around the fireplace, backed barstools, and garden seating complement a fine cocktail list and four happy hours (till 8pm). Welcome to…
Pune
This Bengaluru transplant has Punekars ditching traditional filter coffee for single origin, 100% Arabica Indian specialty espressos (₹110) and other now…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Dating back to 1927, Flury's is an enticing art deco palace that's a real Kolkata institution. The best time to drop by is during breakfast (English…
Jodhpur
This delightful modern cafe with espresso coffee, cakes and Italian dishes, as well as wine, spirits and beer, sits to one side of the wonderfully…
Chennai (Madras)
Where else in the world can you find DJs playing club music beneath bullfight posters next to TVs showing cricket? Sera is packed most nights with a young…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
A gold-plated low-rider motorbike in the window, helmet lampshades and a Clapton and Led Zep soundtrack set the tone in this youthful pub-diner. Mains…
Chennai (Madras)
Slickly contemporary and favoured by the elite, the high-energy, multilevel restaurant at the Park Hyatt morphs into a busy party spot from 11pm on…
Delhi
A small neighbourhood bar built along the lines of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, Cocktails & Dreams (called simply 'Speakeasy' by regulars) is a local…
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
This bar makes a hip statement with its stripped-back industrial decor in metal and wood. It’s a mere stroll away from JP Nagar’s main market, with an…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
While it really needs no specific introduction, this newly opened branch of the global rock music–themed cafe brings some novelty to Kolkata's drinking…
Darjeeling
This two-floor tearoom run by the Nathmulls tea company offers aficionados a range of quality white, green and black teas by the cup or pot, with in-house…
Kochi (Cochin)
Hands down Fort Cochin's liveliest after-dark hang-out, this moodily lit muralled club-bar spills out onto a poolside terrace, serving cool Kingfishers …
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
This octopus-themed pub (yes, you read that right) offers a fun, freewheeling night out, with Jocose Juleps (a cocktail of Bourbon and crème de menthe) on…
Delhi
Allied to the Full Circle Bookstore, this brightly painted boho cafe gets busy with chattering bookish types, and is ideal when you're in the mood for…
North Goa
The 'village pub' is a welcome addition to the back lanes of sleepy Assagao, with pumping live music on weekends, salsa dancing on Sunday and a fun…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
A new gathering spot for South Kolkata's hipster crowd, Hola's main draw is its live-music evenings, which take place several times every month and…
Shillong
This fashionable hang-out in bustling Laitumkhrah ('lai-muk-rah' or just 'laimu') has good coffee, yummy steaks and other dishes (₹250 to ₹500), plus live…
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer’s licensed Bhang Shop is a simple, unpretentious place. The magic ingredient is bhang: cannabis buds and leaves mixed into a paste with milk,…
Mumbai (Bombay)
A long and slender shotgun-style bar, with the narrow main room leading to a back patio with atmospheric umbrella lighting, Eddie's caters to a young and…
Mcleod Ganj
Ideal for a sundowner, this easily missed spot above the HPTC Bank has sunset valley views and an almost Greek interior of rough whitewashed walls with…
Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)
Down a shaded path off the main road across from Beach 5, Havelock's buzziest live-music venue and hangout has a groovy jungle location. Weekly events…
Palolem
South Goa’s biggest outdoor dance club is a sight (and sound) to behold, with 3D laser light shows, pyrotechnics and state-of-the-art sound systems…
Eastern Rajasthan
Breezy Gigil Cafe has introduced espresso coffee to Alwar. There's also bakery items and a multicuisine veg restaurant kicks of at 10am. The baristas are…
Shimla
Upstairs in a building facing the old Town Hall, ever-obliging Mohan runs this outwardly unremarkable Western coffeeshop with a delightful low-key passion.
Bengaluru (Bangalore)
A kind of non-corporate, locally owned Hard Rock Cafe that's all about classic rock – Hendrix, Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa posters adorn the walls –…
North Goa
Hilltop is a long-serving Vagator trance and party venue that’s deserted by day but comes alive from sunset. Its edge-of-town, neon-lit coconut grove…
North Goa
Once the hallowed epicentre of Goa’s trance scene, the open-air Nine Bar terrace, on the clifftop overlooking Little Vagator Beach, is fading but stills…
Jaipur
Attached to, but separate from, Hotel Shikha, this is the closest thing there is to a beer garden in Jaipur, with plenty of outdoor seating as well as an…
Pune
One of Mumbai's most beloved pubs staked out a prime Koregaon Park location for its 2018 Pune opening. It's a much bigger, more diverse space than the…
Jaipur
Glamorous F Bar is modelled on (excuse the pun) Fashion TV – a mix of fashion, music and art. There are DJs nightly and occasionally there's a weekend…
Hyderabad
The rooftop setting, with rustic bamboo couches and thatch roofs, makes Coco's perfect for a cold drink on a balmy evening (beer/mocktails from ₹175/170)…
Panaji
Take the side entrance (behind the music shop) and climb the stairs to the top floor for this sophisticated little bar and music venue where, let's face…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Kolkata’s best-established nightclub has contemporary sounds throbbing through the single small dance floor and a somewhat cramped chill-out zone,…
Mumbai (Bombay)
With unmatched views of the Gateway of India and harbour, this timeless bar inside the Taj Mahal Palace is an essential visit. Drinks aren’t uberexpensive…
Jheel’s Ginger Coffee Bar & Bakery
Udaipur
This small but slick cafe by the water’s edge is on the ground floor of Jheel Palace Guest House. Large windows and a waterside sit-out afford good lake…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Pumping music energises this highly rated lounge-bar which serves a colour-changing mojito and an elderflower margarita among its long list of cool…
