An Evening By the Blue

The Grand Mercure, Bangalore hosted in the busy Koramangala area of Bangalore is one of city’s hidden jewels. They host a couple of dining options among which By the Blue, their Poolside Bar and Restaurant is the most popular and also plays host to the best Sunday Brunch this side of town. I was invited to the Beer, Wine and Kebab festival last month.

The pairing of Indian grills with Wine and Beer needs no introduction. The ambience of this ethereal pool bar add to the flavour. Being a Wine drinker, I decided to pair my grills with Sangiovese Blanco, a mid range White from the house of Fratelli.

We started with the Chicken and Paneer Tikka, the former being my quintessential favourite and were pretty succulent and plated with utmost finesse. The Tandoori Prawns were up next and appeared divine and too good to be eaten. The Fish Fingers were cooked to perfection and went very well with the Dijon mustard which I asked for.

The Dahi Aloo Ki Tikka and the Lobster Bites would work very well at a bar menu for a quick appetizer to go with the spirits. It was however the Chef’s Special-The Smoked Salmon which was my favourite and was an unexpected addition as it was not part of the menu. We had some traditional Mutton Biryani and ended our meal with a very well plated Rasamalai melting in my mouth.

The Beer, Wine and Kebab festival menu priced at 1999 INR all inclusive is a steal and served unlimited for 2 hours. The hospitality of the staff and the service spearheaded by their F&B Manager-Venkat Rao was prompt and deserves special mention. A big thanks to the entire team for such a delectable offering, one I am sure would return soon for more to enjoy.