Indian metros are waking up to the joys of chilling out in lounge bars with a glass of bubbly. TWF correspondent Avijit Chatterjee goes lounge bar hopping in the resurgent eastern megapolis Kolkata to discover how the once non-happening city is shedding its frumpy image to catch on the trend.

Small cars on bumpy roads? Work hard, party harder Positive does it Say it with tattoo Image matters Body art Rain fashion Life on a roll Dance your blues away Riding with the times Eastward on the fashion trail Forever young Masala on the menu Go earthly Home décor in vogue Weekend rendezvous On a spicy wicket End of a reel affair? Ah, what a wedding! Goodbye, facial-man! Autumn colours Shopping netizens Mall mania It’s my life Night without end Just kid-in Soft and happening Marriage Online

It is 11 PM on a Saturday and Kolkata's nouveau riches are hitting the BED, the swankiest night haunt in town. Amidst the mellow music, the clinking of glasses and the ripple of laughter, Kolkata is experiencing a new nirvana. It’s Saturday Night Fever folks and the city is learning to sway to a new tune. Not the regular ear-splitting, nerve-racking kind, but music that's balm for your soul and the ambience that take you on a journey to the Arabian Nights.

Welcome to the new age of lounging. If discos are déclassé and the pubs too noisy and crowded, lounge bars are the newest rendezvous of the discerning class. With its low seating, soft music and relaxed atmosphere, they are a clear winner by any standards. But if you think Kolkata and lounge bars make strange bedfellows, you are mistaken.

The riotous glam of the ‘70s and ‘80s disco have given way to the safer elegance and glamour of the city's millennium's nightlife niche, the lounge bar. Once famed for its vibrant nightlife, Communist-ruled Bengal is playing the enchantress, wooing the investors and the city's burgeoning middle class alike.

Coupled with the city's resurgence, which is reflected in the booming hospitality industry, lounge bars have suddenly become a rage. And the city's revellers, all eager to play footsie, are partying like there's no tomorrow. Says Bipin Vora of BED(Bars Entertainment and Dining) , who co-owns it with Bollywood actor Aditya Panscholi, "Partying has acquired an entirely different connotation. It no longer means dancing in gay abandon to some raucous music. Chilling out with a glass of champagne or whisky while listening to the strains of Buddha Bar or hip-hop is the in thing."

Clearly, today's youth prefers to play it cool and safe. Drinking, mingling and snacking barely sums up their attitude. For those looking for a gastronomical high, BED, spread over 10,000 sq. ft. area, offers Chinese, Thai and Indian delicacies. An Arabian spread on the rooftop is also on the cards.

Observes Sovan Mukherjee, Manager, Sisha Bar, one of the first to set up lounge bars in the city two years back," For the young professionals in their mid-20s and 30s, tired of loud music and frenzied dancing, lounge bars are an ideal place to relax and unwind. Also, the ambience of the place helps you to engage in conversation or do business without interruption." "Unlike most lounge bars, our stress is on the family crowd. Even kids are allowed as there are no restrictions as such. The atmosphere of the place is
such that even girls can come here and relax without being propositioned," he adds.

Says Reshmi Singh, a banker, " At Sisha I can be completely at ease with my women friends and enjoy my drink without the worry of being gawked at." If comfort and chilling are the key, what adds to the USP of the place is its hookah bar. The hookahs come in 21 flavours, with pistachio, apricot, apple, cherry and jasmine being the most popular ones. Carrying the Arabian theme is the range of cocktails on offer. These include Camel's Breath (a mix of dark rum, spices and apple juice), Martini Morocco(a concoction of vodka, lime juice and grenadine syrup) , and Babylon spice (in three flavours of mint, chocolate and coffee). If drinks are Middle Eastern so is the food. Lebanese delicacies such as hummus(mashed chickpeas seasoned with Olive oil and garlic), babaganouj (chargrilled brinjal) and falafel all served with pitta bread.

Maintaining its exclusivity is 'Virgose' at Hotel Hindustan International. "Our lounge bar is positioned for the well-heeled. Entry to the bars is restricted and as such anybody cannot just walk in and ask for a drink. We mainly cater to the business class and corporate executives," says Managing Director D K Jaiswal, who feels Kolkata has a lot of catching up to do with Delhi and Mumbai. "Nightclubs have become an anachronism in Mumbai and Delhi. Most now prefer to go to place where the food is good, the ambience is posh and the music is rocking," he says. With the dining place bang in the middle and the five lounging spots spread around, the hotel serves Italian, Japanese, Lebanese and Mexican fare.

Even the 'Prince of Cal' at Sourav's, started by Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, caters mainly to the corporate crowd. "Our no-frills lounge bar is mainly targeted at the corporate and the high-flying executives and not for the Gen X crowd. Anyone below 21 is not allowed," says Guest Relations Manager Subhabrata Dutta. If the food and drinks are somewhat Mediterranean at most lounge bars so is the décor.

At Sisha, which means hookah in Arabic, the soft mellow lighting, luxurious low cushioned seating and the languid lounge music all contribute to the creation of an Arabian fantasy. As do the 30-odd hookahs which have been brought from Cairo.
Done up in deep red and black, the place has an ethereal quality about it.
Adding a touch of romance is Bar H20 at poolside of the Park Hotel. With the crystal blue waters lending a touch of serenity to the place, the bar turns into a romantic unwind centre at night. At Virgose, it's the Fibre-LED lights that change to set the perfect mood.