25 March,2009 07:57 AM IST | | Soumya Mukerji
Haute is a lounge-bar that manages to make sense of Delhi's cultural hodgepodge Haute lounge-bar
Haute shot, and struck right at our hearts. The cosy li'l club, a newborn sibling of the famous Italiano in Gurgaon, is starkly different from its big bro and yet manages to live up to its rank. Here's our report card.
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Food: In starters, the mushroom caps (Rs 150) and tandoori prawns (Rs 545) managed to impress our tastebuds with their low fat content and feisty flavours. Like it light? Order the exotic vegetable combo (250) next; it's not loaded at all. Poultry lovers will dig the charcoal chicken satay (Rs 225), chicken picatta (Rs 275) and the grilled Moroccan chicken (Rs 275), all served in small, well-garnished portions.
The desserts, too, live up to your expectations, with tiramisu and walnut pie (Rs 175) in close competition for the first place.
Drinks: We grade this department an A. Teetotalers won't regret the refreshing fruit punch (Rs 150) and limoncella lemonade (Rs 325), while cocktail connoisseurs would praise the apple cinnamon mojito (Rs 375) over the white Russian (Rs 225). There's enough of hard-hitting stuff for diehard ducks to down, but Alex's red (Rs 395 per glass) fails to woo wine lovers.
Ambience: Blow haute, blow cold. One moment, a Punju number gets you jiggly headed, and the very next, Careless Whisper fills the place. You feel a little crazy, a little lazy, as three larger-than-life facesu00a0those of Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presleyu00a0stare from the walls. "We knew we wanted the whole place built around them," smiled owner Sanjiv Puri, who prides the fact that both his babies (Italiano and Haute) are growing up in the bucolic lap of Gurgaon, away from the malls, chaos and traffic. Rock-a-'bite', baby, thy cradle is green!
Haute lounge-bar
Where: NR-27, Opposite Italiano,
DLF Phase III, Nathupur, Gurgaon
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,100 plus taxes
Ring: 0124-4252335
