The sporty vibe doesn't exactly hit the ceiling, but Xtreme Sports Bar in Fort might prove to be an oasis for the light of pocket and weary of souls

The sporty vibe doesn't exactly hit the ceiling, but Xtreme Sports Bar in Fort might prove to be an oasis for the light of pocket and weary of souls

String the words "extreme", "sports" and "bar" together in a sentence and we're usually ready to lace up our boots, zip up our bomber jackets, and practice our best impression of "I'll be back". Blame the heat outside we didn't, the afternoon we headed to Xtreme Sports Bar in Fort, since we might have startled the good folk tucking into their buffet lunch.

It's best not to blame the gloomy ground-floor interiors of this place when you want to sob into a paper napkin listening to music you presumably grew up on.

When life hands you lemons

It was too early to give in to our Hyde side, and so we decided on the Mr Bodhi Dharma (Rs 120) and the Strawberry Field Forever (Rs 120). We might have guessed by the description of the Mr Bodhi Dharma ("black tea with lemon, fresh mint leaves and honey") that they really meant Lemon Iced Tea, but we're gullible that way. The Strawberry Field is nice, if you like the idea of a raspberry soda topped up with vanilla ice cream.

The four-page menu includes Indian-Chinese snack staples that are usually accompanied with an enquiring "wet or dry?" A question that had we not grown up in this glorious nation, we might have taken mild offence to.

There's also a smattering of the usual kebabs, tikkas and tikkis that go well with green chutney and the onion and carrot "salad" they're served with.

Party starter

We decided to make a meal of only snacks and asked for the Chicken Taipei (Rs 180) and the Mushroom Ginger Chilli (Rs 165), both of which turned out to be batter-smothered and deep-fried. The chicken turned out to be less flavourful than the mushrooms, which carried a nice tang. The Carrot and Red Cabbage Sheekh Kebab (Rs 120) were on the spicier side. The Aloo Corn Tikkis (Rs 130) -- mashed potato punctuated with plump corn kernels -- were nice, but lacking in salt. The alcohol is reasonably priced -- a pint of beer costs Rs 525, with shots priced at Rs 350 each and cocktails priced at Rs 275.

It's best to hit this bar at night with a bunch of buddies and head to the first floor. Given its more spacious interiors that include a pool table and a bar that yawns across an entire wall, it's easier to drown your existential worries in cheap booze while you cheer your favourite team to victory. Try your hand at the pool table (Rs 200 per hour) or at the foosball table (Rs 50).