A merry-go-round spins in the distance. Little kids play with balloons. The Schmidt Memorial stands stoically while the inky-blue sea tirelessly roars in the background. And then there’s you, armed with a glass of Tequila Sunrise as the sun sets and cool breeze gently ruffles your coiffured hair.
This is the view from Boats, the new bar that’s launching in Besant Nagar today. Overlooking Elliot’s beach, this is said to be the city’s only beach-view restobar.
Spead across 2,200 sq ft, the bar can seat 100. It has an outdoor area of 400 sq ft, which offers views of the bustling promenade. Launched by Arun Prakash, Dilip Rogger, Raj Kamal and Arasu Dennis, Boats expands to Based On A True Story. “We didn’t want this to be the usual party place. The idea is to promote it as a café bar where people can read, catch up with each other, and there’s a lot of intellectual exchange. When people talk, they discuss their stories; that’s why the name,” explains Dennis.
Boats sports décor inspired by the beach and sea. “We didn’t want the usual shack feel. So, I did the interiors along with 11 other artists,” says artist Karthik SS.
The walls have glass boxes filled with paper boats, pebbles and shells. The highlight is the seven-ft glass community dining table that filled with sand and driftwood. The wall facing the bar is covered with books based on real-life incidents. You’ll find Gandhi , The Day John Died , The Motorcycle Diaries ... and sprawled across these books is a giant octopus — a painting, of course. A typewriter is attached to the ceiling and from it flows a long piece of paper with printed text. “We want our clients to look up and read. This is rather trippy, you have to do a 180-degree turn as you read. Try it,” says Karthik excited.
The team working on the finishing touches of the place keep running out to the open area ever so often. “We can’t get enough of this view,” says one of them. “Imagine sitting here during the rains,” smiles another. There are benches made out of a catamaran in the outdoor seating area. Orange lifebuoys and chains line the smoking zone. There is a mural that depicts a scene from The Old Man and the Sea .
The menu lists Hawaiian-themed cocktails and the food includes favourites such as tandoori platters, pastas, burgers and European classics such as flaming thermidor. Also, there is no dress code here. So, you can walk in bedraggled and in flip flops or even your beach wear.
