“This time last year, we had a Sid Sriram performance and Bay 146 was packed with happy fans. This time, well, at least we are open,” says Sampath who handles Food and Beverage for Savera Hotel, and programming for its bar Bay146.
He sounds almost rueful, but turns practical when describing the myriad safety instructions spelt out by the State Government for bars in the city to restrictedly reopen. “There should not be any activities which bring in more footfall — no DJs, no live acts, nothing,” he says, adding, “The Government order came on September 3, and we opened our doors on September 4, from 11 am to 8 pm, as is allowed.”
Others have taken a little longer, and many of Chennai’s favourite watering holes are less than a week into their reopening. Having faced the litmus test of their first weekend in unlock, they have a lot to say, from changed seating plans and floor plans to trimmed-down cocktail menus. The one change that stands out the most, however, is in the patrons.
Not the regulars
Zahir RR, owner of Radio Room in MRC Nagar, points out that their usual crowd of 30-plus-year-olds — “we would prefer people sitting back with their drinks quietly” — are still cautious about stepping out, and their guests so far consist largely of people in their 20s.
Black Orchid, Chennai’s signature cocktail Black Orchid Garden
For Sampath, the new, somewhat steady flow of weekday customers is a novelty, compared to the dominantly weekend patronage that most lounges and pubs were used to. Bay 146 now sees patrons of all ages through the day, and is entirely bereft of quick-turnover bar hoppers. “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, people would stop by one place for a quick couple of drinks, move to another for dinner, and to a third to revel, and so on. Now, they would rather sit in one place for about an hour and a half, and then go home,” he observes.
Sanjeev Varma, owner of Black Orchid, explains that unlike the city’s family restaurants and cafés that began cautiously opening up a month ago, the hospitality services that serve alcohol — like bars and clubs — were awaiting permission from the State’s Prohibition and Excise Department. That order mandates, among other things, a seating limit of 50% of the bar’s original capacity. “Bay 146 roughly holds around 170 people in peak hours, so we can easily do around 70 covers at a stretch now,” says Sampath, adding that they keep a two-metre gap between each of its 20 (down from 40) tables. Radio Room, a 120-seater bar, is allowing a maximum of 60 people in.
- Lord of The Drinks, Nungambakkam
- Radio Room, MRC Nagar
- Kommune, T Nagar
- Black Orchid, RA Puram
- The Cycle Gap, Anna Nagar
- Gully Bar, Kilpauk
Black Orchid, on the other hand, is keeping only 50 of its 220 seats available, “but the crowd that comes in is not more than 10 to 15 in a day, so we can safely seat them at far corners of the space, with more than six feet of distance,” says Sanjeev.
However, Lord of The Drinks in Nungambakkam boasts about 100 walk-ins over the course of each day this past week, even as its seating capacity has reduced from 300 to 150 at a time. “People usually come in by 6 pm and stay till closing time on weekends, and we get some steady corporate clients through the week,” says owner Raj Thiru.
Cocktail of conundrums
Bartenders are now operating in relative isolation, away from chaotic crowded orders and expectations of performative flair.
Bay 146 at Savera Hotel, Chennai has spaced out its seating arrangements
All establishments are avoiding bar stools. Brands on offer are just as many as usual, but cocktails and speciality drinks are fewer. Customers can order their drinks only from their table, and it will be brought over to them.
At Savera, instead of opening multiple kitchens, Bay 146 has increased diner choice by offering dishes from other restaurants in the hotel. “Besides the bar, we had the option of keeping one restaurant open, where we serve the specialities of three outlets. If a family comes in, we seat them at Piano. If everyone in the group is over 21 and wants to drink, we seat them at Bay 146,” says Sampath.
Radio Room, too, operates its central kitchen for the bar, Fromage and Broken Bridge Café on the same property. Adds Zahir, “We have a special cocktail menu out for Radio Room, and are not serving some speciality dishes that require a lot of pre-prep, till we get a better idea of how likely they are to be ordered.”
At Black Orchid, the first-floor bar is the only segment that has opened so far. “Our ground floor restaurant is still shut, and the food comes up by elevator from our kitchen on the mezzanine floor,” Sanjeev says, adding that they are allowing only people with reservation, and not encouraging walk-ins. This also gives them some idea of what is likely to be ordered, since both kitchen and bar are operating with fewer staff.
- Barracuda Brew, Nungambakkam
- Watson’s, T Nagar
- Bass & Soda, OMR
Other haunts, like Barracuda Brew in Nungambakkam and Bass & Soda on OMR, will not be opening their doors till October.
As Chennaiites remain cautious about stepping out to their much-missed watering holes, many plans depend on how these first-movers fare.
Lord Of The Drinks, Chennai
