I have always maintained that location is one of the major factors in success of a restaurant. And if the location is such that it is one of its kind in the entire country than not only the local population but anyone who visits that city has it in their priority.
Recently I was invited to Bangalore to join for the pre-launch bash of a high end lounge. I have been to so many great lounges that spending over five hours in flight (both sides) was a big deterrent for me. However knowing my friend, Deeba (Passionate about Baking), will also join me on the trip, I agreed, and I am glad I did.
High Ultra Lounge is unlike any other lounge I have been to. Located on the altitude of 31st floor or 421 feet over World Trade Tower at Malleswaran, it is the highest building in entire South, North & East India. The glass window lift overlooking the greens is sufficient for faint hearted to get goose bumps and a feeling of adventure for brave hearted. The panoramic view of the city is almost similar to the feeling I had at Eiffel tower at Paris or Petronas tower at Malaysia, just that here I could also look forward to great music, food and drinks.
The 20000 sq ft of superlative space at ‘High’ is divided into four zones; High View (beautiful panoramic view of city), High Edge (Personal Party Area), High Dine (Open to sky dining area) and High Mix (High energy lounge). There is another banqueting area of similar size that will get functional soon.
The first standalone F&B venture by Brigade group, a known developer, the High Ultra Lounge also offers a private dining deck at the helipad. Nirupa Shankar, Director of Brigade hospitality took us around and her eyes just lit up as she passed this area. Her body language showed how much she is engaged with the project and how passionately she has been the brain behind the concept.
Most bloggers filled the place soon and the executive chef Zhang Hao came out with few dishes for everyone to eat and guess the ingredients from his pan asian menu. Of these I enjoyed the wasabi and paneer filled tikki with bites of peanuts. At the same time the highly energetic bar director, Guru, kept delighting everyone with his cocktails.
The menu was specially crafted for all of us and given the pre-launch days there were minor misses, however few dishes had us asking for more. I loved crab stick tempura that was as light as air, fried tofu with excellent texture and flavours, and delicately balanced flavours of strawberry and cheese in Sesame Cheese Roll. I would have liked my beef to be more marinated; and Indonesian Massaman Lamb curry missed the essential flavours of star anise and cardamom. Ending the meal, I was awe stuck with the superb caramel-y flavours of banoffie pie.
With the eclectic music, mood changing lights, unparalleled ambience and some great dishes, High Ultra Lounge will undoubtedly become a favourite spot for tourist and the local population alike.
Ratings (out of 5)
Ambience: 5.0 | Food: 4.0 | Service: 3.5 | Overall: 4.0
Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Meal for two: ₹3500/-
Address: High Ultra Lounge, Roof Top, World Trade Centre, Brigade Gateway Campus, 26/1 Dr. Rajkumar Road, Malleswaram West, Bangalore | Telephone: 80 4567 4567
This looks fabulous. I’m visiting Bangalore next month and this is definitely in my to-do list already.
Great Sonika. Do share your experience. Cheers!
I am not sure what to take with me from this review? First and foremost i do not find it serious to grade a place 5/5 only from the experience of a pre-launch event made for the press and the like. Living as a foreigner in Bangalore, I wish for more quality in the numerous places we have to choose from down here, that is quality in both food/drinks, but also in service, architecture and design. Sure the places are great the first few months after opening, but fast they lack the spirit and fade a lot.
I have looked forward to see what would happen putting a restaurant on top of the World Trade Center and I am sad to see the result. However good or not, Chinese slash pan Asia was not what I expected at a WTC – believe me, Bangalore has a lot of options here (two in the mall next to WTC it self), most worse than better though. Not to say it needed to be a top French cuisine kind of a thing, but some more international or original would had been the least. The trend around the world at top restaurants are the minimalistic interior especially those who have the view over all views. Nevertheless they choose the cheap club style even with changing light, so instead of keeping your focus on the breathtaking view and perhaps your food and guests, you are constantly distracted. That said, they call them self a lounge and that is what you get – not more or less. Just sad for Bangalore that they yet again failed to come up with a real stand alone restaurant at an international standard. So surely 5/5 for a lounge if they keep up the service level, however as a high end restaurant setting a side the view (which you pay more than extra for) I give it 2/5.. Are you disagreeing?
Sorry, did not see the variation in the grades.. However will still say the grades are for a lounge bar and not a restaurant, will even say that my expectations for service is lower for a lounge, so considered they think they are a restaurant the service is great. However do they want to be a restaurant both service, food (pan anything)and ambience (eg, the music played and changing light) is way not ambitious enough.
The issue of this lounge or Restaurant thing is that the place is talked about as a high end restaurant and not an expensive viewpoint with attached bar..