A fortnight after it was soft launched, we stepped inside the Hard Rock Café and stood still. It took us a few minutes to soak in rock memorabilia, from guitars and drumsticks to rock-studded gloves and diamond-studded suits. On our right was the high-ceilinged bar with a stage placed strategically above. On our left was the restaurant that boasted of a false ceiling that diminished the elevated feeling you got at the bar on our right. Straight ahead was the Rock Shop! With metal Harley Davidson pins, li’l guitar keychains, mugs and charity-driven Signature Series line, featuring artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Shakira, Eric Clapton and Green Day T-shirts.
The good stuff
They’ve used the space well without damaging the heritage building. What was once a coffeeshop (Barista) and a fine dining restaurant (1912) is now a place to meet and greet, eat and drink, and make merry even while watching videos beamed across Hard Rock Cafes around the world. The design template goes with the flow. There’s rock memorabilia strewn across the premises. The visual markers are consistent across the world, so you can’t go wrong there. When you blindly walk into any HRC and are familiar with the brand, you know where you are. The menu boasting classic American food like sandwiches, salads and burgers, also included some ‘Namma Bengaluru’ favourites like paneer and chicken wraps, prawn curry, grilled fish and chicken curry and rice. That was thoughtful and a definite value-addition.
We were seated at the restaurant table next to a stone pillar that boasted of an autographed bass drumhead used by Black Sabbath’s Bobby Rondinelli on stage. The effect was mesmerising for a rock buff. Without further ado, we skipped the HRC bestseller Long Island Ice Tea known for the right mix of alcohol and opted for the more genteel Wildberry Smoothie. It was a frozen delight of fresh bananas, pina colada mix, orange juice and raspberry syrup finished off with a slice of fresh pineapple. It went down smooth and got us ready for the starter that was to follow: Jumbo Combo. Served in large portions, four people can make the most of this delectable dish that revels in variety. The Santa fee spring rolls weren’t as tasteful as the Tupelo Chicken Tenders (boneless, seasoned and breaded chicken). Aromatic and filling, they made our Saturday evening come alive. The potato skin with bacon bits came a distant second, while the onion rings kept us happily snacking all through the evening. Among desserts, we wanted to sample the popular Homestyle Cheesecake. But it had gotten over by then and we had to settle for the sinful Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae. We sunk our teeth into a mountain of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge on a fresh brownie topped with chopped walnuts, chocolate sprinkles, fresh whipped cream and a cherry. Nirvana.
The not-so-good stuff
That it’s such a ‘faddy’ place. You have to leave your name at the door and wait at least an hour to be seated during peak evening hours, and particularly on weekends. The acoustics are not consistent throughout, because of the high ceiling and stone walls. And if you want to eat out on your own, it can get a tad expensive. The music sucks. It goes all over the place and is loosely defined. The other day, we heard them playing Michael Jackson.
Talk plastic
Cocktails cost between Rs281 and Rs419; a Kingfisher pint is Rs 133. The bar snacks are between Rs143 and Rs400. Taxes and 5% service charges are extra.
Hard Rock Cafe, St Mark’s Road, Bangalore – 1
(This piece appeared in Mint, the business newspaper of The Wallstreet Journal)