Lord of the Drinks opened its doors in Pune just a few weeks ago. It’s a bustling party spot as the name suggests but they also offer a leisurely Sunday brunch. I had a chance to check it out last week.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that it is lavish and you will be spoiled for choice. Reasonably priced at 699++ onwards, there are options for unlimited beer/wine or liquor.
Be ready to haul yourself up three flights of stairs because Lord of the Drinks does not have an elevator. The lower level is huge with a sweeping bar that spans the length of the place.
There are a variety of seating options. If you snag a window table, you just might get a glimpse of the river. The upper level is open to the sky and has another impressive bar.
A spread of salads and munchies was already set up when we entered. There was a choice of breads with flavored butters, cheeses, fruit, salted nuts, mezze, zucchini and mushroom pate and an assortment of tossed salads.
The Grilled Veggies and Sesame salad will get you off to a healthy start. Don’t miss the array of smoothies on ice, stored in tiny mason jars. A Caprese Salad sat next to a Som Tam indicating the multi cuisine nature of the place.
Lord of the Drinks brunch offered an array of appetizers that will be made fresh for you and brought to your table. Vegetarians had plenty of options with Vegetarian Nachos, Chinjabi Wontons, Skewered Vegetables, Barbecued Dhokla Chaat, Falafel, Dahi Ke Kebab and Dimsum. The steamed dumplings with Chinese five spice are a must try. Best thing is you can order as many of them as you like.
The main course had Indian, Continental and Thai options. Dal Makhani and Paneer Lababdar offered standard North Indian fare. A Green Thai Curry and Basil Fried Rice satisfied the Asian cravings. I will have to try their Lasagna and Penne with Alfredo sauce next time. A Vegetarian Biryani was provided which was a cause to rejoice. An assortment of breads was brought over based on whatever you order.
Desserts also offered something from every continent with a Chocolate Mousse, Blueberry French Toast, Shahi Tukda and Tiramisu. The Shahi Tukda was crisp and syrupy and quite sweet. The Tiramisu was light and airy and a fitting end to the big meal.
What about drinks? I tried a couple of mocktails, One was a melon cooler strongly infused with kaffir lime. A litchi based drink was familiar territory. Drinks with smoke/ dry ice seem to be the specialty. Smoked Sangria was a version of the traditional one. Flavored smoke was poured into a concoction of wine, liquer and fruit juices. This one didn’t have the chopped fruit which is common in sangria.
Lord of the Drinks seems to be off to a good start. They do have some opportunities for improvement. I found the dips and mezze were kind of bland. The Indian food on the other hand was very spicy for my taste. The brunch offers almost anything you can think of and it is a really good deal in that aspect.
Sunday is coming up again and you can get ready to spend a lazy afternoon noshing on the abundant food options at Lord of the Drinks.
