They say that every bar is as good as its barman. Sandys Cocktails & Kitchen at Sector 29, Gurgaon welcomes you with such warmth that you fall in love with the place. Sandeep Verma, the ebullient character who owns the place and mixes some killer cocktails regales you with stories as he takes you around on a tour of his baby. Spread over two floors along with a lawn that serves perfectly for a Sunday grill, Sandys is the place to be whether catching up with friends or a lazy Sunday Brunch.
The ground floor serves more of a restaurant theme where you can sit down with your date for a glass of wine. The basement below houses the bar and a stage for the performing artists while the lawns outside are perfect in the chilly winters for a barbeque. Done in hues of blue and brown, the place exudes a warmth that you might find in a neighbourhood bar.
The menu houses a huge selection of food from all over the world but it’s the range of cocktails that blows you away. We start off with the Bratwurst (INR 429) with perfectly grilled pork sausages, red cabbage sauerkraut, fig chutney, grain mustard and poached pears with the hard hitting Vesper (it’s the vodka martini that James Bond orders while playing poker in Casino Royale, INR 395). The perfectly crisped out sausages with the sweetness from the sauerkraut, fig chutney and the poached pears but it’s the combination of gin and vodka that hits you like a brick. Take a bite of the olive to cut across all the sweetness.
The Salad includes a deconstructed Caesar Salad (INR 379) combined with the Last Tango in Modena. The chicken lies on the side along with a well dressed collection of greens and melba bread as the Last Tango in Modena (INR 475) consists of hit of chilli along with the tequila as the ice globe dissolves to give you new flavours of passion fruit and lime. The sumptuous Hungarian Goulash (new on the menu) comes replete with warm flavours of lamb and vegetables while the Smok’d Celery Bloody Bitch (INR 475) is a treat to the senses.
The mains include a Braised Lamb Shank (INR 599) served with globe artichokes, green pea and truffle risotto, sautéed spinach and a shallot confit. The lamb is slowly cooked in it’s own jus overnight to get that perfect velvety texture while the accompaniments do a great job of accentuating the flavours. We combine that with an Old Fashioned (INR 425) for the warmth of Bourbon to spread through you. We finish off on a high with a New Age Tiramisu (INR 329) along with a Expresso Martini with Hazelnut Foam (INR 475).
Sandys Cocktails & Kitchen scores high as your neighbourhood bar with a very warm ambience along with a long list of cocktails.
Where: Sandys Cocktails & Kitchen, Sector 29, Gurgaon
Location: Right next to IFFCO Metro Station
Cost for two: INR 2000
