Bull and Bush
- A Pub Garuda Mall 4th Floor It’s
just opened and the Bull and Bush pub is becoming the haunt of the yuppies thronging
the malls. This new entrant to the club of 250 pubs that Bangalore boasts of,
is sure to send the night temperature soaring and the adrenalins thumping. Its
sights and sound sure take you for a sixer.The culmination of the effort of four
entrepreneurs, Mr.Raghu is well experienced in this field with a chain of pubs.
Mr.Rohit, the youngest in the team 4 is a computer engineer and his passion for
providing a unique experience is obvious. With the latest gizmos and music no
effort has been spared to give it the authentic touch of an English pub with an
Indian twist.
I
remember visiting a pub a decade ago when this concept was new and monopolized
or peppered every Bangalorean’s talk. The loud music, swirls of cigarette
smoke, the thick and heavy hanging smell of alcohol and sweat and people packed
like sardines-- and I never visited any pub after that. Indeed it was a pleasant
surprise when the architect Mr. Alex Jacob extended an invite to the Bull &
Bush pub on the 4th floor of Garuda Mall, opposite Inox multiplex to see today’s
version. Things have definitely changed for the better. The loud music made conversation
a bit difficult but the ambience and enthu of dynamic Rohit and seasoned Alex
set the evening going. Mr. Alex’s work has integrated nuances of renowned
architect Charles Correra having worked with him. The strong sense of drama is
deliberate as Alex drew upon young unknown talents to work on the interiors. The
visage of a bull majestically crafted in leather greets as one steps into the
place. Just rivet the gaze to the entrance ceiling and there’s the silhouette
of a man juxtaposed with the curves of a woman opposite staring at you. The wall
has a mural of a raging bull in red with a cigar dangling and a hat and the macho
feel of a Ferrari cannot be missed. Does it reflect the nature of the yuppie crowd
who visit this place?? There is a plush comfortably furnished discreet lounge
done in light shade at one end. In fact this place is two pubs- SOS and Bull and
Bush with a single entrance that attracts the techie and the middle aged. The
SOS-Sultanate of Swing is trendy that can accommodate nearly 200 people with the
latest hip hop and retro music. Attractively done in shades of pink, violet, white,
copper, and rich polished wood, steel and leather it has an air of bonhomie with
the lingerie lamp shades(the pub is a take on B’lore’s presence as a
fashion hub and was meant to be named as “haute”says Alex) and is more
for the retro crowd than the metro. Lounge, retro, hip hop are the music played
by India’s No 1 DJ. B&B has the relaxed crowd, those who amble and are
taken by surprise that there is a pub and try to check it out. Some drop in for
a quick drink during the theatre break. These form a bulk of their customers.
Music is classic and contemporary rock fusing well into the ambience.
Public
houses or pubs originating in UK were places owned by large breweries that had
bar counters where people enjoyed their drink and met friends. The most popular
had an informal air besides being attractively decorated. Many pubs are called
as The Bulls, referring to the time when monks authorized by an abbot maintained
the guest house. The abbot’s license as a churchman used to bear a bulla
(seal).Developing from the Roman tabernae (wine shop) they were situated along
main roads and marked by ivy bushes. Those that served quality drinks did not
have this sign, and the origin to the saying that good wine needs no bush took
roots from this. The Bull and Bush is a popular chain of pubs across the UK more
so in London even today. I am told that there was a pub by the name in the 1950’s
that rocked the scene, on Brigade road very popular with the British army officers,
and later on with the Indian army chaps and that the probable location was where
Nilgiris is housed today. Subsequently it changed tracks to house a record store.
A
bit of history, as also the catchy name has been thoughtfully knitted by the owners
that match the range of drinks expertly concocted and mixed by the experienced
bartender Pandyan who is given a free hand. The shooters given in a test tube
as Rohit puts it, are to be swallowed in one go –bottoms up (no pun) and
go very well with any drink. There are 30 varieties of shooters in varied colours
and flavours to tickle the senses that are vodka/gin/Tequila based that are not
listed on the menu and meant for those who have a great feeling for taste as Pandyan
keeps changing them weekly. The international Slippery nipple finds a place here.
A drink of dark rum, pineapple and lime juices was good, so also the aniseed liqueur.
I sniffed and twirled the Michael Harrow, the French wine like a connoisseur.
I thought I saw the Onida devil in the Chilly Vodka where chillies are marinated
for 8 hours to get that fiery taste as chilly blends perfectly with Vodka. This
was something new and out of this world. I hope Alex did not notice the fiendish
grin on yours truly. I recommend the above drinks with the ubiquitous fresh draught
beer.Mocktails are customized and are known as the Barman’s Special. A good
variety of wines are showcased and top of the shelf whisky is available. Food
is as it should be- playing second fiddle to the bar. The drinks ranging from
90/= to 225/- is not exorbitant considering the fringe benefits of the music,
ambience, being in a mall with fries from France.
In an internationally
reputed city with its expats and a burgeoning populace who have experienced international
standards of excellence it’s challenging to have a pub matching their expectations
in a mall says Rohit. Open from 11am -11pm it can be visited for the coffee and
starters served.
If you had visited the pub recently and would like to provide your comments or
rate this Pub, please RATE
HERE.
Visitor's
Feedback : The restaurant has been rated as Excellent on all four traits below
by the following persons: Ajay,Shilpa, Ashish and Kumar.
In addition the following have a few comments to add.
Hemanth
says "SOS has one of the best ambience i have
seen across 3 continents(Asia, N.America, and Central Europe)...its a treat for
the eyes..a \'must see\' for visitors to bangalore and a \'must go\' for bangloreans...cheers.."
Kumar
says "superb
crowd awesome music simply mindblowing"
Sharath
says
"Real cool place, the music rocks, great ambience
good place to party
!!! cheers"
Swami
writes " SOS/ Bull and Busch can be compared
to any Pub around the world for its varied music tracks, fantastic ambience and
exciting Drinks.. I would not be surprised if you guys set this as a benchmark
for other Pubs in Pub City. The New Years eve Party was mind blowing and I thoroughly
enjoyed it. Best of luck for the Future
Gowtham
Bantapalli writes "It is a great place to be
in to relax and rejoice the wonderful music and girls wandering around. "
Praveen
says " this is
the happening place in town,great crowd to hang around,great work guys keep up
the good work,try the chilly vodka shooter tooo gud..cheers"
Surya
adds " its the new place where we can have personal
and official parties."
Srikanth
writes : where
do you get a pub with such an ambience, great music, great beer and top it all
such parking space..kudos to rohit and team
