It’s been almost a month since After Hours opened its doors, and we finally found our way there one breezy evening. The resto bar sits high enough to offer a good view of the city, which looked extra festive thanks to a few leftover Deepavali crackers lighting up the sky occasionally.
As we settled into our corner by a window with a book in hand, we realised the view from here is a snapshot of everything that makes Chennai what it is; right opposite stands the Kamaraj Memorial House, a little farther away are all the tall buildings that are slowly swapping out the smaller gulleys of shopping streets, and in between all these are the rooftops of quaint lives led by the good people of Chennai. The skyline captures the city perfectly, and the resto bar takes that forward in its logo, featuring the Lighthouse and other Chennai landmarks, a refreshing sight when we’re so used to seeing New York or other famous skylines everywhere.
Proprietor Rashna Adhiraj describes After Hours as a place that runs “from noon to moon”. True to her words, it transitions seamlessly from a laid-back lunch spot to an evening unwind destination. The interiors are boho and calming, which is a welcome break from the loud, neon-heavy bars that usually crowd the scene. With Oriental, Asian, Indian, Italian, and Western options, the menu is designed to please everyone.
We began with a Kiwi mint cooler, a minty, zesty mocktail with sugar, kiwi, sweet and sour mix, and ginger ale. It’s bright, fresh, and fits perfectly with the mood of the space.
Starters come first, quite literally here, as nearly half the menu (with over a dozen pages) is devoted to them. The Mini fried podi idli is easily the crispiest in town, golden on the outside and soft within, gone from the plate in mere seconds. Next, we tried the Paniyaaram, reminiscent of Chettinad kitchens, stuffed with avakkai pickle and with the same addictive crunch as the podi idlis.
The rest of the starters had mixed results. The Panko cheese stick was predictable. The Greek spanakopita was really good, with its fillings — feta and sun-dried tomato — balancing the greens nicely. The Mutton cutlet leaned towards galouti territory, soft and spiced just right. The Malai cauliflower was unexpectedly gentle and criminally melt-in-the-mouth, almost too polite and subtle in flavour.
And at last, we had the Kataifi spicy prawns. Prawns wrapped in angel hair strings and fried, served with a side of tzatziki sauce. It was a bit overcooked for our liking, but it stole our hearts nevertheless with its flavours.
Behind the bar, Nishant Nani, who brings eleven years of experience, whipped us a pitch-perfect Cosmopolitan and then a few of his unnamed specials. His experiments were refreshing and well-balanced.
For mains, we had Herbed rice with grilled chicken and mushroom jus—hearty and comforting. Dessert was Baklava, bite-sized pieces stacked into a tiny pyramid, warm and oozing with honeyed sweetness.
We left the place that night booking ourselves the same seat for next Deepavali to enjoy the full spectrum of colours the city and the resto bar have to offer.
Meal for two: Rs 1,000++. From 12 pm to 12 am. At After Hours, T Nagar.
Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya
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