A lively new taproom in Hyderabad where music and a little culinary magic come together

It starts with a little bit of magic. As we made our way up to the top floor of Atrium Mall, Hola Taproom – Bar & Kitchen seemed to appear almost out of nowhere, with an entrance that felt like levitating straight into Hogwarts. Inside, the mood was darker, moodier and decidedly more lively — a sprawling space with a bar glowing on the left, seating on the right and a DJ booth in the middle, where remixes kept the evening ticking along. Beyond the doors, an outdoor section opens up to a pizza brick oven, hinting at one of the evening’s highlights.

At Hola Taproom, craft cocktails, global comfort food and DJ-driven beats turn dinner into a full-fledged night out in Hyderabad

We chose a couch overlooking the mall below and began with drinks. The Bartender special was a bright green, lemony refresher, garnished with apple slices, while the Ocean breeze brought a more tropical personality to the table, with orange, passion fruit and a citrusy, candy-like finish.

The first bites were the Chicken and coriander dim sums, and they made a strong case for starting slow and staying longer. Plump, juicy and wonderfully moreish, they came with three sauces — an umami chilli crisp, a spicy chilli oil and a savoury scallion oil — each changing the character of the bite.

Then came the Loaded chicken nachos, unapologetically messy and indulgent. Shredded chicken disappeared beneath a generous layer of gooey cheese, with sour cream adding creaminess and the slightly sweet tomato salsa cutting through the richness. The Non-veg creamy delight pasta continued the indulgent streak, combining three cheeses and garden vegetables in a creamy sauce. It was comforting, although the roux made it slightly heavier than ideal.

The Spicy prawn tempura roll was a welcome change of texture. Served in a wooden sushi boat with wasabi, soy and pickled ginger, it looked almost too pretty to disturb. Thankfully, it tasted just as good — crisp, umami-rich and with prawns that stayed tender.

The pizza arrived next, straight from the kiln. Thin-crusted, soft in the centre and crowned with an airy, puffed edge, the Neapolitan-style pie had stretchy cheese and just enough grease to make every bite feel indulgent.

But the real finale came in a bowl of warm, molten chocolate. The fondue was surrounded by dragon fruit, green apple, pineapple, pink and white marshmallows and impossibly soft brownies. Apple, brownies and marshmallows were natural partners; dragon fruit was the surprise hit, while pineapple proved a little less convincing.

By the time the chocolate was gone, the music was still playing and the mall stretched out below us. Hola had made dinner feel less like a meal and more like a night out.

Meal for two: ₹1,500++. 12 noon to 11.30 pm. At Gachibowli.

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