Virtual reality, books and tasty treats: Here's why Masquerade by Mystery Rooms in Gachibowli should be your next hangout spot

If you’re looking for a new hangout spot with your squad, look no further. The newly launched Masquerade by Mystery Rooms allows you to play mind-boggling games, feast on shakes and delicious food, and take part in a masquerade party once a month! The New Delhi-based brand opened the doors to its first cafe in India, located in Gachibowli, based on the masquerade theme. 

We drop by on a Friday afternoon, a week after its opening. Welcomed by an armour at the entrance, we’re quite impressed with the colourful and quirky interiors we spot — bright yellow and blue seating, walls decked with masks, miniature motorcycles and toys, and a huge HD screen placed a few feet below the roof, playing videos of pop songs — Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You during our visit — and match screenings.

One can also view the screen from the second floor, which has dartboard machine and framed superhero posters — from Captain America and Black Panther to Joker — perfect for your Instagram feed. There’s also a limited collection of books (mostly fiction) and virtual reality and PlayStation section for the gaming geeks. If you have enough time, you could also play a game at the Mystery Rooms, located inside the restaurant, before you grab a meal at Masquerade. 

After a brief tour, we settle down with a cool summer drink, Blue Boomer — pineapple juice with coconut milk, cream and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and blue curacao syrup. The elaborate menu offers everything from tikkas to pasta and pizzas. The freak shakes in the drinks section is named after games at Mystery Rooms — Murder Menace and Kohinoor Carat. If you’re looking for summer coolers, try Chaska Orange or Pink Lady. 

After finishing off the refreshing mocktail, we dig into Chipotle Cheesy Paneer Tikka. The soft and creamy paneer pieces perfectly balance the spicy chipotle sauce — a predictable yet delicious starter.

Vegetarians can also try Veg Tacos (crispy taco shells filled with tangy beans in tomato sauce) and Bruschetta with melted mozzarella. From the Asian section, we devoured succulent Thai Fish Chilli.

Next up was a piping hot bowl of chicken. The spicy Chicken Leg & Peg — Punjabi style chicken cooked in thick gravy — is best paired with butter roti or naan. The chicken pieces are cooked to perfection, but the gravy is tad bit oily.

What came next caught our attention instantly, so we give the chicken curry a pass and move on to Masquerade’s Mystery Melon. Served in a musk melon shell and a cute face made from Oreo biscuits, this drink is said to have some ‘mysterious flavours’. Rightly named, we taste of a host of flavours — walnuts, cherries and banana, along with sweet jellies and vanilla ice cream. It had us discovering a new one in each sip. Quite a dramatic end to the meal!

Price for two: Rs.1,800.
Pics: R Satish Babu.