Rooftop restaurants might be passé. However, there’s one up in the air and it is creating quite a buzz since its opening a few weeks ago. Cloud Dining in HITEC City offers a dine-in-the-sky experience with a splendid view of the city. After Bengaluru and Noida, Hyderabad gets the first of its kind, and we couldn’t wait to experience it.
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Suspended from a tall crane is a metal platform with aircraft-standard seats and a dining table that can accommodate 25 people around the table and three servers including an entertainer in the centre. Diners are fastened to the chairs with multiple straps for safety. The equipment has been tested and certified from Germany.
Once everyone is seated and strapped, we start ascending gradually and soon, we were at 160 feet above the ground! Right at sunset time, we get a picturesque view of the city’s skyline — the bustling HITEC City road on one side and the Cyber Towers on the other. As we’re busy clicking pictures for our Instagram, a well-arranged plate of appetisers is served, with a refreshing Masala Soda. We first try the Hara Bhara Kebab. This spinach kebab, topped with fried cashews and served with mint chutney and hot garlic sauce, is comforting and crunchy. While the vegetable skewers are rather ho-hum, the tandoor-cooked Corn Kebab with stuffed potato and onion pieces is soft and delicious. Non-vegetarians can pick from a range of meat options including Shami and Seekh Kebabs. The menu, conceptualised by 2013 Master Chef winner Ripu Daman Handa, offers not just Indian but Continental cuisine as well. “Although we have a variety in the menu, we suggest patrons let us know an hour ahead, so we can serve them the best. The menu changes every day, but we keep in mind the local palate and plan accordingly,” says Tarun Koli, director.
While the regular hour-long dining experience offers a five-course menu (starters, salad, bread basket, main course and desserts with a drink), one can opt for the first session with just starters, drink and a dessert. For mains, we try the Mix Veg Grilled Herb Rice, topped with onions.
While this isn’t as impressive, the Brownie with White Chocolate makes up for it.
As we descend back to the ground, we realise that it is the view that truly makes you want to visit Cloud Dining, which literally takes dining to new heights.
Starts at Rs.2,999 per person.
Pictures: Sathya Keerthi.