A night to remember

Gurnaaz Kaur

As the sun slowly slips down, the city gets lit up by bars and restaurants, cafés and nightclubs, pubs and discos… parties, live music, DJs, concerts… all signs of a vibrant nightlife can be seen in Chandigarh — sectors 26, 7, 34, and Elante mall. And this is not just on weekends, but on most weekdays too!

Check them out

Call it the growing corporate culture or the thriving young population; clubbing has become quite a norm these days. And, when it comes to that favourite destination - there is no dearth of places. Among the sought-after outlets for chilling out are FLYP@MTV, Social Offline, Farzi Café, Boulevard-26, The Back Room in 34, Peddlers in 35 and many breweries, including Brew Estate, Kingdom of Beer, The Great Bear, et al .These are places with a lively ambiance, great interiors, theme-based concepts and live gigs .

Talk about food and the list of options is huge. There’s a fusion of Italian, Mexican, Continental, Chinese, Oriental and Mediterranean cuisines. That does not mean there’s any less of Indian cuisine on the menu. Liquor too is high on the chart; it’s a world of craft beer, gin, boutique wine, whiskeys, some fun cocktails and mocktails.

Growing culture

Most of these outlets are divided into sections; giving ample space for those who want to dance to great music or have a relaxed dining experience with some soothing tunes in the backdrop. There is something for every taste, budget and mood, which is reflected in the diversity of their clientele. Inhabitants of nearby cities such as Patiala, Rajpura, Ludhiana and Jalandhar also flock these outlets.

The manager of Farzi café, Devinder Sehgal, says, “The nightlife in Chandigarh I believe has really gained momentum. People come here for food and good ambience and we make sure there is variety in everything, be it music or menu.”

Another important aspect of nightlife is security, which every café and club needs to take care of. Adds Devinder, “For a healthy environment inside the café, we filter the crowd right at the entrance. Then there are both male and female bouncers for any unforeseen situation.”

Fun time

Step inside any of these venues and there is a mixed crowd of students, families and professionals. Seeing women in equal number adds to the glamour. “Nightlife culture is growing here. It is getting better. It’s these new places that have given the platform for such a lifestyle. My favourite hangout places are Bar Exchange, Farzi, Social and Peddlers. Just that I feel there should not be any time restriction for enjoyment and these places should be open till late, at least on the weekends,” says Srishti Jain, a marketing consultant.

Another group partying at Brew Estate echoes, “We work hard during the weekdays and party harder on the weekends. It’s great that we now have many places to go out to, but the music and food is clichéd. It’s been the same for years.”

Nandini Rai, an MBA student, loves the fact that percussionists use ‘dhol’ at Flyp. Other than that, she is happy that the party scene in Chandigarh is nice and bright. “We used to go to Delhi on weekends to party. Thank God, this city has woken up and now there are some fun places here too.”

On the flip side

Most night clubs organise Wednesday Ladies’ Night every alternate week. Female patrons are given discounts or even free food and drinks on these events, but nothing seems to be attractive enough for ladies in the city to make way to these clubs. Says Gaivy, IT professional, “I love to party and come out often with my family, but the idea of coming alone or just with my girl friends doesn’t appeal me. It’s because I don’t feel safe walking out of any of these clubs alone at 11 or 12 in the night.” Seconds Harjas Kaur, computer engineer, “Even on a Wednesday night, you’ll find most of these clubs packed with men. There is no such culture of women enjoying as a group or alone. That’s a far-fetched dream.”