If the city’s bar flies were among the country’s more litigious citizens, then we wouldn’t be surprised if Kaitlyn’s Beer Garden was to be sued for false advertising. For it is by no means a beer garden and is not even a terrace venue. The pub, on the second floor of the same Hill Road building as the new Basilico in Bandra, proves that address can play a big part in a place’s success. The conveniently located week-old establishment is not a garden and at present is serving just five beers, all on tap. Yet each of its tightly-packed tables was occupied by 10.30pm on Saturday night.
This to us was another sign that the Bandra working crowd’s appetite for new places to drink is insatiable. Most of the customers appeared to be over 20 years-old, the kind of folks constantly on the look out for spots where a night out doesn’t involve being pressed up against fellow patrons for four hours. For now at least, Kaitlyn’s is among the few bars in the area that takes reservations, which means you don’t have to suffer the tension of not knowing when, if at all, you’ll get inside.
Though it has ten taps, some of which, a waiter told us, will soon serve house beers, currently you can only order the five types made by Andheri microbrewery Brewbot (for Rs225 each). Kaitlyn’s, notably, does not sell branded bottled beers. We didn’t mind the absence of Kingfisher and Tuborg because Brewbot’s beers, of which only three were available when we visited, are perfectly agreeable, especially the Black Mamba, their creamy stout, and the Mojo Rising, their fruity pale ale. However, the Skywalker is done a disservice in the Ginger Beer (Rs375). The signature cocktail, which combines the kolsch with lime cordial and julienned ginger, was so dominated by the spice that the alcohol was almost undetectable. The bar didn’t fare much better with the syrupy Cosmopolitan (Rs370) though it did have a higher booze to mixer ratio.
The selection of food, like that of the alcohol, is fairly standard. Of the multi-cuisine fare, we tried both the lasooni kebab chicken (Rs245) and crispy-style chicken (Rs240) and for the sake of our vegetarian readers, the ‘stuff’ mushroom tandoori (Rs225). All three seemed to be of the same red hue under Kaitlyn’s dim lighting but while the kebabs, which were closer to tikkas, and the mushrooms were well-flavoured and seasoned in the manner of generic bar grub, the crispy chicken disappointed in terms of both its taste and soft texture. It was as unmemorable as the electronic dance music and hip hop remixes being played by the DJ, who looked like the youngest person in the room.
The most distinctive thing about the joint is its décor, which is the root of the reasoning behind calling the place a beer garden. The bar has the illusion of being held up by trees, which are unnecessarily imprinted with the establishment’s logo. They’re fake of course but also not entirely original and will remind you of the interiors of Tote on the Turf in Mahalaxmi. More unique perhaps are the chairs, which have only a single arm rest. While they look cool, they’re a bit impractical much like the idea of running an indoor beer garden with a stock of three beers.
It is our policy to wait at least a week after an establishment has opened before we review it.
Prices include taxes. This review was conducted anonymously.
Kaitlyn’s Beer Garden Second Floor, Khan House, same building as Cafe Basilico, opposite Mamagoto, Hill Road, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 2651 5888. Open daily, from noon to 1am. Get directions here.