Bull
and Bush
- A Pub
Garuda Mall 4th Floor
It’s
just opened and the Bull and Bush pub is becoming the haunt of
the yuppies thronging the malls. This new entrant to the club
of 250 pubs that Bangalore boasts of, is sure to send the night
temperature soaring and the adrenalins thumping. Its sights and
sound sure take you for a sixer.The culmination of the effort
of four entrepreneurs, Mr.Raghu is well experienced in this field
with a chain of pubs. Mr.Rohit, the youngest in the team 4 is
a computer engineer and his passion for providing a unique experience
is obvious. With the latest gizmos and music no effort has been
spared to give it the authentic touch of an English pub with an
Indian twist.
I
remember visiting a pub a decade ago when this concept was new
and monopolized or peppered every Bangalorean’s talk. The
loud music, swirls of cigarette smoke, the thick and heavy hanging
smell of alcohol and sweat and people packed like sardines-- and
I never visited any pub after that. Indeed it was a pleasant surprise
when the architect Mr. Alex Jacob extended an invite to the Bull
& Bush pub on the 4th floor of Garuda Mall, opposite Inox
multiplex to see today’s version. Things have definitely
changed for the better. The loud music made conversation a bit
difficult but the ambience and enthu of dynamic Rohit and seasoned
Alex set the evening going. Mr. Alex’s work has integrated
nuances of renowned architect Charles Correra having worked with
him. The strong sense of drama is deliberate as Alex drew upon
young unknown talents to work on the interiors. The visage of
a bull majestically crafted in leather greets as one steps into
the place. Just rivet the gaze to the entrance ceiling and there’s
the silhouette of a man juxtaposed with the curves of a woman
opposite staring at you. The wall has a mural of a raging bull
in red with a cigar dangling and a hat and the macho feel of a
Ferrari cannot be missed. Does it reflect the nature of the yuppie
crowd who visit this place?? There is a plush comfortably furnished
discreet lounge done in light shade at one end. In fact this place
is two pubs- SOS and Bull and Bush with a single entrance that
attracts the techie and the middle aged. The SOS-Sultanate of
Swing is trendy that can accommodate nearly 200 people with the
latest hip hop and retro music. Attractively done in shades of
pink, violet, white, copper, and rich polished wood, steel and
leather it has an air of bonhomie with the lingerie lamp shades(the
pub is a take on B’lore’s presence as a fashion hub
and was meant to be named as “haute”says Alex) and is
more for the retro crowd than the metro. Lounge, retro, hip hop
are the music played by India’s No 1 DJ. B&B has the
relaxed crowd, those who amble and are taken by surprise that
there is a pub and try to check it out. Some drop in for a quick
drink during the theatre break. These form a bulk of their customers.
Music is classic and contemporary rock fusing well into the ambience.
Public
houses or pubs originating in UK were places owned by large breweries
that had bar counters where people enjoyed their drink and met
friends. The most popular had an informal air besides being attractively
decorated. Many pubs are called as The Bulls, referring to the
time when monks authorized by an abbot maintained the guest house.
The abbot’s license as a churchman used to bear a bulla (seal).Developing
from the Roman tabernae (wine shop) they were situated along main
roads and marked by ivy bushes. Those that served quality drinks
did not have this sign, and the origin to the saying that good
wine needs no bush took roots from this. The Bull and Bush is
a popular chain of pubs across the UK more so in London even today.
I am told that there was a pub by the name in the 1950’s
that rocked the scene, on Brigade road very popular with the British
army officers, and later on with the Indian army chaps and that
the probable location was where Nilgiris is housed today. Subsequently
it changed tracks to house a record store.
A
bit of history, as also the catchy name has been thoughtfully
knitted by the owners that match the range of drinks expertly
concocted and mixed by the experienced bartender Pandyan who is
given a free hand. The shooters given in a test tube as Rohit
puts it, are to be swallowed in one go –bottoms up (no pun)
and go very well with any drink. There are 30 varieties of shooters
in varied colours and flavours to tickle the senses that are vodka/gin/Tequila
based that are not listed on the menu and meant for those who
have a great feeling for taste as Pandyan keeps changing them
weekly. The international Slippery nipple finds a place here.
A drink of dark rum, pineapple and lime juices was good, so also
the aniseed liqueur. I sniffed and twirled the Michael Harrow,
the French wine like a connoisseur. I thought I saw the Onida
devil in the Chilly Vodka where chillies are marinated for 8 hours
to get that fiery taste as chilly blends perfectly with Vodka.
This was something new and out of this world. I hope Alex did
not notice the fiendish grin on yours truly. I recommend the above
drinks with the ubiquitous fresh draught beer.Mocktails are customized
and are known as the Barman’s Special. A good variety of
wines are showcased and top of the shelf whisky is available.
Food is as it should be- playing second fiddle to the bar. The
drinks ranging from 90/= to 225/- is not exorbitant considering
the fringe benefits of the music, ambience, being in a mall with
fries from France.
In an internationally reputed city with its expats and a burgeoning
populace who have experienced international standards of excellence
it’s challenging to have a pub matching their expectations
in a mall says Rohit. Open from 11am -11pm it can be visited for
the coffee and starters served.
If you had visited the pub recently and would like to provide
your comments or rate this Pub, please
RATE HERE.
Visitor's
Feedback : The restaurant has been rated as Excellent on all four
traits below by the following persons: Ajay,Shilpa,
Ashish and Kumar. In addition the following have a few comments
to add.
Hemanth says "SOS
has one of the best ambience i have seen across 3 continents(Asia,
N.America, and Central Europe)...its a treat for the eyes..a \'must
see\' for visitors to bangalore and a \'must go\' for bangloreans...cheers.."
Kumar
says
"superb crowd awesome music simply
mindblowing"
Sharath
says
"Real cool place, the music rocks, great ambience
good place to party !!! cheers"
Swami
writes " SOS/ Bull and Busch
can be compared to any Pub around the world for its varied music
tracks, fantastic ambience and exciting Drinks.. I would not be
surprised if you guys set this as a benchmark for other Pubs in
Pub City. The New Years eve Party was mind blowing and I thoroughly
enjoyed it. Best of luck for the Future
Gowtham
Bantapalli writes "It is a great
place to be in to relax and rejoice the wonderful music and girls
wandering around. "
Praveen
says "
this is the happening place in town,great crowd to hang around,great
work guys keep up the good work,try the chilly vodka shooter tooo
gud..cheers"
Surya
adds " its the new place where
we can have personal and official parties."
Srikanth
writes
: where do you get a pub with such an ambience,
great music, great beer and top it all such parking space..kudos
to rohit and team
