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Category: South Asia

  • Best Cocktail Bars – Asia’s 50 Best Bars in Delhi : An honest review of Sidecar, Lair and more

    Best Cocktail Bars – Asia’s 50 Best Bars in Delhi : An honest review of Sidecar, Lair and more

    Delhi might not be the first city you think of when it comes to cocktails, but three Delhi bars made it into the World’s 50 Best Bars / Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2025. Here’s my unfiltered review — from the POV of a solo traveler.

    LAIR

    📍 Vasant Vihar, New Delhi

    Vibe : Modern geometrical shaped interior designs that is presumed to be a speakeasy – felt a little futuristic I’d say. I found the menu to have an impressive story telling with three main themes : “The great mountains”, “The Coast”, “The Central Highlands”. The staff checked in often to refill my water and snacks and even recommended a few nearby bars (which I’ve listed at the end of this post!)

    My Experience : I went on a mid-week and it was quite empty. Located in Vasant Vihar – the area was quiet after 9pm on weekday and as a female solo traveller I wouldn’t recommend lingering near the alleyways as it gets too dark for one’s comfort.

    The drinks were interesting given that they tried to show the regional differences through its ingredients. I had two drinks :

    1. Nilgiri — a gin-based drink that was light, floral, and refreshingly aromatic with subtle lavender note.
    2. Rangpur Fizz — creamy yet fizzy, made with Rangpur lime. It was interesting but not something I’d reorder.
    Entrance of Lair can be missed with the black walls.
    Rangpur FIzz
    Nigiri on the foreground

    Will I visit again : Perhaps yes, as much I’d say it was a creative theme to represent India’s nature, I felt the drinks weren’t as impressive as I thought it would be, let alone the vibe especially on a weekday. Well on a positive note, there are multiple bars nearby to explore which I have shared further below!

    SIDECAR

    📍 Greater Kailash II

    Sidecar named one of the top bars in India and consistently ranks within the Top 50 Best Bars in Asia. With that kind of hype, I went in with pretty high expectations.

    Vibe : Very laidback, it felt like a casual restaurant more than a bar. The lights were warm, the playlist was easygoing, and the crowd leaned toward relaxed after-work groups rather than cocktail geeks.

    I was recommend the drink Kaapi Time which was a coffee twist of old fashioned and a plate of spring rolls to go with. For me the Kaapi Time had balanced tangy-sour kick, finishing with smooth whiskey notes.

    Kaapi Time
    The speakeasy entrance is next to HDFC Bank for Sidecar

    My Experience : Although it was a speakeasy, the logo at the top of the building gives away the location. I found their menu easy to read, simple, no over-the-top storytelling. To me this bar is an easy first drink of the night rather than the climax of a bar crawl.

    Will I visit again : Probably not. I wouldn’t go out of my way to revisit Sidecar. For a bar that ranks so highly, I expected stronger storytelling, drink line ups.

    HOOT’S BAR

    📍 Vasant Vihar

    This was a recommendation from Margaret Eyes and had was listed on the world’s top 50 best bars. there was a smoking lounge within. No dramatic opening of door, a speakeasy situated on level 1, right above the Perch Wine Bar, behind a large black door.

    Vibe : Dim lighting just gives intimate vibes, great for date nights, catchup with friends. This bar is known for its classic cocktails, the bar was run by 2 folks the day I went and it was a busy evening that I had to stand at the bar.

    My Experience : I didn’t expect to stay late till closing at 12.30am. I had 2 drinks here – Whiskey Sour, Aeroplane

    Smoking lounge within the Hoots’ Bar, Delhi
    Aeroplane Cocktail
    Whiskey Sour

    Will I visit again : If I am near Lair, I will come here to have a classic drink for sure. Their Whiskey Sour was good and I had 2 of it.

    MARGARET EYE BAR

    📍Vasant Vihar

    Recommended by the folks at Lair Bar, this is a speakeasy bar situated on level 2 above Perch Bar and it turned out to be an absolute surprise for me.

    Vibe : On a weekday at 10pm, it was empty and I had the whole bar to myself. It was refreshing to see their concept and the interlink between the Hoots Bar and Margaret Eye. It was a much more modern set up, the drinks had regional inspiration and made of vegetables. I had a Picante that was Tequila based with bamboo shoots, pickled cordial. What actually really impressed me was that the bars were run by women.

    My Experience : It was a pleasant experience with the bartenders very attentive. As much as I liked the refreshing Picante, they serve great tapas especially Bacon Fried Rice (although a little salty for me) and it was highly rated on Google Review. Feeling greedy, I ordered some sushi roll to company the fried rice (which was a tad dry but passable).

    Picante
    Bacon Fried Rice
    Sushi Roll

    Will I visit again : Yes, this was a hidden gem and underrated bar!

    Overall

    At the end of the night, I found myself gravitating toward Hoot’s Bar and Margaret Eye — both had stronger character and better cocktails compared to the more hyped names.

    A small reminder if you’re bar-hopping in Delhi: many of these speakeasies are dimly lit and tucked into quiet alleyways of Vasant Vihar, so stay aware of your surroundings, especially if you’re solo female traveler. Alcohol can dull situational awareness, so trust your instincts, start the evening early and plan your route ahead with Uber or Ola.

  • Malaysia Airlines Business Class : A review of MH191, DEL to KUL.

    Malaysia Airlines Business Class : A review of MH191, DEL to KUL.

    This overnight flight is operated by the A330-300, configured with a 1-2-1 Business Class layout. Boarding was smooth and efficient, and I was warmly greeted by the cabin crew before being shown to my seat — 4D, located in the middle section of the cabin.

    Inflight Dining

    Meal service started shortly after takeoff with a pre-drinks trolley making its way through the cabin. I hada glass of champagne and a white wine. The crew were nice to let me try their white wines, I preferred Pikes wine that went well with the food.

    The first course was Malaysia Airlines’ signature satay — you get a choice between lamb, chicken, or a mix of both. I requested for mixed and surprisingly enjoyed the lamb more than expected; it was tender, perfectly cooked, and paired beautifully with the peanut sauce — spicy and nutty in just the right balance.

    Next came a light salad to cleanse the palate before the main course. I had been craving chicken tikka for days (and even before the flight searching for it) and, to my delight, Chicken Tikka Biryani was on the menu. It did not disappoint — the chicken was cooked to perfection, juicy without being overdone, and the masala, just right.

    • Chicken Lamb Satay
    • Chicken Tikka Biriyani

    Dessert was Phirni, a creamy rice pudding traditionally flavored with cardamom. I mistook it for mushroom soup and sprinkled black pepper on top, but it was still good.

    I ended the meal with a hot Teh Tarik, Malaysia’s beloved pulled milk tea. You can’t go wrong with that. Service was swift, and within two hour of takeoff, the cabin lights were dimmed to allow passengers to rest.

    Since this is a 5 hour flight, no amenity kit or slippers are provided as its relatively short.

    Cabin and Seats

    I found the seat a little thin, there was a comforter and blanket given to make your seat more comfy. The seat itself was comfortable for sitting and lounging, but when converted into a lie-flat bed, I found the footwell rather narrow, making it a little restrictive to change sleeping positions. Since this was a 5-hour overnight sector, it wasn’t a dealbreaker, but on longer flights it might become uncomfortable.

    In terms of storage space there is a sufficient but sitting at the middle section also meant lesser table area. If I were to be doing laptop work, it would have been a tad uncomfortable.

    Entertainment

    I did a scroll through the movie list and found it to not have an extensive collection of movies especially for regional languages.

    Final Thoughts

    Interestingly, this aircraft also features a small “Premium Economy” zone in rows 9 and 10. On my inbound sector, I was seated there, and I found it to be more private and exclusive than regular economy — definitely an option worth considering if you want more comfort without upgrading all the way to business.

    MH191 Business Class offers a decent value with comforting experience for red-eye flights with delicious food, and friendly service. For me, the narrow footwell, and limited movie selection will be of a consideration for long haul flights. Depending on the season, MH191 can be as affordable as ~49K INR or 562 USD one way.

    I’d say that EY’s product is slightly positioned better for those regional flights (those on the widebody jets) mainly thanks to the food option.