Mumbai has a new watering hole at Phoenix Mills and it’s called The Irish House. I went there along with two of my friends last night – Dhiraj (a pure vegetarian) and Srishti, who is carnivore to the core, just like me 🙂
Being a Friday night, it was full-up and it took us around ten minutes to get a table. What we really liked just before we entered the pub was the wall outside which was bedecked with clocks and framed antique-style posters and photographs. Neat!
AMBIENCE: The interiors are nice and warm with wooden beams and highlights everywhere. It captures the spirit of traditional pubs back in grand old Ireland and emulates that same welcoming feel with the aforementioned rustic wooden elements and a subtle pop of colour from the green ceiling.
DRINK AND BE MERRY: Of course, this being a pub, we scanned the drinks menu and found our favourite concoctions on offer. The bar offers beers from all over the world and a unique assortment of cocktails, daiquiris, mojitos and margaritas.
I opted for a Strawberry Daiquiri (since I enjoy sweet, fruity drinks) while Srishti ordered a Whisky Sour and Dhiraj had a classic Long Island Iced Tea.
The verdict? Smooth and intoxicating! It’s a rare occasion when a bar-tender mixes the drinks with perfect proportions and all three of us savoured the ones we had ordered.
APPETITE FOR APPETIZERS: As for the food menu, it was rather extensive. The Irish House menu has contemporary pub grub like Irish Sergeant Potato Skins, chicken or shrimp popcorn and Blistering Chillies which are just some of the signature appetizers on offer. For the main-course, they have interesting things like Lamb Pie and Drunken Fettucine. There is also a section of gourmet sandwiches like Murphy’s BBQ Chicken and Black Label Burger.
For starters, we ordered Belfast BBQ Chicken Wings (which were tantalizingly spicy and came on a bed of French Fries), Wasabi Prawns (six of them, served individually in a spoon) and Shrimp Popcorn.
Dhiraj wanted to try the nachos but they were not available, sadly!
We loved the Shrimp Popcorn and could not stop tucking in to it. It can be quite addictive. But the Wasabi Prawns – though tasty and well cooked – could have done with more bite from the wasabi. It was a bit toned down and didn’t give you a head-rush like one usually expects from wasabi.
THE MAIN COURSE: And finally, we rounded off the evening with Pork Spare Ribs (with Mash) for me, a Cheesy Vegetarian Pasta for Dhiraj and a Pepper Steak with Fries for Srishti.
I found my meal to be overcooked while Dhiraj (a total pasta freako) found that his pasta a little raw and said that it could have done with an extra two minutes on the fire. As for Srishti, she was in steak Heaven, if such a place exists, and could not stop praising the fact that it was well-cooked and not stringy.
OUR VERDICT: On the whole, our experience of the ambience and the music (a mish-mash of popular numbers) was lovely. The service could do with some brushing up but since this place is barely a week old, we’ll overlook it for now.
As for the food, it had it’s moments but could do better with some focus on the taste.
Will we go back? Yes, because it’s a nice place to hang out if you simply want to unwind!