Bootleggers, the new pub in Colaba

Okay, so I love places that are rich in silk and sushi. But I’ll save them for girly nights out. I can’t expect my male buddies to always indulge my love for luxe. So, once in a while, I let them have it their way and take me to one of their dreary dives.

Last weekend, I dressed down and did the ol’ diva eye-roll and went along with them to Bootleggers. At first glance, this old-new watering hole (it was Hawaiian Shack’s Colaba branch in its last avatar) was just as I expected it’d be — roughly-finished, brick walls and dim lighting. The decor comprised scattered barrels, B&W pictures and adverts on the walls, a gramophone and a huge clock behind the bar. Straight out of an old-town bar in a film set in the 1920s US mid-West! I could just picture the gangsters and the sudden shoot-outs.

Fortunately, the cheesiness stopped there. And the fun started as they pumped up the volume of the music, a heady mix of classic rock to jazz, hip-hop and pop. Something for my band of boys (Nirvana) and something for me (Justin Timberlake). The air-conditioning was good and the general feel of the place turned out to be far less seedy than the name suggests. Famished as I was, I found the starters — typical alco-accompaniment fare — a bit limited. But the drinks were well-made and I lip-smacked my way through an innovative Supari Martini — a classic martini garnished with betelnut.

Not bad for a guy place. Maybe we can get them to play Dancing Queen the next time we’re there. And add a few colourful throw cushions too.

Bootleggers, Pipewala Building, 4th Pasta Lane, Colaba; Tel: 22020455; Open seven days a week from 7.30 pm to 1.30 am; Prices: A pint of beer is priced a little over Rs 100, cocktails start from Rs 200 and starters are Rs 100 and up.