Are the nights getting younger?

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: Delhi learns to rock
Nightbirds with more spending power make most of their time and money
Somashukla Sinha Walunjkar

Forget that common grouse: Delhi has no nightlife. By the looks of it, despite the disapproving moral police, safety hazards and an antiquated law (Punjab Excise Act 1914) that prevent eateries/pubs from staying open after 1 am, things are changing.

While the Capital and NCR may not vie for top honours as the city that never sleeps yet, it is slowly getting there. In the last one year, thanks to an increased spending power, a rise in the BPO/IT population in Gurgaon/Noida there has been a slew of nightclubs, discs, pubs and eateries that let you party till the wee hours of the morning.

In fact, Delhi is the perfect example of how tradition and modernity coexist in harmony. So fine dining joints/eateries jostle for honours with new favourites like lounge bars, pubs and discs. At Pandara Road, for example, you could enjoy a leisurely meal with your family at a host of eateries that dot the main market, and place your last order well around 2 am, with no anxious waiters hovering in the background.

Gurgaon, the new haunt of pubcrawlers/disc regulars, has witnessed a spurt in the numbers thanks to the BPO population and has the maximum number of late night coffee-shops. Sunny Sarid, DJ and co-owner of Cafe Turquoise Cottage, Gurgaon, says, “The last two years saw discs/night clubs sprouting and shutting down. Access to pubs/clubs is easy: You have to have money and be reasonably well-behaved to get entry in most places.”

Rohit Saraf, GM, The Deck, Gurgaon, feels, “Once you have celebrity DJs, a modest cover charge, decent snacks and great ambience, people are interested. In the last six months we’ve had a 70% rise in our weekend visitors.”