Oktoberfest at Q Bar, VITS Hotel

I've always wanted to experience the revelry of Oktoberfest in its birthplace, Germany. Although I didn't board any flights, I came pretty close to fulfilling my dream last weekend at Q Bar, VITS Hotel, Mumbai. Over a late luncheon (almost early evening), I sampled treats from three ongoing festivals at Q Bar - Oktoberfest, the Arabian food fest and the Navratri special. This was my second visit to this pub-style eatery in Andheri East, a mere 2 minutes walk from Chakala metro station. The fact that it is housed inside a four star hotel assures you of top-notch taste and quality.

Oktoberfest

From the Oktoberfest menu, we sampled two beer cocktails but no food items as it was entirely non-vegetarian, in keeping with the authenticity of Oktoberfest.

Pictured above is the divine Captain Keg, a combination of lager beer, spicy rum and the fresh sweetness of apple and guava juice among other fruit juices. The drink was heady and satisfying. We also tried their unique Dark Knight, a caffeine-infused dark beer cocktail. It is a must try for lovers of cappuccino though I found it a tad too bitter in the latter half.

This is the Oktoberfest menu and meat lovers should not miss their array of delicious appetizers.

Arabian Food Fest

I love Lebanese food and was more than happy to try the Mezze platter which turned out to be humongous. It was a combination of most of the delicacies in the vegetarian menu. Take a look.

So in our platter, there was hummus and pita bread (excellent hummus, pita bread could be softer); innovative falafel burgers (could have had many more of these!), scrumptious vegetarian kebabs on satay sticks (the winner of the dish), bell pepper, mushroom, spinach and feta cheese open sandwiches and puffs (the perfect open sandwich - can make a meal out of these!). All this came with perfectly prepared tahini sauce and Mediterranean salad.

Navratri Special

By now, we were full but not so full that we couldn't taste a sampler of the upcoming Navratri festival at Q Bar. I've always found Maharashtrian fasting dishes to be supremely delicious and the Chef's farali (fast) kachori with fruit salsa and sweet yoghurt more than exceeded my expectations. The aloo-lined kachori had a stuffing of crushed nuts, desiccated coconut and dry fruits.

Dessert

I love meals which don't follow the defined soup-starter-main course pattern but the one thing I can never overlook is a satisfying dessert. Replete with the eclectic variety of dishes the chef had prepared for us, wanted a light dessert. The baked cheesecake with blueberry sauce was the perfect ending to our meal though I felt the cheesecake could've been flakier and less dense.

While some of the above-mentioned fests have concluded, there is always something happening at Q Bar and if you haven't been there yet, schedule a visit for some TGIF vibes!

Address: VITS-Luxury Business Hotels & Lotus Resorts, Andheri-Kurla Road, International Airport Zone, Marol, Mumbai
Phone: 022 61517555 (Table booking recommended)