The first thing that hits you is the sheer size of the place. With an area of around 40,000 sq ft, ‘Hoot- Cafe and Brewery’ is India’s biggest brewery and it has come to town. With a total capacity of about 1750 people and more than 500 varieties of beer, the brewery has ample space and enough options for the large number of beer lovers in the city.
With the focus on becoming a one-stop destination for corporate and regular party goers, the place offers continental and finger food as expected. Though the tiny print on the menu might make it a bit difficult to understand, ‘Hoot’ offers appealing appetisers like cheese chunks, crispy corn niblets, dim sums, french fries, masala wedges and so on for vegetarians.
The options for this section of the crowd are quite limited with a major part of the food menu being devoted to non-vegetarian items. These are in plenty, ranging from chicken chunks, shrimp poppers, steak, spiced chicken wings and ‘kebab’ lollypop to sausages, lamb chops and grilled prawns. Try the chicken tikka infused with pomegranate or Asian chilli garlic fish if you are looking for something different. However, the staff in the place are just finding their feet and so the service levels may not quite be top notch and you may need to be a little patient.
For people looking for something more filling, there are alternatives like pizza, pastas, burgers and even ‘biryani’. Though the prices seem a bit steep for some, there are quite a few varieties in all these.
People with a sweet tooth need not despair as there are a few options in the dessert side too. A bite of the ‘caramel and walnut slice with orange sorbet’ or a scoop of the ‘chocolate and marshy pizza with kit kat and gems’ is sure to leave a smile on your face.
True to their names, ‘chocolate and old monk mousse’ and ‘Hoot special Baked Beer-laska’ are quite interesting with their twist to the usual flavours.
The focus is clearly on the beverages. There is a wide variety and range in this section with some interesting adaptations to the classics.
The ambience is the clear winner with the stunning views, complete with the open sky seating, leather couches and rustic decor to waterfalls and fish filled ponds — it is a great place to just sit and relax.
The seating enhances the feeling of being in an amphitheatre with water bodies and fishes all around you. The whole place is grungy and raw, which adds to the natural and relaxed ambience. The furniture and even the cutlery is hand picked; curated specifically to keep beat with the tone of ‘Hoot’. A glass conservatory with organic plants and a live kitchen in the garden adds to the overall effect.
The restaurant is located at BBMP 2034/69, Block 2, Kaikondrahalli, Varthur Hobli, Sarjapur Road. For details, contact 45128701.