Travelling 25 km for a drink may sound preposterous. But the minute one leaves the borders of Delhi and enters Noida, travel time shrinks, speed increases and the drive gets smooth enough to turn into a good long-drive experience.
That’s the reason why properties like the Crowne Plaza Greater Noida have been consistently working out packages — like the on-going Vodkatini festival — to bring in the local NCR guests who may not mind the drive for a different experience. More so, when it is monsoon, the greenery along the road makes the drive soothing.
It is a young property that has been intensively expanding its F&B section to bring in the resplendent eateries like the Belgian Beer Café which serves many brews from Belgium with lots of snacks to choose from and some innovative cocktails. The latest in line is the Vodkatini Festival we are talking about.
Puneet Sharma, F&B director, says that the cafe comes alive in the evenings. With karaoke nights, the outlet with a rural Belgian beer bar decor, dark wood and large glass windows, is an experience which virtually transports you to Europe with a drink in hand.
For a Delhiite to enjoy this, a typical solution would lie in an overnight stay over the weekend to partake of activities like the chocolate festival coming up in August.
For now, it is cocktail time with vodka with a choice of raspberry, mango, lemon and even chocolate. Yes, chocolate with vodka, if you don’t mind! The good here is that it is not too sweet and one can enjoy all the flavours that come with it.
Those who like their cocktails less sweet, can try James Bond — a vodkatini with a dash of lemon. It comes to you dry in taste. The look is alluring in itself. The naughty vodka cocktails come in a sparkling martini crystalware which enhances the experience.
The adventurous can go for raspberry and mango. Since, the base of these cocktails is the same, there is no danger of mixing drinks and trying different flavours is safe enough. A warning: Never drink and drive though! Just stay over.
For small eats, go for the sumptuous Belgian fries and cheese croquettes. For the non-vegetation, there is crumb-fried chicken. For those looking for something little more substantial, the Club Sandwich is always there. There is salmon steak and lamb boulets (meatballs in herb tomato sauce) as the main course.
But if this doesn’t interest you, there is the all-day dining restaurant — Mosaic and Chao Bella, the latter being a fusion cuisine of Chinese and Italian!