This restaurant will take you down the memory lane

Review by Harshili Malhotra

“Neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.”

Annabel Lee being the fuel of my soul: the food that goes not to my stomach, but rests on my tongue.

Coming back to the capital is always a delight for a food enthusiast, because no matter where you go, no matter what you do, you are always mesmerised by what you eat and drink, especially when in the capital region. Or so I like to believe, thanks to the enriched experiences I’ve had (and am still being exposed to).

Coming to the muse of this written rant – The Classroom (at Sector 29, Gurgaon) that is built to re-ignite your old bonds, to connect you to the roots which hold you tight but are still ignored with the convenience of an ever changing ever evolving world. A place that reminds you of your alma mater can never go wrong; not with its rustic adaptation of the raw interiors also preferred by a lot of cafes and pubs across the city, in fact country.

To top that, you will find that friendly face across the counter that you would’ve wanted on the first (most dreaded) day of school in the face of Mr. Vishesh (Manager-day).

With the whole conceptualisation revolving around one particular theme, you would expect the food to be existing in the past, something that brightens your day like that Maggi in your school tiffin.

I fail to categorise it as good or bad, but The Classroom doesn’t have clear references to the past when it comes to their food. Although, the brewery does trigger an outburst of hidden secrets that usually get lost in the monotonous rut of one’s everyday life. The Classroom is spread across three floors with an interesting inter-connected flight of stairs that give you the thrill of a kid’s as soon as you enter the enormous space. The best part of it all is, that you can witness the enormity of the brewery from whichever level you’re at. Although the bar is in the basement which is the lowest floor, on which you also get the opportunity to witness the live band- The Turban in all its glory on Thursdays, 8:30 onwards.

With 100 percent guarantee you’ll enjoy whatever is served to you on the table. Chicken in some dishes has its own peculiar taste which might not be appreciated by few people with a specific palate, but all in all it’s a delight to dine even if you don’t want to go heavy on the alcoholic side. But in this case, it’s safe to try the Today’s Special for beer, which changes everyday. For us, it was Dark, but another recommendation would be to taste the Light cuz that’s what suited my palate the best. For strict vegetarians, it’s sufficiently safe to order vegetarian momos that are sufficient in quantity as well as preparation, and safe because they are not JUST stuffed with cabbage, but a mix of vegetables.

All in all, it’s an interesting mix of various cuisines on one menu that has been curated with precision (and extension) and has the look of a school notebook.