31 March,2010 07:05 AM IST | | Anjana Vaswani
Not much has changed at Bootlegger's, except for the name. Now called boots, the value-for-money colaba pub still dishes out good food and music
The neon signboard is about the only thing that's new here since the rechristening of this place from Hawaiian Shack to Bootleggers, and now to Boots.
Given the limited space, the abbreviated name seems to suit it just fine.
Manoj Engineer, the proprietor, assures us that there are a few changes in the pipeline, but that he plans to introduce those changes gradually, rather than shut shop for a complete overhaul.
"We don't want to inconvenience our regulars," says Manoj.
u00a0Non-Veg Platter.
Dress code: casual
The wooden floorboards here pose a real challenge if you're well disposed towards wearing stilettos and drinking so much that you can't tell if you're standing, dancing or just flying. So, it's probably best to stick to flip-flops or sneakers.
u00a0
The good news is that you can pretty much wear anything you like since we doubt anyone would bat an eyelid if anyone walked in even in a bikini and a pair of shorts.
It's a completely casual, no-frills place, with the restrooms located next to the disc jockey's station he has our sympathy and if you don't enjoy elbowing your way to get your drinks, you'll love this pub on a weekday.
On the Wednesday we stopped by, we were their only customers until late into the evening.
Not all the drinks on the tattered menu, which still bears the "Bootlegger's" name, are available, so we had to abandon our idea of sipping on an icy Bailey's Irish Cream.
Time for grub
Yadav, our friendly server, recommended we try a new dish called Chicken Pan Pasandi (Rs 220), which turned out to be a delicious modification of the Reshmi Kabab. The Paneer Shashlik (Rs 200), basically Paneer Tikka in disguise, was delicious too.
If you're dining with a small group, try the Non-veg Platter (Rs 350) that's a generous selection of the best non-veg starters on the menu.
The Crispy Fried Babycorn (Rs 140), however, was a disappointment. They have no dessert selection, which proved another downer. But the music wasu00a0 so amazing that none of this mattered in the end. Still, if Billy Ocean, INXS and Cyndi Lauper don't figure on your iPod, then you might as well leave your dancing shoes at home.
At: Ground floor, Pipewala Building, 4th Pasta Lane, Colaba.
Call 22020455.
Boots didn't know we were there.
THE GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
