So, I’ve been promising for weeks now a review of the rooftop bar scene here in Bangalore. Truth be told, I’ve only been to two of them, but I hear tell there are more. I expect these two are pretty good examples of the breed; they are The Crossover Lounge, and The 13th Floor.
The 13th Floor, as the name implies, is on the 13th floor of one of the tallest, if not the tallest, buildings in downtown Bangalore. The picture on the right above does not do justice to the view from the outdoor deck at this place. Some effort was put into the design of the lounge, with lots of glass and steel and flat screens and mod furniture. It fits in with the over the top architecture and design trend I’ve spoken about before. They have some tasty bar snacks from the restaurant on the other side of the floor, and reasonably attentive, if not super speedy, service.
The Crossover Lounge is not quite so high up, and not quite so central, but what it lacks in those dimesions it more than makes up for totally over the top space ship style design. It is situated on top of the brand new Adidas store, and seemed so new the night we were there that I was surprised not to find wet paint. It’s a triple threat, with an outdoor roof deck, indoor restaurant, and super strange pod style nightclub section.
Naturally, we spent most of our time in night club section. For the most part, patrons were outnumbered by bar staff, as for most of the evening we had the whole place to our selves. We were joined occasionaly by some of Bangalore’s young hip elite, who enjoyed the sloping walls while their parents finished dinner next door. To give you an idea of the way this place rolls, check out this short video, featuring the extended dance mix of Billy Jean. Oh, and those blue colored shots up there, yeah, they’re on fire, and delicious.