Pet Friendly hotels

A dog is a man’s best friend, then why leave your pet alone when you’re off on a vacation? Pet owners know that their pooches are simply part of the family. When it comes to a family vacation, leaving the little ones behind is not always an easy option. Since your pet is just like another child for you, Hotels.com has listed down a few pet-friendly home away from home destinations for you to tag along your family and pooches. These nature loving destinations will amaze you and your entire family, almost for the cost of nothing.

Perranporth Beach Cornwall, England Considered as one of the most exotic destinations structured with miles of open space and sand dunes, the Perranporth Beach experience for pooches is similar to Disneyland for kids. Equipped with several bathing options and a healthy supply of staff to get patted by, this beach is a well known family destination for summer weekends. A place where you will find everything you need in town, 

from dog friendly accommodations to surfboard rentals for days when you're feeling brave enough to get in the cold water with your canine pal. 

Hotel Recommendation:

St George's Country House  

 (4*)

Red Rock Canyon  Las Vegas, United States of America  

The Red Rock Canyon is a national conservation area where your 

family and Pooches can explore on longer aisles. Traveller do not 

need to worry about pets as the baggies for waste disposal are 

available in the campground itself and at the Scenic Drive fee station. 

So badge your family and pets to experience other highly developed 

facilities such as the visitor center and relax for a while in the higher 

temperature at the Willow Springs picnic area. Whilst here have an 

amazing view of the Red Rock Canyon which you just cannot miss.

Hotel Recommendation 

Palms Place Hotel and Spa at the Palms Las Vegas 

(4*)

Embleton Bay Northumberland, England 

One of the fewer of its kinds, The Embleton Bay is comparable to 

an aquatic petting zoo for your family and canines to sport. One 

can also see as interesting sea creatures and numerous 

sticklebacks, starfish and others getting loaded in their buckets of 

memories in these rock pools. This bay of Northumberland is dog-

friendly, making it a very deserving choice for your family, friends 

and pets to enjoy this vacation. While your pets and children have 

an amazing time of their lives exploring the rocky shoreline, 

parents and couples will simply love the historic surrounding cliffs 

and ancient castles that abound.

Hotel Recommendation

The White Swan Inn – England 

(4*)

Barefoot Landing Overview South Carolina, United States 

Take your dog for a long walk away from home to trail through 

Barefoot Landing. The resort-themed shopping complex in one 

place featuring diverse shops, versatile restaurants and of course 

the famous Alabama Theatre or the House of Blues, allow 

travellers to satisfy all touring desires in one place. The path will 

lead you ahead to the next door to Alligator Adventure waiting to 

surprise you at every footstep. The paths are built with rustic 

boardwalks from one area to another that puts one across the 

beautifully flanked larger ponds, which surely your dog would not 

appreciate missing in its lifetime.

Hotel Recommendation 

Clarion Hotel Downtown – Carolina 

 (3*)

Kasauli, India 

In Kasauli a nature’s gift to earth, relax your senses by taking a 

driveway to the nearby hills with your family and pets.  Even the 

natural chilling weather or warm yourself in this cool 

temperature by enjoying rock climbing and hiking around the 

cliffs, mountains. Who would want to miss this opportunity for 

their families and friends to enjoy nature so close? 

Hotel Recommendation 

KC Hotel & Spa  - Kasauli

 (4*)

Naples, Italy 

The city of Naples is one of the most demanding places to take 

your family and pooches together for a vacation. Unleash your 

pooches and let them run freely splurging themselves in the 

water and chasing crabs around the beach for as long as they 

want.

  

Hotel Recommendation 

Bayfront Inn Fifth Avenue - Naples

Carmel Beach California, United States Of America

Carmel is one of the largest pet friendly beaches in the US. Dogs of 

all sizes and shapes are free to run all day long in the waves and 

over the rocks with no objections exploring their fun for sports 

and adventure. Several restroom options are available for the 

comfort of tourists at the beach. Get rid of the tiredness by driving 

miles along with your pooches to the picturesque Californian 

coastline, which will be loved equally by you and the pets both. 

Hotel Recommendation 

Vendange Carmel Inn and Suites – California 

 (3*)

Places in India which never changed with time

Old is gold but shouldnt these places change with modern times. The views above are collated from opinions expressed by travellers on www.holidayiq.com

10 Places In India That Still Look Like They Did Hundreds Of Years Ago!

1.       Ambar Fort, Jaipur

Amber Fort, also known as Amber Palace, is said to have played a key role in the history of Medieval India. This fort depicts true royal lifestyle of the Rajputs, who are known for their decadent, radical and volatile behaviour. The Amber Palace is a perfect fusion of Hindu and Muslim architecture.

HolidayIQ Traveller Nikhil says, "Nice place to be with your family, very clean and neat place. Offers you a great and nice knowledge about our history and how kings and queens used to live."

2.       Hampi

Hampi is a village located in the north of Karnataka, amongst the ruins of the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, Vijayanagara. The town lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, 74 km away from Bellary. It is located atop a rugged terrain, 467 m above sea level. The place is a significant religious centre of the Vijayanagara Empire due to the presence of the historic Virupaksha Temple along with many other monuments of the old city. UNESCO has listed the Vittal Temple and other ruins of the town of Hampi as a World Heritage Site.

HolidayIQ Traveller Priya says, "We should visit hampi at least once, as we should see our ancient civilization and how beautiful india was in its ancient days. You will see what actual architectural beauty lies there that too during that time when there was no such technology."

3.       Goa

For 450 years Goa was a Portuguese colony until taken over by India in 1961. This heritage is still apparent in the architecture of its churches and old houses, and the culture of its towns, which is very distinct from the rest of India. In the Catholic world Goa is important as the place where St Francis Xavier is buried (in the Basilica de Bom Jesus at Old Goa). Apart from Christmas and New Year celebrations, the 3-day long Goa Carnival (February, Panaji) and the Feast of St Francis (3 Dec, Old Goa) are famous attractions.

HolidayIQ Traveller Jagmohan says, "Whenever Goa comes to my mind, I would say lets go and have some fun. It does not matter how many times you have been in Goa. As many times you visit Goa memory gets better. Specially I like the places Anjuna Beach, Candolim Beach, UV Bar and Hill Top Resort."

4.       Sanchi

Sanchi, located in Raisen District, is a small village, which is renowned for its Buddha stupas and monuments. It is located at the footsteps of a hill and recognised for several Buddhist monuments. The destination has numerous monasteries, stupas, pillars, holy shrines that are here from the 3rd century BC to the 12th century AD. The carvings on monuments reflect Buddhist myths and the culture of Sanchi at the time.

HolidayIQ Traveller Gaurav says, "Only 40 km(approx) from Bhopal by road. Lush green, beautiful trees situated on the top of the hills and 1.5 km from the entrance. Sanchi is under the UNESCO world heritage site and maintained by them. Important site for Buddhists and ancient history lovers. Stupa no. 2 is the most important stupa. This stupa has four entrance gates and each gates has beautifully designed about to Mahatma Buddha's life. Stupas designed by the great emperor Ashok Maurya and later Pushyamitra Shunga. Udaygiri caves is just 10 km from Sanchi built by Emperor Ashok."

5.       Pondicherry

The unique location of Pondicherry captured the attention of Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the English and the French. Pondicherry came under the rule of the French in 1673 and since then it became the site for the battle between the British and the French. Pondicherry remained as the capital of French India for about 300 years, before it attained its independence in 1954. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Medha says, "Pondicherry is a one shot place for all. Name it, and it's there. From traditional home food to french delicacies, lazy bum beaches to adventurous scuba diving (contact- temple adventures), spiritual auroville to modern cafes, nationalities to internationalites. In addition to all above, DO TRY the seafood, and an evening stroll in the french town - it's a must!"

6.       Lepakshi

Lepakshi, a historical and archaeological village, is situated in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh. It is 15 km east of Hindupur. Ruled by Vijayanagar kings in the years of yore, there are several heritage sites and temples of the empire. Other than Vijayanagar rulers, the region was also ruled by Qutub Shahis, Mughals and the Nawabs of Cuddapah. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan also took over the territory, which was later occupied by the British. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Shyamala says, "Worth a visit, especially on a cool or a monsoon day. Lovely road all the way from Bangalore. Can cover the distance in less than 3 hours on a Sunday city traffic. Lovely temple, serene, good sculptures. Great clean maintenance by ASI. Suggest using a guide to explain. Makes the visit richer. Food at AP Tourism is simple, clean and tasty."

7.       Thanjavur

The place is one of the oldest cities in India and existed since the times of the Chola Kings. It was being ruled by Nayaks and Maratta kings who integrated the art and culture into the monuments like Grand Anaicut, The Big Temple, The Serfoji Mahal Library etc. The place has a mythological background attached to it making it a divine place. It is popularly known as Mother Cauvery which is clearly evident from 'Kaviri-Thala-Puranam'. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Udhayakumar, "Must visit as it is a temple town. People there are good at treating the visitors. Food part also is good for those who like south Indian dishes but travelling is difficult and this was the negative part especially when it comes to city buses. The bus stops are to be maintained."

8.       Kolkata

For geeks or history lovers, must-visit sightseeing places in Kolkata are Birla Planetarium, Indian Museum, which houses a varied collection of unique fossils, Buddhist Gandhara art and an Egyptian mummy, Tagore House at Jorasanko and Science City. In Science City, travellers must see the time machine, space theatre and the space flight simulator.

HolidayIQ Traveller Saurabh says, "See the modern co-exist with a bygone era with ease. People are friendly and helpful. Yellow taxis were available everywhere except when there is an ad hoc strike for a whimsical reason. Radio cabs were also available. Metro work were going on for many years but still to come up. Enjoy a ride in a tram, the only city in India where you may."

9.       Khajuraho

Khajuraho, located in the district of Chhatarpur in the state of Madhya Pradesh is an ancient city. The word Khajuraho is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘kharjur’ which means ‘date palms’. Today, Khajuraho is known all over the world for its temples, which belong to the medieval Hindu and Jain period.The temples were built by the Chandel monarchs who were originally called Bargujar Rajputs of Rajasthan. The Rajputs moved here when the northern part of India was attacked by the Mlechcha invaders. Khajuraho is known as the cultural capital of the Chandel Rajputs who ruled over this part of India for almost two centuries from 10 AD to 12 AD. 

HolidayIQ Traveller Kamlashank says, "In my view khajuraho is the world famous name of Indian places. It is very nice place to visit with your female partner. The architecture of the temple is wonderful. I think the the mind of the ancient people was so good so they used it in such a mind blowing way."

10.    Jodhpur

This city is often referred to as the ‘Gateway to Thar’ because it is located right on the border of the Thar Desert.  It is also popularly called the ‘Sun City’ because it experiences bright and sunny days throughout the year. Another name for this city is ‘Blue City’ because the houses around the Mehrangarh Fort are all painted blue. 

Finally Zaffran goes local

My first visit to Zaffran was sometime in 2006, a casual meeting with friends over lunch, took us to their Crawford market outlet. As we climbed up the stairs the stilt floor divided into two sections. The place was choose simply because the food served Indian cuisine has options for vegetarians. We ordered several dishes and gulped them down, then my favourite was their Dal makhni.
A friend of mine Nihal Koshie, who had served time in Hyderabad, (haha he is a journalist) had then objected to their dessert 'Khobani ka mitha'. He was furious that a speciality dessert was served with ice cream. He was so upset that he wanted to burn down the place, (Of course in a lighter vein).
Cut to 2015, while passing through my favourite area in Mumbai, Bandra, i see Zaffran having opened on Hill road. The same place where earlier there used to be Spice Tree. So the coming weekend am sitting in the open section of the resto with Galouti kebabs and tandoori masala papad.
A beer lover, i called for 'Perroni', that day it was out of stock, the captain suggested i try Stella, a Belgium beer, he described it to be very smooth and to be had only when served cold. The reco proved correct. I wanted to have only one pint but then one more ''banta hai''.
As for food we went with the traditional/signature dish, butter chicken, among two of us it was too much but, fabulous dish.Frankly speaking i am not a great admirer of decor of an eatery, food only matters. But the Bandra place is well light and spacious, catering to family audience. A must visit is in rains, sit in the open section and enjoy the food made with love and served with a smile, while the sound of rain drops falling on the tarpaulin, gives you a different high.
          

Places to eat in Aurangabad

Auranagabad is called by many names---City of caves, City of doors--the first name is but obvious for the world heritage site Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves (called as Verul by locals). The second name is because the city has 51 gates having different names like Delhi Darwaza. The prominent city of Marathwada region has a mix population and the Mogul influence can be seen even in their language. Don't forget to notice they will say 'Phir' if they are in agreement with you, instead of 'Right'.
The main city which is spread out in the radius of around 15 kilo meters can be seen on foot. The city has spread in different directions with places like new gul mandi, CIDCO but the traditional food places have never lost their sheen.
Here i am opening up few options for the local travelers, may be the foreign tourist can concentrate on regular touristy places---Tandoor on Station road, Amarpreeet Hotel etc.

Here goes the local eateries list
 Start with old gul mandi--visit the Uttam Sweet Shop for their mouth watering and very famous Imaerthi---(Form of Jaleebi)...

Then from the adjoining lane get on to the other lane where there is Gayatri Chaat Bhandar. Here for Rs 12 each, enjoy a tasteful samosa, dahi kachori, or aloo wadi. This is a very tiny place and in the evening on this busy lane, Gayatri chaat bhandar is a thronged by locals, leading to traffic chaos. The Owner of the eatery has started another place at City Chowk but locals miss that on purpose.

After the snacks, if your in mood, to buy some Himroo shawls or stoles, then opposite the Gayatari Chaat Bhandar is Auranagabad Silk house, a company owned showroom.

Then head straight to Rang Mandir, to entre Nupur modern restaurant for some authentic Marathwadi cuisine, be it the Karela Fry or Sheeng Masala, the spicy Kala Masala gives a new high on every bite. Here food is served hot and made only when order is placed. The resto is must go for locals, no issues for woman. Regular visitors swear by the quality of food and the home like taste.

 After a heavy heart/stomach filling lunch, its time to down it with the world famous, Tara Pan Centre. The shop which is in Osmanpura. Bollywood Actor Anil Kapoor has made this shop very famous by visiting regularly, it supplies paan daily to prominent persons in Mumbai, Kolkatta and other Indian Cities. There is an old Tara and a new Tara, its because both the brothers have separated. Both serve the same kind of paan variety, starting from Rs 20 to over Rs 1k. The cab driver whom we had told to take a detour to Tara paan shop before he dropped us back to our hotel said. This was his seventh visit to the shop in the day, as visitors make it  point to eat paan here. The owner Sandhubhai, is said to be the first Paan shop owner of India to having paid Income Tax, in Auranagabad he hold a celebrity status.

Apart from the city, if your near the Daulatabad fort, on way to Ellora caves, do eat the Daal Batti in one of the dhabas outside the fort. They serve the delicacy only during weekend and its a major hit.

PS: Aurangabad hope to see you again soon.

Pre-Independence Chinese restaurant

For the records, this restaurant has been in existence since 1945, serving authentic, now Indian Chinese, to its patrons. When it started it was closer to the Gateway of India, though not far now but behind Regal Cinema, Lings Pavilion is a place we went to ring in our Diwali holidays.

The egg shaped entrance, opens with a sliding door and your greeted to a small bridge, over a pool having lots of real fish. We preferred to climb up on the mezzanine floor to get a top view of the entire restaurant. As we sat down, the over enthusiastic captain who has served the place for decades dawned on us and started suggesting us what to eat. He was very clear that we (Indians) will not like the authentic Chinese, in his words it is all steamed and no spice used. No choice left we went by his suggestions, hot and sour soup for two of us and chicken meat balls for starters. For my vegetarian friends they ordered Imperial rolls, made of potato and shallow fried, went well with chilly chutney.

As for the main course we wanted to order kun pao chicken but the captain (remember the over enthu one), said we should try the Red Cooked Chicken. It is a combination of egg fried rice and lot of schezwan cooked shredded chicken gravy. The vegans ordered American Chopsey. The egg fried rice was good and so was the gravy. However, the chopsey which was served was steamed vegetables, it was immediately returned, for replacement came the Hakka noodles. It made for a good meal.

The serving was quick, i guess Chinese food is anywhere served quickly so no points for that. The USP of Ling's is the dark China World ambience's, quality of poultry and food. I am told the things to eat is sea food and Pork. But since we don't have those taste buds we stick ed to poultry.

The show stopper, was the mud cake, a gooey chocolate caked served with vanilla ice cream. We liked it so much that we ordered one more. If we had ordered the third one am sure that too would have melted inside within minutes.

My verdict----Go there with an empty stomach as they have huge portions. Price is reasonable and it also serves alcohol. They have a special dessert but the guy making it is on long leave so, try your luck.

 

More Indian than you think

Last year on Dussehra, my wife invited her ex-colleague, working in a Global News Corporation, for lunch. The middle aged business editor lived in Bandra west, while we lived two stations down, at Santacruz. As decided he was too come around 1 pm for lunch, so i called him to given directions but instead he replied he will be there on time, using Google maps. I was pleasantly surprised, as my present residence is in a crowded area and often my relatives need detailed directions, to reach. However, around half an hour, after the call ended, our guest landed at our door step.
Lunch was not something special, but what we Indians eat on Dussehra day, lentils, mashed potato, roti, rice and Shrikhand for desserts. Our guest, eat all with curiosity and did not mind eating somethings directly from the bowl, as we do many times at our homes. The London manners of new cutlery for every food item were not seen in our guest, he quite adjusted to our living. As for the taste he liked the food a lot and especially the home made shrikhand.
After tea our guest announced that he wanted to go and see the burning of Ravan, near Khar masjid and he and my wife again following Google maps, reached the place where the effigy was to burn. Later i was told that he enjoyed the sounds of Nashik dhol, people playing with gulal and the crowds spirit gathering at the burning area. Overall it was a very different kind of an experience, completely unexpected from an born and brought up in Londoner.  

All Day Goan Bakery

Beef Cutlets, chicken burger, Mince rolls, Irish Coffee and many more delicacies, surround you while you sit to eat at Infantaria. An all day eatery near the Calangute beach. On my recent visit to the State, several people and websites suggested me to must visit this joint. After shopping in Mapusa, we rode back to Calangute. The eatery is next to a play ground and the road going to Baga beach. The Ground plus one bungalow type eatery is open all day and especially well known for breakfast. The decor is simple but very classy and laid back. Imagine sitting next to a well, or to a food display  counter. If your hungry, you will like to eat it all but the rich food the eatery serves doesn't allow you to do so.

 As we sat i felt i was in one of the Bakeries in Bandra, Hersch or Andora. We had gone there for tea and evening snacks. So i ordered for a chicken burger and prachi called for a cheese croissant. The burger unlike of having a patty and slices of onion and tomato, had sliced chicken pieces. Though a different take on burgers but it was really delicious. The croissant was fresh and filling.

Infantaria is as old as Goa, the locals throng this place for snacks. But the publicity it has got over the years, ensures Indian and foreign tourist fight for space. The place also promotes local artist. On evenings a show is held where local artist display their talent. When we visited there was to be a show by a local band.

A small but very satisfying eatery, the pleasing staff and ambiance makes me say to you..Its a must visit if your in Goa.  

Mum's kitchen, Goa Kept Alive Here

When in Goa, especially in Panjim, many restaurants and tots will display boards of serving authentic goan cuisine. Of course everyone does serve, Vindaloo, Xacuti and Cafreal but that's not the only food that falls in the Goan category. Goa the coastal city which has heavy traffic and a few traffic signals have been installed is over populated says locals. In this begining of chaos a visit to Mum's kitchen is a must do.
Located on the road parallel to Madovi river, near the Miramar beach, this bungalow type resto is not easily to be found. I used hummit to search, but Goggle Maps helped. The reason its a bit difficult to find is because there are no big banners or signage put up to indicate the name, the concrete name block is not well light. But once you find it, walk up the aisle with water flowing along and surrounded by bamboo trees. The ground plus one eatery welcomes you to the old tandoor kitchen looking bar with artefact's and a pleasant staff.

As we sat inside, our curiosity overtook us, though having read several post on line about it, I requested the manager to run us down with the history of the place. Mum's Kitchen, is 17-year-old, it sources recipes from Mothers in Goan villages. This their menu card says is to retain the authenticity of the goan food and to bring to the table some old forgotten dishes.

As we sat for the dinner after a long day of visiting Dona Paula, fort aguada, the pleasant staff suggested us to have the coconut Fanny, with the Komdi Sukhem as starters. The chunks of chicken, marinated in tangy gravy once put in the mouth tastes a bit dud. But chew on and the real flavors of the masala make the chewing delightful. My wife prachi ordered prawns with mustard, she tells me, they were fresh and tasteful. For the main course we placed an order for egg curry rice. If at another place the staff may not have said that one would be enough for both of us. This we felt was a good gesture.

The attendant told us the place receives a lot of foodies from cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. While we waited for our food to be served two middle age person walked in. The manger who had received them during lunch hour was surprised and happy to received them again. The duo announced they were from Managlore and the taste of lunch remained with us all day thus bringing us back for dinner.

My conclusion is the same, once eaten at Mum's kitchen the taste tends to linger on. As for the cost a meal for two with alcohol will damage you by Rs 2,000 without alcohol will be around Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,300. As for the ambiance, the coloured table tops and pleasant lighting brings in positive energy to the place.

Big Bang sky is the roof

Big Bang bar and cafe on twitter says the Sky is their roof and this punchline really works out for them. As you enter the cramped make shift elevator to reach the third floor of a mall cum commercial premise located in the KFC lane, next to natural ice cream, you just hope of being in a nice place. When the door opens your welcomed or questioned actually by North east attendants who most probably stay in Kalina and work in several restaurants and pubs in Bandra, Khar area. They seem to be least bothered with their duties as few are on the phone, don't guide your properly or are simply not enthusiastic about their job profile.
After the bad welcome you step into the Bar and cafes AC section by pushing aside a big wooden door. The LED panel behind the bar reads Red Bull with bar chairs and big tables around it on weekends it also facilitates as a dance floor. The pub has two open areas which are the most occupied ones. As i sit with my host who is ringing in her birthday, i am told the bar has several one free on two drinks offer. That's a nice way to have patrons keep coming to you. The open section i mostly thought would be used by the smokers but the next table was occupied by a bunch of ladies who came to let their hair down. Then a group of friends who came to have breeze rs. The entire area was filled by middle aged patrons who spoke softly drank their own stuff and did not disturb others. Another factor that works for Big bang is that seating is thoughtful, it caters to couples, large groups and those preferring corners.
The food is good quality and value for money. The service is quick and personnel are attentive and polite. Big bang is a good place to have a drink and starters as most of the tables around us simply left after doing that and looked happy.   

gourmetitup.com...wonderful wesbite to book food experience

This post is only to praise the services offered by a restaurant reservation website Gourmetitup.com. Though this has not changed they way in which i hog around at restaurants but it surely has given me an option to book an A Grade restaurant on line and be assured that i get the top class services and food.
I has a long time ago just for the sake of it registered myself on the website which also provide concierge services for reservations. It was on May 3 that i tried to opt for their services. Since i wanted the reservations at the eleventh hour i called up the concierge. The woman on the other line was travelling i believe in a local train. Though she answered my call we couldn't complete our conversation due to bad network and she told me to send me my details. I did send it to her and sought a reservation of the table at Bandra, Mainland China within a short deadline of half hour. As i sat on the table and ordered the drink i asked the captain to check whether the reservation was done and i could experience the four course meal offered at a pre decided price.
I was surprised to know that the booking was done and then started the four course meal, beginning with soup, four types of veg and non veg starters including fish, main course comprising of noodles, rice and lamb and chicken stew. Deserts including honey noodles, ice cream and coconut dumplings. Phew with a lovely wine to go with the meal was too much to handle. We wasted a lot of food even though we asked for small portions as we really could gulp it down. However, if we wanted to order for more of any food we could call for in the same price.
After the meal i messaged a thank you to the concierge girl. Though she did not reply to me i sensed that she also might have been smiling for the job well done and appreciated. Henceforth i recommend people to do look up the website gourmetitup.com

Dhaba feel in bandra

The older eating plaza of Bandra, Pali Naka has several multi-cuisine restaurants, most are Italian or continental servers. Among the few Indian food eateries is Papa Pancho, DA Dhaba. Located opposite gold's gym the Punjabi joint which i am told is run by a popular city celebrity.

Papa Pancho

 The interiors are old rustic somewhat made to feel also but it does give you a dhaba feel. With tiffin boxes made of aluminium put on with lamps to give a Punjabi style look works well. The non air-conditioned sections have a section with khatiya type tables and with chairs having cushions with bright coloured sheets. I have visited the place several times, yesterday i went there after a long tiring day. More importantly i wanted to eat good non-veg food.

rustic decor

Pancho serves a form of meal which includes, the dish you order (i called for chicken bhuna) along with a bowl of masoor daal and bowl of curd. Paratha or rice is optional. The food takes some time to come but its cooked well and more importantly the parathas are warm when served. As i munched into the chicken it was soft and juicy while my partner had daal khichdi. The servings are done in copper coated plates and bowl.

Food served in brass coated plate and bowl

The quantity is huge and sufficient technically for two urban eaters with average appetite. lassi. As for the cost a meal for two could cost Rs 1,000 but you would not be disappointed.     
The only discouraging thing is that leg room between the tables is very less. Don't forget to have the glass of lassi.

old charm table/chairs with bright decor giving a dhaba feel 

Birdsong Cafe

Waroda road in bandra has been the residential for Christians with their small row houses and buildings. The road that leads out to the St Andrews Church is a thoroughfare for traffic, vehicles popping out from small by lanes. In this traffic busy street is the quaint Birdsong Cafe which boats of being completely organic. As we enter the cafe we are greeted by our attendant Deepak. The cafe is very simple on decor, with not much paintings or antiques in place, bulps hanging from the ceiling and wooden tables with steel chairs, gives it a good feel. There is a mezzanine floor also if you don't find a table downstairs, but for that you have to climb a steep ladder with the help of a rope hanging by the side.
As we scan through the menu card which you either see it on the black board wall behind the counter or they hand out a small menu card. I wanted to eat a Chicken Mayo sandwich between two of us but it would have been much less so i requested to add an omelet to it and convert it into a club sandwich. Deepak readily agreed to it with the reply that it would be charged extra.

Cookies at the cafe

As the sandwich came in multi-grain bread it looked superb and tasted also, but the spraying of chocolate syrup on the side of the plate was complete no no. The ketchup also tasted as the ones you get in Zaveri Bazaar at the road side sandwich stalls but it went well.
The deserts i was told are the USP of the place, so we tried to order their walnut cake but unfortunately it was over so we ordered a banana walnut cake, it was OK. So was the coffee and Assam Tea. Idling around for over an hour, we see through the large glass windows, is a man standing outside his house, wearing a blue shirt and bermudas, some youngsters with fishing rods, woman going to the market. When the bill arrives we are charged Rs 425, for the club sandwich, does it cost that much at Tea Centre in Churchgate i don't think so. Rest of the beverages and desert were reasonably priced. Over all it was an experience to have, the Birdsong cafe is surely a visit once without fail.