The Pink City of Jaipur has witnessed major changes in its gastronomical landscape as several rooftop restaurants are mushrooming all over the city, writes rakesh kumar
It was a loud but soothing music! Flashing of colourful lights! Quirky interiors! And mouthwatering cuisine in a place overlooking the Walled City. Given all these descriptions, one may end up thinking it’s some famous restro bar in a Metro cities. But no, it is a view from a rooftop restaurant in Jaipur, a Tier II city of India. Yes, you heard it right! Jaipur, the Capital city of Rajasthan, also known as the Pink City, has seen major changes in its gastronomical landscape. Over the past few years, the Walled City is developing a new trend ~ rooftop restaurants that are mushrooming all over the city. Indeed, it is a lifetime experience dining on the rooftop in a colourful ambiance overlooking shining pink monuments that dot the whole city. Perhaps, this is the reason one could find numerous rooftop restaurants flourishing in the whole city. Be it high end hotels, budget or standalone properties, everyone is trying to ensure at least one rooftop restaurant in their properties.
“The city has seen a drastic change in the culinary scene in the past five years. There are many rooftop restaurants that have popped up in a very short span of time and these restaurants have become favourite places for tourists as well as youngsters,” informed a hotelier, who owns two such restaurants ~ Jaipur Adda and Slounge.
Jaipur is one of the most visited cities in world. Tourists from all over the world come here to appreciate its mighty monuments, experience its royal and grand culture, and taste its delectable cuisine. The number of footfalls is also growing year by year. As per a report, in 2017 around 47.52 million people visited Rajasthan, including Jaipur. “One could find several reasons for increasing these rooftop restaurants in Jaipur but the most important is tourists. Arrival of tourists gave this city a cosmopolitan nature and these restaurants are the result of it. One could say evolving of these restaurants is to keep up with the travelers’ demand,” informed another hotelier. “Last month, the Pink City was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and this award will certainly boost the inflow of foreign tourists. One could expect more such restaurants coming in future.”
Take a walk inside the city in the evening and one would notice colourful lighting and music emitting from different rooftops. This is an indicatin of the evolving character of the city. In fact, many big brands, like Clarks Hotel and Marriot Group, all have rooftop restaurants inside their property and they all try to attract people with their food, ambiance or view.
“Once all the monuments shut down in the evening, tourists are left with no choice as there is no nightlife in Jaipur. Therefore, these restaurants are a good place to spend some time, not only for tourists but for all,” said the hotelier. “One could also give credit to Jaipur’s weather as it gets cold in the evening. It makes favourable condition for open dining.”
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If one makes a list of these rooftop restaurants it is quite long. Some famous ones are Jaipuar Adda, taBLU at Hotel Clarks Amer, Zarine by Fairmont Jaipur, Peacock Rooftop restaurant, Skyfall by Replay and others.
taBLU
This restaurant, located at Hotel Clarks Amer, is a beautiful rooftop bar with a spectacular view of the city below. Located a 5-minute drive from the Jaipur International Airport, Clarks Amer is the first five star property in Jaipur. Therefore, the interior of taBlU has a little old touch. For instance, its window, from where one could see the rest of Jaipur, is made like a window in any old building ~ big and with lots of architecture work. As the name, Blu, suggests, this rooftop bar has an ambiance of blue and white theme to accentuate a Mediterranean look and a Sufi enigmatic ambiance. Inside, on its comfortable couches, one could enjoy a variety of drinks and delicious dishes. One must try their watermelon mojito, Tequila Sunrise and the unique dish of Cheese garlic cup over music.
Jaipur Adda
Located in Nirwana Hometel, Jaipur Adda is a coffee shop-cum-bar and is quite popular among the locals. Thanks to its overall ambience that is made up of graffiti and woodwork on the walls and fusion food that make this place ideal spot for a gala time. The restaurant is full of filament lighting and wall art makes this restaurant unique. However, the place is small but one has to always wait to get the table. In terms of food, it has mindblowing collection of mocktails and cocktails and amazing side dishes and pastries. Most of their dishes are fusion, as if they have experimented in their all dishes, be it Naan Pizza or its famous papad, which they serve with drink. Along with the food, the Adda always plays international tracks.