India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (250 page)

DELHI AFTER DARK

“The dawn breaks orange . . . The peacock sings . . . And Delhi still swings . . .” go the words to an uplifting dance track by one of Delhi’s top ethno-electronic-music outfits, the MIDIval PunditZ. Despite the capital’s reputation for early nights (stand-alone restaurants, bars and clubs within Delhi proper must close at midnight) and boring diplomatic gatherings, you won’t want for a buzz these days. That said, bars and nightclubs in Delhi can be extremely popular for months, or even years, and then suddenly and inexplicably the crowds stop coming. All the establishments listed below have been popular for a significant period of time and are unlikely to turn into has-beens by the time you get there, but fads and trends guide people’s movements.

The trick is to sniff out the latest fad or craze before it’s died out; your best bet—and where you’ll find the most extensive news about current events and entertainment—is the twice-monthly
Time Out New Delhi,
and also check out the score at
www.delhievents.com
. And, if contemporary music is your thing, do try to catch the PunditZ live.

MUSIC, DANCE & FILM
Dances of India
is an organization that regularly stages classical and folk dance performances, showcasing styles from around the subcontinent; call
011/98-1012-5772
to find out what events are lined up. Call the
India Habitat Centre
(Lodhi Rd.;
011/2468-2001;
www.indiahabitat.org
) for information on theater, film festivals, and other cultural events held almost nightly. Nearby is
India International Centre
(
011/2461-9431;
www.iicdelhi.nic.in
), which also hosts a variety of cultural performances and film screenings (mostly in the cooler months of the year), as does
Kamani
Auditorium
(1, Copernicus Marg;
011/4350-3351;
www.kamaniauditorium.org
). Entry to most events is free or nominally priced. Like in other big cities, you will find
Max Muller Bhavan
(
011/2332-9506;
www.goethe.de),
Alliance Francaise
(
011/4350-0200;
www.alliancefr.org
) and
Italian Cultural Institute
(
011/2687-1901;
www.iicnewdelhi.esteri.it) organizing regular film screenings among other activities. Other than the bigger newspapers like the Times of India and Hindustan Times, cultural events are listed at
www.delhievents.com
.

BARS & PUBS
Cultural attractions aside, Delhi is in many ways most interesting at nighttime, when the “conspicuous consumers” to whom William Dalrymple refers in his
City of Djinns
head out and schmooze. Note however that, unless they’re in hotels, most restaurants and bars (many of which double as both) close around midnight.

Fancying itself Delhi’s most exclusive pub is
Dublin
(ITC Maurya;
011/2611-2233;
www.welcomgroup.com
), although with its Irish theme, we can’t imagine why. It does have a dance floor, however, as well as the largest selection of single malts in Delhi; on Friday and Saturday regular DJs spin popular commercial tracks—a mix of fast-paced rhythms from hip-hop to ’90s rock and even London bhangra. For a more genteel and upmarket atmosphere, head to
Rick’s
at the Taj Mahal Hotel (1 Mansingh Rd.;
011/2302-6162
), where you can sip some of the best cocktails in Delhi while watching the city’s fashionable set unwind. A DJ (Wed–Sat) plays retro music from 10:30pm onwards. Far more formal, and perhaps a tad demure, is
Club Bar
(The Oberoi, Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg;
011/2436-3030
); relaxed and spacious, and good for cigar smokers, it’s the sort of place where you’ll overhear patrons discussing the latest business deals.
1911 Bar
in The Imperial (
011/2334-1234
), with its horseshoe-shaped bar, quilted leather Montana chairs, vintage portraits, and stained-glass roof, is an elegant place to enjoy an evening drink; despite the TV stuck on sports channels, it attracts a discriminating clientele that includes expats, celebs, and political bigwigs. All the rage among the jet-set crowd is
Aura
, the sublime
vodka bar at the Claridges (
011/4133-5133
); schmoozing on the black leather armchairs here is greatly enhanced by the 72 varieties of vodka on offer.