The Liquor Warehouse (TLW) has opened where the once infamous Lemp Brewery used to be, under a new management, and with a focus now on spirits rather than beer and a renewed effort on some good selection of food. Everything about the décor is big – the high ceiling, the wide expanse, a pleasant outdoor seating, the stage, and the various levels. It gives a feel of a small city inside a mall.

I meet Rohit Sharma, one of the partners here who takes me through an extensive tasting session. For the ease of the readers I have categorized the dishes as great, pleasant and needing improvement.

Pork Belly Vindaloo (Rs 399) marinated in chili and vinegar and cooked vindaloo style is simply superb. It is full of soul satisfying pork fat and some great masalas. Spicy Chicken Wings (Rs 349)  are cooked authentic, and after my request for a punchier blue cheese dip, takes me back to the pubs of US east coast.

                    Pork Belly Vindaloo                      Spicy Chicken Wings

Hot crispy chicken chaat (Rs 329) trio of chutney, mix sprout and potato salsa with cornflakes crusted chicken is chaat 2.0. Braised Lamb Shanks (Rs 479) with a distinct korma gravy, and accompanied by egg paratha are a perfect post booze meal. Guard of Honour chicken (Rs 349) with curry leaves and chili sauce, is named so because of the way the chicken fingers are placed on the plate, and is interesting.

           Hot Crispy Chicken Chaat                             Guard of Honour

Chipotle deviled eggs (Rs 289) is a snack that is bound to hit the spot with your first glass of beer.

                                Chipotle deviled eggs

Now to the dishes that are pleasant without being spectacular.  Chicken pizza (Rs 399) and onion rings (Rs 189) are nice but just so.

                    Chicken pizza                                      Onion Rings

Paneer harrissa tikka (Rs 329) stops short of being great and needs a sharper contrast between the sauce and the paneer.There is nothing oriental about the Malaysian fried calamari (Rs 389) which is bland and listless, though cooked perfectly.

          Malaysian fried calamari                               Paneer Harissa Tikka

Among the disappointing dishes are Kerala tenderloin chili fry (Rs 399) where the meat is of poor quality and the dish misses the perfect balance of heat, tang and crispness that makes it such a perfect companion to spirit. Non veg dimsum basket (Rs 349) totally misses the bus because it has been over steamed to death.  

                Kerala tenderloin chili fry                    Non veg dimsum basket

Among the cocktails there are some really interesting ones. Breakfast Martini (Rs 345) with kettle vodka, sweet vermouth, orange marmalade and lemon rind is the highlight of the evening. 

                 Breakfast Martini                             African Spiced Margarita

OJO (Rs 345) tequila, kiwi crush, lime mix, mix fruit juice, sprite, and kiwi is great and it is difficult to stop at one. 

                           OJO                                              Apple Rumble

Cucumber & elderflower Collins (Rs 345) Beefeater gin, elderflower syrup, cucumber chunks, cucumber syrup, cucumber slices is a refreshing drink for balmy evenings.

        Cucumber & elderflower Collins

                  Kafir Lime Martini                                  Espresso Martini

Overall, The Liquor Warehouse has a lot going for it. Great food, some good cocktails and great interiors can make magic, if they maintain their food standards and have an alluring pricing policy.

Please note: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant to taste their food, and no bill was presented to the author. While the author assures you of objectivity, the review may be influenced by the personalized attention the author got.

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 3.5 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 3.5 | Value: 3.5 | Overall: 3.5

Meal for two: Rs.1500 | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address 2nd Floor, DLF Star Mall, Sector 30, Gurgaon | Tel: 011 33105773