Hour Glasses

Hard as it might be to imagine, hiding amongst the throngs of shoppers, screaming kids and neon lights that overrun Phoenix Mills every evening is a relaxing, delish happy hour. It is cool here, and pleasantly dark, with peacocks shimmering on the walls, guavas gracing martinis and "Naaninis" on the menu. You can put your feet up, shrug off the difficult meeting or nerve racking shopping bout you've just endured, and pretend like you're not sitting in the center of the most chaotic building this side of the Sea Link. After all, at Veda's new evening hours, many things you didn't expect are possible.

Belly of The Yeast

Did you, for instance, imagine that whiskey could taste this good with Lassi? Or a childhood drink of guava juice and chaat masala could be this boozy? If not, order either (or better yet both) along with small plates from the new, well-priced (under Rs 225) tapas menu, and you're bound to be pleasantly surprised.

Dishes include tiny naans or "naaninis" studded with tandoori chicken; paneer tikka wraps, chicken kurcha quesadillas, vegetarian crispies. These are satisfying but not too heavy, perfect for a pre-dinner snack or to fuel up on before catching the early show at the Comedy Store.

Statue Warning

If you go, you should know that the gloomily sexy interiors at Veda feel like a night in the Meat Packing district even at 3 pm, and are extremely conducive to day-drinking. Plus, that Guava Chatka martini is ridiculously addictive. So if you find yourself walking out of Veda in the evening on feet that are a little unsteady, remember this: You had been warned.

Getting there: Veda, Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, from 3 pm to 7 pm, start at Rs 150 for a dish.