Have you ever dined in a place that made you feel like you have gone back in time? I felt like I had time traveled when I visited Quench – All Day Pub in Juhu a week ago. My two hours there made me reminiscent of my college days, with the cheaply priced booze, basic old school food menu, 90s rock and pop music, and painted wall decor. I frequented the Quench outlet in Bandra regularly, as a post-college jaunt with friends. The Juhu branch was similar in so many ways, stuck in a time that went by. If you are a 90s kid like I am, you’re college life would have been incomplete without local watering holes such as Pop Tates, Jugheads, Alfredo’s and more. Quench for me, falls in that same bracket.
Decor – With a conventional food and drinks menu, the thing that sets Quench All Day Pub aside from the others, is it’s eye grabbing decor. Completely hand painted, kitschy, with a major rock and roll influence – here you’ll find graffiti and song lyrics painted on the walls and ceilings. Hand painted Michael Jackson, and John Lennon murals ensure you always have company. And each table top is a fun, different theme – my favorite is the Saap Seedi table which can actually be used to create a fun drinking game with shots! And their playlist is filled with songs from an era gone by – beautiful music so rarely found in bars nowadays.
Drink – We decided to move beyond beers, and try something new from their cocktail menus that have some interesting drinks – Pani Puri Vodka Shots or a Peru Mary, where guava juice replaces the tomato. However, we had some extreme hits or misses on the alcohol front. My Monkey On The Beach (Beer + Tequila + Vodka) tasted of a runny, diluted beer sans any other alcohol. On the other hand, our Beach Island Iced Tea was a delicious and potent version of the Long Island Iced tea, where the Coke was replaced by Red Bull. The Mint Julep was an absolutely delicious cocktail and got me happy, one drink down. Think of it like a Mojito, where the rum was replaced by Bourbon Whisky, enjoyed even by a non-whisky fan like me! The Snake Bite (Tequila + Orange Liqueur + Lime Cordial + Red Wine) was far too bitter for me, I would have preferred some more lime cordial in the drink. It’s most definitely a man’s cocktail! Skip it if you like your drinks sweet and pretty.
Dine – Let’s get one thing straight here. The food menu here is fuss free, unimaginative, and tries to do too many cuisines at one time. And you know what they say happens when you try too many things at one time. The Prawns Paprika came highly recommended, and seem to be a Quench special of sorts. The creamy, spicy, desi-fied Paprika sauce makes for a fun pairing along with a pint of beer, and some fries on the side. Our prawns were delicious too, I only wish they served it with some bread on the side to mop that sauce up. The Herb Chicken came in a pesto like sauce, and was gobbled up in 30 seconds flat.
I don’t know what made me order a risotto in a bar. I can’t go around expecting decent risotto everywhere, can I? The Mushroom and Black Olive Risotto tasted all right, but developed a khichdi like – gloopy consistency. I wish they had used Arborio rice instead of regular, thick grained rice – would have made a world of a difference. My favorite dish of the night was the Grilled Chicken Mexicano sizzler. There was something right and comforting in that bright red, Mexican sauce that enveloped the chicken. The onion rings on top were spectacular, making me wish I had stomach space to order some more. Sizzlers are an under-rated bar food, I am glad I got to see sizzlers on the menu here. For dessert, I gobbled up their Sizzling Brownie with ice-cream, an old school favorite with gooey brownie sizzling on a hot bed, covered with chocolate syrup, with a generous scoop of ice cream on top. I missed the presence of chopped nuts on top, otherwise, this was a sizzling delight!
Quench is sitauted on the fourth floor of the now shuttered Tian building in Juhu, an area that is in the close vicinity of most colleges. With timings from 1pm to 1am, it works for both students bunking college, and post work drinkers. With price points that in the moderate slab, Quench has it’s target audience set out just right. Don’t go if you’re expecting gourmet food, fancy cocktails, and exquisite ambiance. Go for the trippy music, fun decor, and free flowing alcohol – if you’re looking for a fun night out! Psst. Happy Hours. Buy one get one free. Wednesday to Sunday 1-8 pm. Monday and Tuesday All Day. Thank me later.
Contact –
Quench All Day Pub, 4th Floor, Tian Building, 48 Gulmohar Road, Near Costa Coffee, Juhu, Mumbai.
Like Quench – All Day Pub on Facebook here
Follow @Quench_AllDayPub on Instagram
(The author was invited to dine at Quench All Day Pub and review the restaurant. The views are unbiased and purely her own.)
