Durrants Bar, Chennai

Chennai’s five-star luxury hotel, My Fortune (owned by ITC), houses the Durrants Bar. Named after a 19th century wine merchant called Charles Durrant, the bar serves the finest of spirits.

Their fairly extensive list of Single Malt Scotch Whisky includes a selected assortment of Highland, Islay and Speyside offerings. Their blended malts include Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, Ballantine’s 17 and Ballantine’s 21 Year Old and Royal Salute 38 Year Old, among others. Durrants also has a list of Irish and Japanese whiskies, a wide variety of aperitifs and an impressive rare whiskey collection sold by the bottle. You could snack on salad, peanuts, wafers and murukku while at the bar. Do try their chicken wings, pork ribs and crispy fried lotus stem.

The interiors are made up of wood, leather and marble. A swanky wine cellar is bound to impress the guests. The service is in line with what you’d expect from a five-star establishment. The bartenders have a longstanding association of serving here. The man-at-the-bar indulging in some banter while you sit back and relax with the signature cocktail of the week.

Durrants usually plays soft, instrumental music. The bar arranges for occasional live music and karaoke sessions. The ambience, coupled with the music and the food makes it a perfect place to unwind.

Durrants is a ten minute drive from Marina Beach. You could drive up to the beach and de-stress for a while after you are done at the posh Cathedral road bar. They have a mandate for dress code, business casuals being the preferred choice. Undoubtedly opulent, the average cost for two is INR 2,500 plus taxes.