“Dude! We have a pub in town,” yells one of my particularly boisterous friends over the phone. “Are you drunk?” I snigger, dismiss him and his wildly implausible story instantly. “Not yet!” he chuckles, “But that’s the plan for the evening.”
A pub? In Madurai? We head to Vishal Mall instantly, and straight to third floor where we gaze at glass doors lined with neon LED lights in fascination. ‘Infinito’, reads the blinking back-lit signage on top. Here it is: Madurai’s first pub. Yes, you heard me right. It’s 2015, so admittedly, it took a while. But our conservative town finally has a place to party in style.
Neatly laid out in three sections with poker tables and comfy sofas, Infinito is impressive on the first glance. Quickly wading through a clearly fascinated crowd, we settle down at a corner table. I notice giggly youngsters, visibly excited about what is probably their first visit to pub. There are also grim-faced aunties squinting at the menu suspiciously. And chirpy middle-aged pot-bellied men gathering in little groups and pouting in unison for selfies, which are instantly posted on Facebook. An interesting mix indeed. For a second, I wonder if this is really the same Madurai, known for its idli kadais, heritage and culture. Clearly there’s a new breed of locals, all out to bond over beer and cocktails. The city is changing.
“It’s inevitable. Even Madurai has to eventually give in to the global trends,” says Balaji Seshan, a techie who’s delightedly soaking up the ambience. He adds, “The black-and-white flooring is so retro though: They should be playing Elvis Presley.” However we are bombarded with something more contemporary: hip-hop. “We are trying to create a medley of moods in this space and that’s why the flooring is jazz and the walls are painted hip-hop,” says Bhanu Khandelwal, the interior designer, in an attempt to explain the decor. “We don’t want to be a niche pub. We see ourselves more like a resto lounge, which means we’re quite versatile,” says Irudayaraj Nicky, the manager who is here, after years of working at pubs in Bangalore and Chennai. He adds, “Admittedly, Madurai will take time to reach there. People here are still getting a hang of what pubbing is all about.”
He isn’t wrong I realize, looking around. After a couple of flaming shots, a bunch of young guys act extraordinarily tipsy. Rather ‘wannabe’? Well, I can’t be judgmental. Besides, there are also a set of more seasoned customers silently, appreciatively, enjoying a drink.
The idea is to make the city trendier, offering locals more options for evenings out, says R.C. Sabarish, the young businessman behind the venture. He’s brought in teams from the country’s big cities to run the place to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Since this is Madurai’s first pub, there is some resistance as well. I hear about people who are apprehensive about a pub that is set in a mall, since malls are traditionally family destinations. In response, Sabarish says, “We aim to be a place not just for just young party goers, but also for families who can walk in and spend time here together. This is why the interiors are restrained, and the décor is laidback. This is also why we are open during the day, so even office goers, tourists and shoppers can stop by for some food, and a drink. We plan to open a café next.”
In another move to provide something for everyone, Infinito offers American, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Indian cuisine. The lounge area stacks a decent variety of cocktails and beers. C. Vishnu Kumar, who works in Bangalore, says, “I was visiting home this weekend and it was a pleasant surprise to see a place where food and alcohol is served together.” Peter Pradeep, a young business man, concurs. “It’s such a relief to finally have a lounge bar in the city. We don’t have to travel to Bangalore or Chennai to party now: some weekends can be managed here.”
And the first weekend party at Infinito was merrier with a hilarious bar comedy by Stray Factory. I almost choked on my Mojito, as Shyam Ranganathan, a member of the Chennai-based theatre group cracked a witty one-liner. It seems, his mom told him that the whole city would laugh at him if he chose out of engineering, which he did. “Look what I’m doing! I have kept up her words,” he blares into the mic. His mate Venkatesh Harinathan mimes the Kolaveri song to which a young girl gleefully plays sport, miming with him. Madurai boy, stand-up comedian Rajiv Rajaram leaves the lounge in splits as he effortlessly reels out typical Madurai gags.
After an hour of laughter riot, the music pounds heavy and some howl and squeal in response. Looks like Madurai has started partying!
Infinito Resto lounge is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For details, contact 9626682201
