United we eat

The concept of sports bars has not really taken off in the Capital. The few that there are don’t have much atmosphere and their management appears to believe that sport begins and ends with cricket. Thankfully, the Manchester United Cafe and Bar, which recently opened in Gurgaon, plays a different ball game.

The bar is done up in the club colours of red and black, with photographs of past and present players adorning the walls. There is a special outdoor section where seats are built like a manager’s dugout, with a giant screen on which you can catch the sporting action. A small souvenir shop sells club merchandise like jerseys, wristbands, caps and scarves.

The food is not bad at all. The cafe serves a mixed fare including Indian, Oriental and Continental. We tried the starters (garlic bread with cheese) and the main course (vegetarian platter), which tasted fine but was slightly overpriced. But then, the place is not about food. The service is good, but we went on a weekday and the place was almost empty, so that was expected.

The biggest drawback of the bar, however, is the location. Located at the Central Mall — one of the not-so-popular malls of Gurgaon — the place will attract only hardcore sports fans. One advantage is that the mall is within walking distance of a Metro station. By contrast, the Manchester United bar in Mumbai is at the Palladium, which is a perfect location to guarantee footfalls. There are, however, plans to open the cafes in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area as well as Connaught Place.

Sports fans — especially United fans — will love the place. On match days, if the bar is anything like other United bars across the world, the capital will finally have a sports bar where patrons can actually enjoy watching the sports.

Manchester United Cafe & Bar, Central Mall, 4th floor, Gurgaon. Meal for two: Rs 2,000 (including alcohol)Aabhas Sharma

The concept of sports bars has not really taken off in the Capital. The few that there are don’t have much atmosphere and their management appears to believe that sport begins and ends with cricket. Thankfully, the Manchester United Cafe and Bar, which recently opened in Gurgaon, plays a different ball game.

The bar is done up in the club colours of red and black, with photographs of past and present players adorning the walls. There is a special outdoor section where seats are built like a manager’s dugout, with a giant screen on which you can catch the sporting action. A small souvenir shop sells club merchandise like jerseys, wristbands, caps and scarves.

The food is not bad at all. The cafe serves a mixed fare including Indian, Oriental and Continental. We tried the starters (garlic bread with cheese) and the main course (vegetarian platter), which tasted fine but was slightly overpriced. But then, the place is not about food. The service is good, but we went on a weekday and the place was almost empty, so that was expected.

The biggest drawback of the bar, however, is the location. Located at the Central Mall — one of the not-so-popular malls of Gurgaon — the place will attract only hardcore sports fans. One advantage is that the mall is within walking distance of a Metro station. By contrast, the Manchester United bar in Mumbai is at the Palladium, which is a perfect location to guarantee footfalls. There are, however, plans to open the cafes in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area as well as Connaught Place.

Sports fans — especially United fans — will love the place. On match days, if the bar is anything like other United bars across the world, the capital will finally have a sports bar where patrons can actually enjoy watching the sports.

Manchester United Cafe & Bar, Central Mall, 4th floor, Gurgaon. Meal for two: Rs 2,000 (including alcohol)