Flight Down! Crashed rather! . Review on One Flight Down, Nampally, Hyderabad

Location: A stone's throw distance from Nampally Rly. Station. It is a part of 'Quality Inn Residency'. The opposite lane of the same street boast of 'Parwaaz Hotel' (actually a restaurant) famous for its Biryani and Paan (beetle leaves) Shop.

Best Time to Visit: It is best visited during the afternoons when they offer special 'Lunch' mini-meals (limited serving, as known/called here in Hyderabad). They are good at Rs 100 a plate. Order for one Chinese mini-meal and you won't have to order any snacks. It has two spring rolls, manchurian, noodles, fried rice, vegetables in schezwan sauce, and another food item. There are other mini-meals too. You will have fun if you have a large gang with you.

Ambience: It is rather better during the days but not bad at night either. Being located near Nampally, it does attract less high-class junta but the standards have been maintained over the years. It is spacious inside. Music is contemporary and they also have themes for some special occasions. The speakers are huge (but locally assembled) and hang themselves high on the ceiling. If you happen to be on the tables below the speakers, it might actually scare you if you look up and think 'OMG, what if this falls on me!' There is a pillar that separates another section of the pub where they have put these pool tables. Normally, the frequent visitors or guests to this place occupy the table. You can have a cue in the afternoon though.

The Pub: Nothing great as such. They serve all sorts of liqour. They have a wide stock of Indian as well as foreign names. A peg (30 ml) of regular Whiskey costs around 90 bucks which is not expensive if you consider the overall experience at this place. They do have cocktails but very weird ones. I have forgotten the names as it has been quite some time since I visited this place last. (Earlier, used to visit this place very often along as a part of our gang consisting mainly of addicted boozers). They serve really chilled Beers - brands ranging from KingFisher to Haywards 5000. Sand Piper and Fosters taste best but if you 'do not' want a filing effect yet want to gulp down a bottle a two before your meal, try 'Castle' beer. They recently started serving Draught beer which is hardly worth your money in my honest opinion. A pitcher doesn't even make three glasses but is priced equivalent to almost three. No savings here.

Service is average during the day (read afternoon) and below average at night. The waiters seem preoccupied with something and take some time to respond to your call. They are least polite in manners and the most notorious in correcting your 'accent'. They may correct you when you ask for 'hot and sour' (pronounced as ho't & saa'wa) by saying, ''Oh! you want hot and 'saa'err'? or worst still 'You meant hot and SORE sir'?'' Ask for some 'Uh-ni-on' (onion) and you will get a reply 'i believe you want Oh-ni-One'!' This SORE thing became a joke with us and sometimes we visited just to hear the waiters tell us 'you ordered for one Hot and SORE'. Some of us would burst in to peals of laughter in front of him making him wonder if we were already drunk. It used to be fun then.

Well, nothing too great about this place. Avoid if you can.

On the way back home, do get yourself a meetha (sweet) Paan from Parwaz. Ask for 'Calcutta mein Meenakshi' (Calcutta beetle leaves with Meenakshi sauce). The paan at Rs 6 would definitely taste much better than the service at One flight Down.

If you did not have much to eat at the pub, get yourself from Parwaaz Hotel some 'Biryani' Rice (only the rice and not the whole biryani) along with 'Mirchi ka Salan' (Green-chilly gravy). If you insist on having the full Biryani, you can go for 'chicken biryani' or 'dum ka veg biryani' depending on your preferences. Don't try mutton as it is not a very hygienic place to buy mutton preparations.