It is probably only a matter of time before the new Rude Lounge in Hill Road in Bandra becomes hot with clubbers. Rude Lounges are already taking over the rest of the city, with five outlets stretching from Juhu to Belapur. They are part club and part lounge and have more specials than a travelling salesman. Bandra’s Rude Lounge has free vodka on Wednesdays for Ladies Nights, two-for-one beer on Thursdays and a hip-hop night on Fridays. The downside is that the crowds haven’t arrived yet.

When we dropped in late on a Saturday night on its first weekend, hardly five people were in the upstairs lounge despite its nightclub lighting, comfy seating and view over Hill Road. So we crashed the private party on the dance floor a level below. But that wasn’t so hot either, with most guests more concerned with stuffing themselves on the buffet than dancing to the DJ. The night’s highlight only came when the valet took so long fetching the car that our friend, a lifelong Bandra resident, gave us a history lesson. He recalled spending his youth rocking the Casbah, the cafe-pub that was a hotspot in the 1970s and ’80s and used to stand where the shop Try Me! now is, next to Rude Lounge.

We tried our luck again the next weekend but were in and out of there just as quick. The crowds were bigger, especially at the Friday hip-hop night, which has plans to host top local DJs like Uri Solanki. But the vibe was still a little flat. We finally had a good time on Sunday night. A bunch of people had grabbed seats in the upstairs lounge to watch cricket. Three girls with European accents were jovially celebrating their birthday with enormous cocktails. The DJ reeled out a succession of catchy pop that was fun except for the high volumes. Our mutton rogan josh (R245) peeled tastily off the bone and our virgin mojito (R330) was well mixed. Overall, we still think Rude Lounge will become a fun nightspot with the option to chill upstairs and groove downstairs but it needs more time to pick up.