What: Phoenix
Where: The Astor, 15 Shakespeare Sarani
Timing: 5pm till midnight on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; till 2am on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Monday closed.
Music: Resident DJs Rudra and Dharmalogy will play a lot of house and underground music on Fridays while other days will be more of commercial dance numbers. Live bands will perform on Thursdays and Sundays.
Opens: Thursday, April 27.

Bye bye Plush, hello Phoenix! “Calcutta’s perfect performance venue and nightclub,” is how Vikram Puri, managing director, Archer Hospitality (which owns The Astor), would like to describe the newest party place in town where the action begins on Thursday.  “We had opened Plush like a hip bar-cum-restaurant but it turned into a nightclub. Plush did have a great run but towards the end, I felt there was a need for the place to shut down for renovation. So we took a break and came back with a phoenix-like resurrection,” explained Vikram. Spread over 2,368sq ft, Phoenix wears an industrial yet vintage feel with wooden and bricked walls, the vibe lingers somewhere between a pub and a nightclub, and the bar serves up an array of new cocktails.

The entrance

Remember the famous wall with photographs of the guests as you entered Plush? That wall now has this glowing giant phoenix logo against a brick wall. “Everything in life that goes up comes down, and by the same principle what goes down must rise, and the concept behind the name Phoenix is based on this,” said Vikram.

Puff place

Since the good old smoking room has been done away with, the outside area of Phoenix now serves as the smoking section, with wooden chairs and tables. 

Food fun

The menu is dominated by Mediterranean and Continental cuisine with Small Plates, Sharing Plates, Noodles & Rice Bowl, Pastas and Grills section. Try Greek Sampler (picture below), Pulled Mutton Phulka Tacos, to a meal-in-a-bowl dish like Basil Rice with Sliced Fish in Chilli Oyster. “The menu is balanced, with nibblers to wholesome meals. One will also find some popular dishes from Deck 88 and Kebab-e-Que,” said executive chef Amlan Bose. Prices for vegetarian dishes in the Small Plates section range from Rs 225 to 345-plus.

Dance floor

The piece de resistance is this light installation made of 330 LED tubes that can change patterns and colours infinite times. The lights will come on only during the later part of the night and make the DJ console and dance floor ‘lit’. “Previously Plush was very dimly lit and it was done up in white, that made the space look slightly plain in pictures.  Internationally, in any club, lights play a very vital role and so I wanted to incorporate that. These LEDs can be controlled by a software called Madrix that can change multiple designs; a name can also be written on it,” said Vikram. So what is the mood board of Phoenix? “Party mood on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Rest of the days the venue will wear a pub feel.” 

Music map

The DJ’s console is moveable and on an elevated podium that will make space for live bands to play. “This place has the cute little vibe of a blueFrog or a Hard Rock. Because of my love for music, the famous Jazz Thursdays must be there while Sundays will be more of the bands performing covers,” said Vikram Puri. 

Bar baar dekho

A 32ft-long bar done up with wood, antique iron grills and tungsten lights is parked right where the alcove was. Besides your regular straight drinks, the bar focuses on bucket drinks just like the hip Koh Samui hangouts. The 1.2lt bucket, beautifully decorated, will have 180ml of tipple, lending it a very tropical feel. So the next time you are at the bar you can order anything from Pink Lady, Classic Margarita, Mai Tai to Whisky Sour in the bucket! #HappySipping
Watch out for Phoenix Bucket Challenge every Wednesday 5pm onwards where you can grab a bucket for Rs 1,000-plus.

Shh...it’s private!

The Plush bar and smoking room have made space for a lot of snug private corners with plush, large couches. “Even though we are targeting GenX, there are people like me who like their private space, hence these sections,” explained Vikram.

Dine date

Phoenix is not just about high-raised bar stools, there’s ample scope to sit easy and have a leisurely dinner. This space with clutter-free furniture can be booked for private parties. Big ups for a mini bar that spares you the trouble of jostling at the main bar. 

Text: Pramita Ghosh
Pictures: Rashbehari Das