Five of New Delhi’s Best Bars and Nightclubs

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When contemplating the best party hot spots in the world, the city of New Delhi doesn’t exactly spring to mind. Founded a millennium before we began to count, New Delhi’s history spans as far back at 1000BC as the site of the ancient Pandava city of Indraprastha.

New Delhi’s previous incarnations can be seen in its diverse and contrasting architectural structures, but even amongst the epic red sandstone battlements, the picturesque mosques and the tiny winding back streets of Old Delhi, there are trendy bars and nightclubs waiting to be discovered.

As with most places in India and the central Asia, the most popular and trendiest bars can be found attached to high-class hotels. Any New Delhi qualified tour guide will give you a list of the luxury resorts. Attracting wealthy visitors from around the globe and New Delhi’s own society elite, these hotspots are the best places to enjoy a cocktail and dance the night away.

Agni

Part of The Park Hotel complex, Agni Bar is the place to be on a weekday or a weeknight. The space is a restaurant as well as a bar/club so if you get peckish before, during or after a night of drinking and dancing you won’t have far to go to find sustenance. This bar was even awarded the accolade of ‘Best Dancing Bar’ by The Times Guide to Nightlife.

Dublin

If you’re from the Emerald Isle, or indeed any Western city with an Irish bar, and are looking for something to cheer up homesickness blues, head to Dublin in Chanakyapuri. Located within the ITC Sheraton, this Irish-themed traditional pub has the largest single malt whiskey selection in the city. No doubt there’s plenty of Guinness on tap too.

F Bar

If you decide to go for a bit more glitz and shimmer than a standard Irish pub has to offer, F Bar is a good place to try. Interestingly, F Bar is a franchise of New Delhi’s Fashion TV and, as you would expect, is a highly stylish bar where top designers and models go to mingle. Also in Chankyapuri, but located in the somewhat more elite Ashoka Hotel, (again check out your New Delhi tourist guide for the exact location) F Bar is definitely where to head when you’re in the mood to slip into your most fashionable attire and sip champagne with the it-crowd.

Q’BA

Made up of a variety of establishments across New Delhi, Q’BA is the name to look out for if live music is your thing. The original Q’BA is located in Connaught Place, along with @Live which, as its name suggests, is a bar-cum-music venue that rates live music as its top priority. Where Q’BA is quite a classy place, spread over two levels and with two open air terraces, @Live is a much more authentic, casual place where you can listen to bands rather than DJs.

The Zoo

For somewhere a little out of the ordinary, try heading for a night out at The Zoo. The Zoo is a network of rooms with a sparsely lit decor and laid back vibe. Hidden away in Said-ulajab village, at the Garden of the Five Senses, The Zoo is surrounded by leafy green trees. But don’t let its serene location fool you; after the sun goes down The Zoo comes alive with thumping electronic music.

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