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Jubilee Hills is the spot for Hyderabadis to let their hair down and chill on weekends. It’s the hub of cafes, pubs and lounges. Every time you visit the area, you discover a totally new place. While there have been newer pubs and cafes opening in the other parts of the city, Jubilee hills still remain the most happening ones.
For people from Secunderabad, Begumpet, heading to Jubilee Hills for food, music and drinks, especially on a Friday evening is a pain. Hence, to give Hyderabadis a space to chill and relax, a brand new rooftop restobar has opened. The Terrace at Mercure Hyderabad is the newest kid on the block promising an electrifying ambience, delicious food, and soothing drinks all with some amazing views of the city.
In this post, I’ll talk about my visit to Terrace Mercure Hyderabad.
My Previous Encounters with Mercure Banjara Hills
I had crossed the location quite a few times in the past but never managed to get in. It was only last year that I was invited for a meal that I saw the property up close. The beautiful interiors instantly made me fall in love with it. I even did a staycation in Hyderabad here and that was nothing short of luxurious. Located right in the middle of the city,
Mercure gives you easy access to places. Thanks to great connectivity via metro, bus and car. The best part that I liked about Mercure is the way it stops the city noises to creep into the rooms. Further, their restaurant Cayenne and IQ Bar serve some lip-smacking food and drinks.
The last time I was here, the terrace was under construction. They told me there was something coming up soon. About 8 months later, they unveil Terrace – the newest rooftop resto-bar in Hyderabad. A week ago I also with my friends was invited to do a vibe check at Terrace. Read on to know why you must visit Terrace at Mercure Hyderabad at least once.
Chill Ambience at Terrace
Located on the 12 floors right next to the gymnasium is the Terrace. On one side you have the DJ dishing out amazing music while on the other you get a view of the Hyderabad skyline overlooking the Hussain Sagar. Half of the stretch is covered while the other half isn’t. There’s also a quite functional and loaded bar counter with a huge TV. So if you are a sports fan, you sure will love this. There are mist fans across the place to ensure that you don’t die of the heat and sweat. Thankfully, the weather in Hyderabad during the evenings has become much better.
In terms of seating, they have quite a few options. They have tables with wood log tabletops and high chairs and smaller, regular tables with benches. There are planters across the property and the cool breeze gives a different vibe to the place.
They have live music sessions on select days of the week. While they don’t have a dedicated dance floor, if you love to dance, you’ll find one yourself! Overall, I thoroughly loved the place. Not many places in the city have what the Terrace has – vibes and views. But what about the food at Terrace? Read on!
Food and Drinks at Terrace
Places like the Terrace need to have a good menu along with drinks to live up to the expectations. A good looking place without good food and drinks is a waste. But the team at the Terrace have put serious thought into this and come up with a great menu.
The menu is a good mix of Oriental and Indian finger food. Chef Ganesh is at the helm of kitchen operations along with Chef Santosh Kingring who is an expert in Oriental cuisine. Since we were invited, the chefs had decided to serve us an oriental meal paired with some beverages from the bar.
Starters & Staters
We started with the classic Thai Salad Somtam. Made from raw Papaya, the salad had subtle flavours with a tinge of tanginess. With olives and cherry tomatoes, the salad was spot on. This was followed by another favourite salad – the caesar salad. On the front of the starter, we had Mushroom and Broccoli Agli Olie. It was a new preparation of Mushrooms and Brocolli that I had eaten. The mushrooms were crunchy and the flavours were just right.
The next item we had was Manfrang Hollapa – crispy potato with chilly basil sauce. It was the first time I had potato in this form, totally loved it. It is hot though. We also had a serving of Wok Tossed Morinu Tofu – crispy silken Tofu with chilli garlic sauce. Making tofu is not everyone’s cup of tea, and Chef Santosh was able to get it quite right.
We also had a plate of Honey Chilly Lotus Stem, which apparently has become a rather common starter for vegetarians. The starters were pretty good I must say. Refreshing new flavours add to the vibe of the Terrace.
Main Course
As the chill in the air increased, and we gulped a few drinks, the mains were on the way. We had Panang Je with Kho home Mali – Thai curry with vegetables and Jasmine Rice. The curry was very subtle in flavours thanks to the coconut milk used here. The flavour of basil, kafir lime was quite prominent and with Jasmine rice, it was perfect.
I have never had an inclination toward Thai food, however over the last few years I am slowly developing a taste for it. So I’m no expert at Thai cuisine, but whatever I had at the Terrace was pretty good in terms of flavour and presentation.
Desserts
To end the meal, we had a couple of desserts that were served. One of them was Tum Tim Grob – sweetened coconut milk with water chestnut and rose syrup. At first, it did taste like Roohafza in milk. The addition of water chestnut was novel.
At least I never had such a preparation earlier. The last and final dessert was the Malakpet Lassi. You must be wondering why Malakpet of all places? I know the answer, but I suggest you visit the Terrace, meet the chef and ask him. Trust me totally worth it 😉
Refreshing Drinks
The bar counter is led by Ramakanth who knows his spirits quite literally. Be it alcoholic beverages or mocktails, he knows exactly what the person wants. Most of us in the group were teetotalers and hence he had mixed quite a few drinks to go with our meals. We started with ginger and lime-based mojito. That was followed by a rather refreshing Cranberry cooler made with sprite. This was my favourite of the night.
He topped it up with another classic drink that he called “Bachpan Ka Pyaar” – the pink drink surely took me back in time. Again, to know why it’s named so, visit the Terrace! He also served Black Vanilla shots which were quite unique and refreshing. Apart from that, I had a couple of rounds of my favourite Virgin Mojito and Maharaj Ka Booze and both were spot on. Visit the terrace and place a request, you might get something unique too!
The Terrace Should Be Next On Your List
I won’t be wrong in saying that I’ve seen this place come up in front of my eyes. A simple empty terrace a few months back has been transformed into this vibing resto-bar. The place comes to life thanks to the music, weather and the views. As the night progresses, the Terrace becomes much more amiable.
The food here is quite good – both in terms of taste and variety. The chefs here can even customize and serve you. For instance one of our friends was fasting and the chefs were kind enough to consider her request. Talking about the drinks, they were quite refreshing and unique.
In terms of service, I don’t think there’s anything I could say. Accor group is known for their warm hospitality and it is quite evident at the Terrace too. I was there on a Friday evening and went back home during the early hours of Saturday.
It’s a place where you want to just sit, relax and chill. I’m so glad that the terrace came up in this part of the city. City dwellers need not travel to other parts of the city to have a fun evening anymore!
Thanks to the entire team at Mercure for having me over and planning the whole evening. Appreciate it. And I’ll surely be around soon.
What are your thoughts about the Terrace at Mercure Hyderabad? Let me know in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Instagram or Get In Touch.
Looks like a very lively place and good food to hang out with friends & family
Seems like the food and ambience makes this super special