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It was the start of the group stage of the T20 cricket world cup and the India vs Pakistan game was scheduled for a Sunday. And when it’s India vs Pakistan in a cricket match, it’s best enjoyed in a group. So I and my friend were looking for places in HiTech City that had live match screenings. Red Rhino was one that showed up apart from Elsewhere & Buffalo Wild Wings to name a few. We decided to try Red Rhino and that was my first time visiting Red Rhino in Hyderabad.
It was launched with great fanfare and food influencers in Hyderabad were going gaga about the place. However, over time I was hearing mixed reviews about the Red Rhino. People who had amazing experiences earlier weren’t happy now and vice versa. So as a paying customer, I was there to watch the India-Pakistan match live screening. And this is going to be my review of Red Rhino brew pub & inspired kitchen.
Lively Ambience at Red Rhino
An area that was barren when I first moved to Hyderabad about 8 years ago, today is bustling with towering skyscrapers, notable builds, and traffic. Red Rhino is one of the places in the area and has become popular. It’s located right opposite the T-Hub and MyHome Bhooja & hence easy to locate. It has valet parking and that was the one reason we opted for Red Rhino.
In terms of ambiance, they have 2 floors. The ground floor has a bar counter, different seating options with large windows, and small outdoor seating. Due to the windows, there’s ample light inside. They also have live music performances and live match screenings.
However, if you’re coming here for match screening, make sure to sit at the spot that is right at the entrance. They have a projector there while there’s only one TV at the side of the bar counter. In terms of live screening experience, I’d not come again here.
Average Finger Food
Let me state the obvious, we were glued to the match and hence food wasn’t that much of a priority. However, me being me, I had my tastebuds on the job. We had a lot of finger food, and small plates during the match. It included Jalapeno Cheese Poppers, Onion Rings, Hummus & Pita Bread & Hara Bhara Kebab.
The cheese poppers were crispy on the outside but lacked the punch inside. Onion rings were decent but I’d still prefer the one and Roastery Coffee House over this. Hummus and Pita bread could have been better. Hummus for some reason lacked the flavor. Hara Bhara Kebab had a good texture and mouthfeel, however, it was too spicy to handle. Overall, the finger food was just ok. The plating thought looked nice, the taste could have been better.
Sides & Surprisingly Good Mains
The next item that we ordered was a Pink sauce Pasta along with Paneer Butter Masala and Khameeri Naan. Pink sauce pasta was more red than pink and was ok. The veggies were crunchy just as I like them. However, since I’m not a big fan of red sauce, I’d rate this okayish.
I know I belong to that 1% of people who’d order Paneer Butter Masala with Naan here, but well I did. And surprisingly this was the best dish I had there. It was one of the better preparations I’ve had in recent times. It was extremely rich and flavourful. Though Khameeri Naan wasn’t there, we did it with Garlic Naan, and boy, this was heavenly. So much so that I ordered an extra plate of Paneer Butter Masala and brought it home!
Drinks and desserts
On any given day, I’ll have at least 3-4 mocktails. My preference is usually anything that’s aerated, isn’t sweet, and is chilled. However, on that day I decided to gulp down Ginger Ale. I had about 4 of them during the match. My friends however tried the various drinks that were on offer. I took a sip of each of them. Some were a hit, others were a miss.
On desserts, we ordered a caramel popcorn sundae (I don’t remember the correct name). While it looked good, it wasn’t something that we expected. It was plain vanilla ice cream topped with caramel popcorn, & marshmallows. Pretty basic and nothing extraordinary. I’d however want to go back and try other desserts as well.
Final Verdict: A good brewery to gulp down drinks
Because we were happy that India beat Pakistan in the nail-biter, the whole experience was good. The starters were decent and so were the small plates and sides. The biggest surprise was the Paneer Butter Masala which I didn’t expect at a place like Red Rhino. In terms of ambiance, the place is lively, the music is good and a lot of people keep coming in. With multiple seating options and drinks, sure looks like a good place to hang out with friends.
We paid about Rs 6000+ for 3 people and would say that’s at par with other such places in the city. One can come here had a chilled evening with friends. However, if you’re planning to come here for a live match screening, I’d say that can be avoided.
Let me know your thoughts about Red Rhino in the comments below. You can also tweet me at @Atulmaharaj, DM me on Instagram, or Get In Touch.
