A musical garnish to delicacies

Food and music make a deadly combo! Bonding over food and music has always co-existed and restaurants are pairing them to regain ground lost during the peak of the pandemic.

Food and music make a deadly combo! Bonding over food and music has always co-existed and restaurants are pairing them to regain ground lost during the peak of the pandemic.

Poorvi Nathani ‘Jade’ performing at Lebua Scara Estate (Sourced photo)

Creating a musical ambience on special days is in at food joints to attract foodies. “For our Sunday brunch, in which people drive in from the main city, it’s our duty to offer them something extra. So, on Saturday evenings or on Sunday brunch we have singer Anoop Singh who creates a certain ambience for patrons to complement the lavish spread that we offer,” said Gaurrav K Magoo, general manager, Ramada, Lucknow, on the city outskirts.

Food joints in the state capital are paring music with their lavish spread. (Sourced photo)

English singer Poorvi Nathani ‘Jade’, who had a weekend gig at Lebua Scara Estate said, “Acoustic live sets go very well when played in the backdrop, as people relish their meal. So, as cases (Covid-19) are dropping, food joints have very quickly started with live shows to increase footfall. In Lucknow, I see people enjoying English music gigs well.”

The heritage hotel’s food and beverages manager Alok Gautam agrees that to promote their rooftop restaurant they are holding gigs every Saturday which are yielding good results.

Young musicians performing at Home Sweet Home (Sourced photo)

Weekend evening and Sunday brunches are hot dates for musical performances but on weekdays too. “Tuesdays are usually dull and patrons don’t have exciting things happening in restaurants. So, we have singers Shagun Kumar and Shailja Singh performing Sufi songs and ghazals at our Oudhyana Restaurant on the day. Besides, we also launched a new menu with speciality Awadhi dishes which people usually don’t get anywhere,” said Taj Mahal hotel’s deputy sales manager Shabahat Hussain.

Shagun Kumar and Shailja Singh performing Sufi songs and ghazals at Taj Mahal hotel (Sourced photo)

Speciality restaurant SuraVie too gets live performers on the weekend. “It’s a tough phase, so, to attract customers, we get a three-piece band to perform on the weekend. If we get considerable bookings on weekdays, then to give something extra, we call a singer-cum-guitarist to make the guests feel special. At our Klub Big Boss too, barring Tuesday, we have song performances,” said its owner Rakesh Kumar Jaiswal.

To provide a musical experience to young customers, Home Sweet Home is offering musical experience. Radhika Halwasia gives her insight, “More than to draw customers, it’s about offering an experience to them and also in a way promoting the local music scene. We had a mandolin performance by Piyush Sood and then three students performed a magic jugalbandi on flute and guitar. So, we will keep offering such experiences besides our amazing food. Rest, everything will automatically fall in place.”