India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (79 page)
Farther north,
Vie Lounge & Deck
(102 Juhu Tara Rd.;
022/2660-3003;
www.vie.co.in
)–perched at the edge of Juhu Beach—is a shimmering venue with an open-air lounge overlooking the Arabian Sea. Come here for the sea breeze and laid-back ambience. It’s the perfect place for a wind-down martini after a long day, or—if you prefer to get wound up before an exhilarating night on the town—take advantage of their 4 to 7pm happy hour. Also in Juhu, and unquestionably the best reason to travel this far north after dark, is
Aurus
(Nichani Kutir, Juhu Tara Rd.;020/6710-6666
), a sublime venue affording sensational views of the sea, kissed by twinkling lights. Aurus isn’t all that easy to spot from the road, so make sure your cab driver or chauffer knows where it is before you head off, or you’ll waste time searching. Aurus only opens at 8:30pm, so you may want to start at Vie and then make your way here once the sun sinks.
If you disapprove of the swing towards social trendiness, don’t panic—the suburbs have their share of old school haunts as well. If you miss the intimacy of your hometown local, head out towards Haji Ali and stop in at
The
Ghetto
(30B Bhulabhai Desai Rd., Breach Candy;022/2353-8418
), a small, popular, and totally unpretentious hangout near the Mahalaxmi Temple. While it’s no dive, the place in some respects lives up to its name—a slightly dingy entrance, graffiti on the walls, and a complete lack of dress code—which is probably why the regulars (collegians and after-workers rub shoulders with graying hippies, all of whom still salute Bob Marley and Jim Morrison) are so uncompromisingly devoted to this place. That, and the fact that the music remains strictly “rock ’n’ reggae” (there’s a band from time to time, too; entry free). You can even dance if you want to. For a similar vibe—and a more varied, sometimes hard-core soundtrack—in Bandra, consider paying tribute to the ever-popular
Toto’s Garage
(30 Lourdes Heaven, Pali Junction;022/2600-5494
), where the main attraction, apart from the music, is the shell of a car hanging from the ceiling over patrons’ heads.
Gay Bombay
Mumbai is considered the most accepting and cosmopolitan of India’s cities, with openly gay Bollywood and TV stars, and plenty of socially connected people with armloads of gay friends. Much of that has to do with the fact that, as a big, bustling city on the move, Mumbai has always been less fussy about the private lives of its citizens—and it’s only the gossip columns that waste too much time speculating about who’s sleeping with whom. Still, the public gay scene is a remarkably small one, restricted to weekly club nights, private gatherings, and a few organizations furthering the human rights cause. There are no dedicated gay clubs or bars (not officially anyway), and most gay circles tend towards private get-togethers; with homosexuality unbanned as recently as mid-2009, there hasn’t before been much scope to transform the scene into anything substantial—and there are still enough people here living in the shadow of strict family traditions and religious piety (at least in public). Now that India is finally out of the closet, and homosexuality no longer outlawed, there’s likely to be a bit more of a scene happening in Mumbai. For the time being, there are only a small handful of places where you can expect any regular gay parties. In Colaba,
Voodoo
(Arthur Bunder Rd., off Colaba Causeway;
) has a weekly gay night on Saturdays (Rs 250), but it’s terribly seedy, far too cramped, and frequented by many of the wrong kinds of people, not to mention prostitutes. Then again, some find this sort of sleaze works just fine (but keep well away from the toilets). A much better option is to check out what’s been lined up by the city’s two main LGBT organizations.
Salvation Star
(
www.salvationstar.com
) is the more interesting (and fresher) group that caters to a discernibly with-it crowd and ensures a steady supply of up-to-date beats spun at parties held in a regular club venue.
Gaybombay
(
www.gaybombay.org
) has been around for long enough to have established a fairly loyal following; the parties are quite well subscribed, and music treads a fine balance between decent Bollywood tracks and pure cheese. Still, that’s what draws the crowds, and both gay men and lesbians do show up, so put on your saffron-colored tutu and your dancing shoes and go join them. A warning, though: Don’t fall for scamsters who make a trade out of hustling gay men and then threatening to expose or blackmail them.
NIGHTCLUBS
While you could spend your entire stay in Mumbai partying in a different club each night and recovering the following day in your hotel room—this is one Indian city that loves to party—be aware that the nightclub scene is not concentrated on a single street, and most clubs close earlier than in the West. Mumbai’s partying has also been tempered by the government’s early closing rule. Although Western music is popular and has the buff and the gorgeous strutting their stuff every night of the week, Mumbaikars (thankfully) have a deep passion for contemporary Hindi songs as well, and it’s not unusual to spot young studs demonstrating the choreographed rhythms of
MTV India
’s latest Bollywood video, much to the delight of their female companions. There are literally dozens of nightspots in the city, the most attractive (as far as decor goes) being in the five-star hotels. The nightclub scene has largely shifted to the suburbs of Bandra and Juhu, so much so that even affluent South Mumbaikars who wouldn’t normally venture to the ’burbs make a beeline for the happening clubs there. For the most up-to-date news on what’s hot and what’s not, get a copy of
Time Out
and talk to your concierge, because the nightclub scene changes rapidly. In particular, check whether the club recommended to you is popular with underage kids, as some clubs are, in which case you’d better avoid them.