Nightlife: Bombay Lounge

     This review was a really tough one for me. I've been in Daegu for a long time and have a pretty good idea of what I want to say about most of these places before I actually go there to take pictures for the blog. The Bombay Lounge is still really new so to be fair I actually went three times before I posted this review. That's what made it hard, three separate visits led to three separate experiences. Allow me to tell you about them.

Ahhh... glowing rectangle, I remember you. (Old camera)

Oh, it's a TV. (New camera)

     First I'll give you some details. The Bombay lounge is rather small but despite this they still have a lot of space to sit down, with tables running down one side of the bar. Smoking is allowed and that tends to draw smokers in, what with the new law in place. They have a pool table, a beer pong table and a dart board (more on this later). They also have a menu with items ranging from Indian favorites like tandoori chicken (whole chicken-22,000) to some more basic snacks like nachos and cheese sticks(8,000 each). Beer is a little more expensive than I would expect with them charging 2,500 for the mini 330cc glass or 4,000 for a standard 500cc. Pitchers are a more economical 10,000 for 1,750cc and 16,000 for 3,000cc. So pitchers it is then. Cocktails cost between 5,000 and 8,000, which is pretty standard. They also have "lightning towers" which are basically cocktail pitchers that light up for 30,000. I'm not too sure on the value of the "lightning towers" especially since they also have a beer "lightning tower" that is more expensive and has less volume than the pitcher. So... Why put that on the menu? "I don't know" said one worker. Hmm... Menu padding? I hope that's all it is. They also have hookahs available for 7,000 won with a variety of flavors. I'm not huge hookah fan and I didn't see anyone using a hookah during my three visits, so I'm not sure how it compares to other places.

     Ok, so back to the tale of the three visits. The first time I came here was just a couple of weeks after the grand opening. The place seemed really nice, I was impressed by the menu (I didn't order anything though), The interior seemed nice and the crowd was decent sized and friendly. In fact I recognized most of them as Who's Bob regulars. They said they had a good time at the grand opening and so came back to have a few drinks before going to Who's Bob. The music was not too bad, but kind of lame, mostly being American Top 40 circa 2010, with some Spanish dance songs mixed in
and Cha Cha Slide from all the way back in 2009. Overall I had a very good impression.

That black box next to the table on the left is the dartboard. You don't want to sit at that table.

     The second time we came the place was packed with soldiers. I don't mind soldiers at the bars, but I know that quite a few teachers don't seem to get along or want to get along with them. And indeed, we seemed to be the only teachers there, the mood was definitely different as well, less chill and more party. The music was exactly the same though, which I thought was odd. I figured the old music was just a placeholder the last time I was there. We hung around for a couple of pitchers but it was just too hard to get through to the bar to get service and our table was frighteningly close to the dartboard. Speaking of, the dartboard is quite possibly in the worst place possible for the bar. No one wants to sit at the table next to the dartboard in case someone misses, and anytime you want to go up to the bar, or go to the bathroom, you have to wait for a break in the game, or the people playing have to stop to accommodate you since you're basically hovering around them while they're trying to take a shot.

It was this many plus 8 chips. Yeah, it was one of those "these are so bad you have to try them" moments.

     Ok, so the first and second visits were very different, third times the charm right? The third time we came the place was similar to the first time again, more low key, mostly teachers, and the same music. Cha Cha Slide? Check. I'm starting to wonder if they just have one CD or something. The thing that set this visit apart was that someone ordered some snacks. Nachos and cheese sticks to be exact. I don't know how these can be called nachos. The chips were stale, so stale that you could almost bend them in half before the broke. They were served with a side of nacho cheese and sweet chili sauce. Sweet chili sauce is not salsa. It does not go with nacho chips. This cost 8,000 won. Finally we returned to nachos to the bar and explained the issue (mainly the staleness), the owner apologized and said that we wouldn't have to pay for the nachos. We later found out that the person who ordered had already paid. Whatever. The cheese sticks were cheese sticks. They were the same kind that you get anywhere the only difference being that it cost 8,000 won for 8 of them and a side of ketchup. If you aren't up to date on your cheese stick economics, the typical price at most places is 4,000 won for 6.
     So, don't order the food here. Maybe the other things are better, I don't know and I won't try to find out. If you've had the tandoori chicken and it's awesome please leave a comment and I'll go back and give it another shot. Next time though, I think I'll just stick to drinks. I hope that the Bombay Lounge is still finding its feet. I want to like it here, but we'll see how they do in the future.

Breakdown:
+ Nice interior
+ Underused pool table
+ Pitchers are decently priced
+Decent amount of seating
=The music is dated
=Smoking is allowed
-Food is bad
-500cc for 4,000
-Dartboard is in the worst location possible

Final Score: 3/5 If you don't order food.        2/5 if you count the food.

What do the scores mean?

Location: The Bombay Lounge is located downtown on the third floor above Italy Italy. Here's a map.

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