A sip of soulful music- The New Indian Express

A sip of soulful music- The New Indian Express


Express News Service

A Saturday night of live jazz music with vocals accompanied by your favourite mocktail and delicious food sounds like the perfect way to spend your weekend. BTL, the live music bar in Egmore, the latest addition to the city’s bar scene  is all set to indulge in creating memories of a relaxing party scene for its customers. With soft ambient lighting and walls painted with warm colours, the first impression of BTL on its grand launch on Saturday spelt swanky.

A melodious welcome
The casual crowd and couples on date night gathered around the live performance of soulful music accompanied by instruments. “As a pub where the centre of attraction is music, we hope to provide an exclusive space in the city dedicated to good food and music. Since I am a big fan of music and have an eye for good DJs after learning DJ-ing, it was my dream to set up a place that would match my passion,” shared Manit Arora, owner of BTL. Manit runs the bar along with Sunny Arora and Kunal Jain.

He ventured into the event management business 13 years ago and concluded that entertainment coupled with music is the best way. Team BTL hopes to present live music for all genres not restricting them to any particular one. Apart from the regular artistes, it will also be a platform for independent artistes to showcase their talents. The guest singer for the inauguration was Lavita Lobo. “I have been in Chennai for the past few years and this pub is a great addition to the city. Here, music is the central point and everything else revolves around that. This will be a good place for artists to showcase their talents,” shared the artiste.

On the menu
As a North Indian living in the city for a long time, Manit also caters to party-goers from the north. A menu brimming with chicken, mutton and a few vegetarian options creatively curated under the guidance of chef Pradeep Perumal brings into the frame a long list of North Indian items. The chef, specialising in continental dishes, has been creating fusion foods for the past 14 years in the UK and USA. For his first job in India as BTL’s head chef, he brings in varieties from all over the world with a traditional twist and uniqueness.

Manit Arora, Sunny Arora | J Allen Egenuse

“The menu highlights include the special tandoori items, Malaysian and Indonesian flavours, eggless brownies and cakes and flavoured ice-creams,” he shared.  Welcoming us with a virgin mojito rich with mint flavour, Pradeep presented a special artichoke garlic bread and artichoke sauce. Created with freshly-made dough, it offered a buttery thin crust with a creamy addition.

The curried broccoli patties stuffed with tender mashed potatoes and mozzarella cheese accompanied by Thai-style dip, leave a milky aftertaste. “This dish is specially created for children as it is neither too spicy nor too sweet,” he shared emphasising that BTL is also a place for families to hang out. Afghani chicken tikka prepared with a blend of chillies, cashews and lemon, with its tender and juicy texture and slightly spicy flavour is an instant hit. The chef’s special mint chutney, a mix of mint, cream, yoghurt and chaat masala complimented the chicken tikka. “The menu also has plenty of seafood options. Another highlight is that we provide Jain food, cooked with no onion or garlic,” he said.

Food, drinks, music — BTL ticks all the boxes. They aspire to turn it into a place of social interaction for artistes and build a community. With flavours and fusion, BTL promises an affordable luxurious experience. 

A melodious welcome
The casual crowd and couples on date night gathered around the live performance of soulful music accompanied by instruments. “As a pub where the centre of attraction is music, we hope to provide an exclusive space in the city dedicated to good food and music. Since I am a big fan of music and have an eye for good DJs after learning DJ-ing, it was my dream to set up a place that would match my passion,” shared Manit Arora, owner of BTL. Manit runs the bar along with Sunny Arora and Kunal Jain.

He ventured into the event management business 13 years ago and concluded that entertainment coupled with music is the best way. Team BTL hopes to present live music for all genres not restricting them to any particular one. Apart from the regular artistes, it will also be a platform for independent artistes to showcase their talents. The guest singer for the inauguration was Lavita Lobo. “I have been in Chennai for the past few years and this pub is a great addition to the city. Here, music is the central point and everything else revolves around that. This will be a good place for artists to showcase their talents,” shared the artiste.

On the menu
As a North Indian living in the city for a long time, Manit also caters to party-goers from the north. A menu brimming with chicken, mutton and a few vegetarian options creatively curated under the guidance of chef Pradeep Perumal brings into the frame a long list of North Indian items. The chef, specialising in continental dishes, has been creating fusion foods for the past 14 years in the UK and USA. For his first job in India as BTL’s head chef, he brings in varieties from all over the world with a traditional twist and uniqueness.

Manit Arora, Sunny Arora | J Allen Egenuse“The menu highlights include the special tandoori items, Malaysian and Indonesian flavours, eggless brownies and cakes and flavoured ice-creams,” he shared.  Welcoming us with a virgin mojito rich with mint flavour, Pradeep presented a special artichoke garlic bread and artichoke sauce. Created with freshly-made dough, it offered a buttery thin crust with a creamy addition.

The curried broccoli patties stuffed with tender mashed potatoes and mozzarella cheese accompanied by Thai-style dip, leave a milky aftertaste. “This dish is specially created for children as it is neither too spicy nor too sweet,” he shared emphasising that BTL is also a place for families to hang out. Afghani chicken tikka prepared with a blend of chillies, cashews and lemon, with its tender and juicy texture and slightly spicy flavour is an instant hit. The chef’s special mint chutney, a mix of mint, cream, yoghurt and chaat masala complimented the chicken tikka. “The menu also has plenty of seafood options. Another highlight is that we provide Jain food, cooked with no onion or garlic,” he said.

Food, drinks, music — BTL ticks all the boxes. They aspire to turn it into a place of social interaction for artistes and build a community. With flavours and fusion, BTL promises an affordable luxurious experience. 

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