Hoppipola – a popular chain of pubs in Mumbai made it’s presence here in Chennai a few months ago and the place has been buzzing ever since. Already a crowd favourite, this pub made it’s way to be located in the centre of the city, easily accessible for many, and even if one lived far off, wouldn’t mind making the drive here. Why? Because this simple, yet glorious pub is everything that one looks for on a typical Friday night – to have good fun with friends over drinks and some food. And Hoppipola offers it all. You’ll never find an unhappy face at this pub, with it’s music well-selected to please the guests and it’s volume – good enough to enjoy and have a conversation at the same time. 

The ambiance is simple, with a little flick of colour thrown in here and there, so as to give it a humble atmosphere – cosy enough to relax and have a conversation, but spacious enough to party on a Saturday night. The entrance is a stairway that leads you to a basement that’s well lit – enough to see the people around you and have fun, but not too bright that it would blind you. An open space is what you’d see first and that’s where the fun begins, literally. Board games, beer pong, and a gigantic stack of Jenga lie there – waiting to bring out the fun side in you. See why we said this is perfect for a Friday night of fun with friends? 

Now pick a table and sit down. Take a look at the menu. You’ll feel the same way we did. The menu, besides being well written and designed, holds within itself some amazing dishes that you simply can’t say “no” to. A scrumptious selection of vegetarian and non vegetarian starters will leave you confused as to what to choose. But who says you can only have one? Pick them all if you have to! They’re so worth it, they’re lip-smackingly good and go easy on the wallet. But then you’re thinking, “what about the drinks?”. Yes, you can have them all too (but watch out for that hangover!). We’ll give you a few reasons why you can have all those drinks – they’re, again, easy on the wallet, they’re not too strong to floor you down so you can still have fun and enjoy a good buzz, and also, they’re delicious! The mains also offer a good selection of burgers and pizzas – perfect if you’re looking to have a complete meal before you call it a night. 

What we had:

Watermelon and Basil Mojito

This drink is the perfect union of a little watermelon, a little basil, and a splash of vodka. A terrific trio right there!

Kafir Lime and Lychee Mojito

A seasonal delight that will wake you up from a gloomy day, this drink leaves you refreshed and buzzing a little, in a good way, of course. 

Old Fashioned Whiskey

For everyone who enjoys a good classic every now and then, this drink with whiskey and a touch of orange will please you.

Celery and Watermelon Cooler

Who said mocktails were boring? Hoppipola’s list of mocktails will have you wanting it all. We settled for this cooler which was a unique blend of celery and watermelon, and it was quite delightful! 

OMG

We didn’t come up with that name, but this dish of crispy fried, cheese stuffed mushrooms with sour cream will really have you saying “OMG” at the very first bite!

Paneer Patty Bhurji on Toast

These soft, delectable little cake-like patties of paneer will make your day when you’re looking for something that melts in your mouth. Served with a crisp garlic toast and mint mayo, the flavours are everything that you could ask for. 

Smokin’ Carlos

We would totally want to be smoking these crispy, mexican style jalapeno and corn cigars, all day!

Aila Aioli

These are delicious bits of boneless chicken, marinated with a signature spice and served in skewers on a bed of aioli. Should you be wondering what to try first, this is it. 

Chiselled Prawns

Deep fried prawns are awesome. Deep fried prawns with a delicious basil and chilli rub? Awesom-er. The dip that comes with the dish goes perfect with the prawns and trust us when we say you’ll want more of this. 

Lambada

Pack on some juicy lamb patties stuffed with cheddar! Even if you’re full, you can’t help stuffing yourself with this. The lamb is well cooked and the sauce it’s dressed with, makes it all the more better.

Pizza

For pizza, we tried a little bit of everything they had. What can we say, we love our pizza! We had some Lambretta which was a delicious pizza topped with juicy, minced lamb and feta cheese. Next, we had some Jerkin’ Around which was made of chunks of jerk spiced chicken. They say it’s for the ones who like a litte fun, and we agree. Next, we had the classic Margarita – a favourite for many. A little Pepperoni followed, because you can’t just have pizza and forget about that pepperoni, right? Finally, we ended with the Cheesie Pizznezz, a delicious four-cheese pizza that left us stuffed!

Molten Mouth

For dessert, we were recommended to try the Molten Mouth, and as promised, it was delicious and worth having after such a huge meal! This is an underbaked cake that oozes out chocolate as soon as you dig into it, and it goes perfectly well with some ice cream, which is served along with the cake. This is definitely something you must try, especially if you’re a real sweet-tooth.