Pier 38, Cyber Hub, Gurgaon

A history buff will know that piers were traditionally used as trade transports between India and various other countries; Persia being the prominent one. Pier 38 at Cyber Hub, Gurgaon brings with it the flavours of Persia and the Middle East to Gurgaon.

The restaurant serves up dishes of Persian, Arabian, Lebanese and North Indian cuisines that are prepared using fresh, authentic ingredients. Their signature cocktails are magical potions full of unusual flavours and their desserts are totally out of the world. The salivating food and drinks accompanied with the rustic, woody interiors and charming music collection will leave you craving for more.

Smokey Bourbon Bolt: Though it did not taste smoky at all, the cocktail is worth drinking away to glory. The smoothness of Bourbon, the hot-sweet combination of star anise and cinnamon coupled with the freshness of mint leaves will titillate your tastebuds. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Dilli Chaat: The fashionable chaat these days is the palak patta one but this was not the best. The spinach leaves could have been crispier (would have complemented the crunchiness of the potato bhujiya) and the sauces could have been lesser sweet.

Veg Mezze platter: Expect the Lebanese dishes to be spot on at Pier 38. The veg samosets were crispy with light cheese filing inside, the veg kibbeh were crunchy and tasted a bit sour and the falafel was topped with sesame seeds and was ohh-so-crunchy with a very fine filling of chickpea mince. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Samak Mashwi: The fish skewers were amazingly done – slightly tangy because of the famed Zattar dressing and soft and firm in texture. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Non veg Mezze platter: Zattar chicken skewers were lovely in taste – tangy, juicy and a bit spicy. The lamb kibbeh were again excellent – the finest lamb mince fried to crunchy perfection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Batata Harra: The magic of cumin seeds coupled with coriander leaves on fine and firm potato cubes will leave you spellbound. The cubes have a slight crusty exterior- difficult to achieve as it requires precision and have a lingering tangy flavour. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Andhra Chicken Lollipop: Expect something from Andhra to be hot and spicy with the pungency of curry leaves. RECOMMENDED.

Red wine sangria: If the quality of wine is top notch, then expect your sangria experience to be a relishing one. These guys are using the finest Zampa Grovers wine here and the best part is that the fruits – apples and oranges are pre-soaked, thus bringing out their sweetness which perfectly marries the bitter sour taste of red wine. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Non veg Turkish pizza: I am baffled by the variety of pizzas available in different countries. And the sort of shapes they take. The Turkish pizza is fashioned like a slender ship – the cheese topping half wrapped under the pizza dough with two pointed ends. The sweetness of slightly tossed onions with the succulence of lamb chunks on a bed of light cheese is wonderful. The pizza base or I would rather call it a sheet is light and not too chewy. RECOMMENDED.

Veg pizza: The chewiness of mushrooms and the tanginess of olives on a bed of gooey cheese and half wrapped in the base is yummy. RECOMMENDED.

Long Island Ice Tea: One of the strongest I have ever tasted. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Baklava: A subtle dessert consisting of a flaky top with a mushy sweet bottom with the prominence of green cardamom and served with vanilla ice cream. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Nutella cigar rolls: The warm exterior is crispy and flaky with a sweet filling of nutella. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.