What's in a name

With psychedelic interiors and neon lights that change colours, it's easy to forget that you are in Bangalore when you visit this swanky new nightclub

Stepping into the grand foyer of south Bangalore's newest five star hotels, one would never imagine that there is a nightclub throbbing away somewhere down on the ground floor. A total contrast to the up market hotel ambience of La Marvella lies the latest nightclub club on the scene: Cocoon. Upon stepping in, you will find yourself in a space that is a complete paradox to its name. A chaotic, psychedelic hideout that seems to throb with energy much like a nest of a thousand insects, greeted us as we entered.



Much like its namesake, the entire club is decked with hollowed feature walls to resemble the interior of a bee's nest with a remarkable feature lighting system. One minute the entire club is a pulsating red, giving the it a Latino inspired ambience, the next, it's a strobe light show of changing whites, greens, blues and yellows that makes you feel like you are sitting through a virtual time warp. With the amazingly loud sound system, we would advise you don't visit here if you're trying to soothe a headache. Flat screen televisions and white leather couches line the walls, but it's hard to concentrate or converse with the distracting lighting system.

For the sophisticated cocktail sipper, Cocoon offers an enormous selection of cocktails from all over the globe.
u00a0
With over 25 varieties of tequila, vodka, champagne or classic cocktails and some expert bartenders, there are some superior choices available. We tried out the house specialty, the Apple Cinnamon Martini (Rs 350) which was crisp and chilled with a light apple flavour and not too alcoholic to taste. We also tried the Kiwi Margarita (Rs. 350) that was zingy and had a light fruity flavour to start what was quickly overwhelmed by a strong menthol-like aftertaste. Although, not a huge hit, this was an interesting version of the standard margarita.

A variety of finger foods are on the snack menu for hungry party-goers, including a range of pizzas, Chinese starters and Indian snacks. We tried the Fried Baby Corn (Rs 250) that was a crisp light snack to munch on in between drinks. With a crispy shallow fried casing, the soft baby corn was sweet with a coating of a five spice Chinese marinade. Cocoon is open from 11:30am until 11:30pm and with a great range of cocktails and alcoholic beverages, Cocoon has the potential to be a high-quality hotspot for a Friday or Saturday night out with your friends. It is even just a place worth checking out because of its zany lighting display; provided you can handle the head thumping, light flashing and mind-boggling atmosphere for long stretches.

At: Ground Floor, La Marvella Hotel, Jayanagar
Call: 4333 5333
Drinks for two: Rs 1,000