Clued into a curious culinary fare

Jasmine Singh

If you are crossing the 24X7 busy VIP Road in Zirakpur at any point of the day, in one of the initial blocks, a bright yellow board with 'Scotland Yard' written on it will make you slow down your vehicle. 

The fact that the moniker is closely linked to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books, curiosity gets the better of you, forcing you to peep into this new Restro Bar & Lounge and figure out what and who is solving a case here, Sherlock Holmes maybe!

And look what we find -- the place is modeled around the famous detective character. The walls of Scotland Yard are dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and his biographer friend Dr Watson. A huge sketch of the two standing back-to-back reminds one of how they went go around solving cases. A closer look reveals a glass lens, a key, research instruments, titles of Sir Doyle's books along with the release dates…it's nothing less than the Police Headquarters of 4 Whitehall Place, London, with a creative twist. 

Sitting at the far end, glowing under a lamp made of raw wooden logs, is the man behind this case -- Rana Inder Pal Singh from Patiala, the owner of Scotland Yard. "Go on, take a good look, I am waiting," he announces from a distance. He probably wants us to find more clues in this place that has a rustic yet modern feel to it. The red and green upholstery, the elevated seating arrangement, the centre table made of car tyres… all these props lend the spacious place (it has a seating of more than 100) a character, without intimidating the customer.

And, no points for guessing that Rana is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and scotch! "Here you will get all kinds of single malts," he slides the menu towards us. The menu is a set of papers tied together with a thread.  You get a variety of cuisines — Chinese, Continental, tandoori and an all-day long menu. Simbi seekh cheese, sofiyana paneer tikka, surkh paneer tikka, tilnar paneer tikka, tandoori sangam veg, bhatti ka murg, tandoori prawn are the tempting starters. For the health conscious, the choices are murg anari chaat, watermelon feta cheese salad, papaya salad, juices and mocktails. Accompany them with onion rings paired with salsa, kaju palak ki tikki, meat balls in hot garlic sauce, beer butter fish, quesadillas or fish fingers. And, of course, many would prefer a pitcher of beer on the table in this scorching heat alongside. 

Interestingly, the place converts itself into an evening cafe if you drop in between 4 and 6 pm. That's when veg and non-veg sandwiches vie for attention with a variety of coolers and shakes.

Scotland Yard does make you leave all your cares behind and enjoy the case called Fun. 

Sherlock Holmes trivia

A replica of Sherlock Holmes' office has been created at the entrance. The rocking chair, cigar, study table and wall clock seem to come out straight out of his books. Performances by a live band and DJ drive you to dance, even with those two left feet. You cannot get lost: the place has a high-speed wifi.