- Acoustically designed.
- Very versatile and hosts all genres of music.
- Centrally located.
- Serves food and sunday brunch.
- Difficult to get from the dancefloor to the bar during busy times.
- The area around the bar becomes extremely crowded and service is slow.
- Mathuradas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, central Mumbai. Ph: (022) 4033-2300.
- Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 6.30 p.m. to 1 a.m, with live acts from 10.30 p.m.
- Entrance fee of 500 rupees ($12) on Friday & Saturday (includes a free drink). Other nights entry is 300 rupees after 9 p.m.
- Pods must be booked in advance. There are two dinner seatings, at 8.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.
- Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live music, and all you can eat and drink, for 2,000 rupees ($45).
- Different genres of music offered on different nights. Electronic music/DJs usually on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Also doubles as a fine dining restaurant with a global menu.
My first impression upon walking into the space-age looking Blue Frog was, "wow!". It's tucked away in an old disused mills compound in central Mumbai, and the exterior belies the striking interior.
Inside, a full length stage runs along one side of this old converted warehouse, and on the opposite side is a full length bar and open kitchen. In between is the dance floor, and the venue's highlight -- the round booths with tables called "pods". The area surrounding the pods is back-lit and changes color with the music, and the venues's walls are clad with acoustic absorbers to provide maximum sound quality.
The really appealing thing about Blue Frog is that it's so adaptable. The venue doesn't restrict itself to any particular genre of music. Instead, some nights it transforms itself into a club with live DJs, while other nights it take on a more traditional and laid back vibe with live bands and solo performances.
Part of the reason why Blue Frog has proved to be such a successful concept is that it's been created by musicians for musicians. Its eight partners are very dedicated to the industry, and the Blue Frog project encompasses run sound recording labs, a music production house, record label & artist management services.
There is, however, one big drawback to this very popular place. On a busy night, the crowds make it very time consuming and challenging to get to the bar and get a drink. The winding walkways between the pods get packed, and the bar area also becomes extremely congested. The reason for this is that the area in front of the bar just isn't big enough to accommodate all the people trying to get served, the people milling around, and the people trying to get from one side of the venue to the other. Some consolation is that there's a small bar at the rear of the dance floor, but it only serves a limited selection of alcohol.
