Review of Dragonfly Bar & Lounge Mumbai

I arrived at Dragonfly just before 11 p.m. on a Friday night with mixed expectations. This newly opened bar has been generating quite a bit of interest around town, and I'd read a number of reviews about it in the local newspapers. Many of them were critical of the empty dance floor, and the music without vocals.

I'm pleased to say that one of the first things to grab my attention as I entered the warmly lit and curvaceous bar was a dance floor full of people! The other thing was the row of hundreds of wine glasses, suspended upside down at different heights from the ceiling of the sizeable main bar.

Obviously a lot of thought and effort was put into designing and decorating Dragonfly. Shades of gold, brown, and maroon flow throughout. The dramatic floor to ceiling windows also serve their purpose in elongating the view down to the street below.

There's no doubting that this is an exclusive place. "Guest list" and "VIP" are familiar words. VIPs are treated to their own bar area, decked out with maroon leather couches, overlooking the dance floor and street. It attracts an eclectic range of people from foreigners unwinding after work, to actors dropping in.

The drinks on offer are what you'd expect from a classy establishment and include innovative cocktails, rare aged whiskey, and decent imported wine. They come at a price though!

As for the music, it's true there are no vocals. However, I found it to be a pleasant change from the commercial house and Bollywood that's prevalent elsewhere. Dragonfly is a contemporary bar and the music reflect this. It starts off relaxed with jazzy tones early in the night, and takes on a dirtier sound at midnight with some powerful tech house. The resident DJ, Ruskin, has over a decade of experience and knows what he's doing.

Did I have an enjoyable night out and did I dance? Definitely!