Each time I visit the fantastic JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity on invite by General Manager Nitesh Gandhi, I make it a point to spend time at Playground, the phenomenal social lounge that is known to serve fantastic food, unique cocktails and high energy music in a mind-blowing ambience. Set in the popular vicinity of Aerocity which is known for some of the best hotels in the city, Playground at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity brings to the table an expansive social lounge, a quirky Food Truck and has introduced the city’s most chic and exclusive speakeasy, all under one roof, open from 6pm till 4am.

burrata

The glass facades, the colorful pop art that adorns the in-house food truck, the street art created by Yogesh Saini from Delhi Street Art, who treated the walls as his canvas with his artistic flair to design the lounge with just the right amount of colour in both daylight and under subtle lighting to beautifully offset the opulent interiors everything comes together to create a fabulous venue. During the prohibition era, when the US government banned alcohol, hidden speakeasies came up as a means to continue selling alcohol to locals. There’s an element of glamour in these clandestine entertainment venues where fashion, glamour, alcohol, etc flourished and everything looked exciting and entertaining. When I first stepped into the speakeasy I was mesmerized by the ambience and the classy décor of this high end venue.

the speakeasy

“Playground is an absolutely chic lounge and bar with amazing cocktails by our expatriate beverage manager, Ian Sedwell. The social lounge is to sit and chat with friends while speakeasy is best suited for private get togethers and lavish parties,” said Director of Food and Beverage Ramandeep Singh.

The menu has interesting sections such as the small plates selections, the food truck specials, main course selection and dessert specials. It is a good idea to try the braised lamb borek with garlic yoghurt, the garlic chilli prawns, homemade barbecued chicken wings, the baos from the small plates selections and the pan seared sea bass from the main course. I am a big fan of Aisan cuisine so for me the Playground Oriental Platter with spiced prawns, sambal chicken skewer and fries was the perfect option. There is an Indian Selection which offers dishes such as Dilli ka murgh and dahi aur anjeer ke kebab, foodies love being in Delhi as it is known as the gourmet city with innumerable choices to suit everyone’s palate and this section focuses intelligently on local favourites. Food trucks have always fascinated me and Playground has a unique food truck with fantastic offerings such as the Poutine fries, masala tikki buns and the PG style nacho chaat. The PG signature churros with Bailey’s sauce is the perfect end to a fantastic meal in Playground.

cold brew negroni

From cocktail to premium spirits, Ian Sedwell, the expatriate Beverage Manager can always be found talking animatedly about the importance of fresh ingredients, fruits and herbs in drinks. One of his personal favorite drinks is the very popular whisky cocktail called ‘The Long Walk’ named after the long walk to Scotland and the home of Whisky. Apart from this the cocktail menu at Speakeasy has several other interesting drinks such as Collector’s Wife, Noble Baba and Tiki John.

spice market old fashioned

Redefining nightlife at Delhi-NCR, JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity has successfully created an amalgamation of gastronomic wonder and luxurious interiors, while focusing on the preferences of it’s guests and marking a new step in the hospitality sector in the country. The fact that it has a fantastic and efficient team adds to this hotel’s popularity as I have discovered during my time in this beautiful hotel! As I discovered during my previous visit, this popular venue is perfect for hosting fashion and art events as it works well during the day time as well as in the evenings. The fact that it is spread out both indoors and outdoors makes Playground a fun place to host special evenings, brunches, launches and parties full of glamour and excitement. I am looking forward to visiting this exciting venue again on my next visit to Delhi!