A drinking session in Chennai can be as wild as you want or as refined. You can have best of both worlds here under the keen eye of your bartender and just lose yourself in the exciting nightlife of the city. Chennai has so much to offer. Years ago Chennai underwent a huge makeover in drinking style mostly due to the arrival of this fabulous hip joint that bought on with it, glamour and class. Park Hyatt on Velachery Road in Guindy became a hotspot of party-hoppers all because of its newest addition, ‘The Flying Elephant’. This fancy stylish club became a raving sensation overnight by introducing the city crowd to an exhilarating nightlife. It may have been three years since the club threw open its doors to welcome the city but each year, it’s only become better. TFE seems to have it all!
It’s easy for your senses to become enchanted by the stunning sight of The Flying Elephant. The club is designed in a curved manner and is split onto two levels. It’s generously spacious into the bargain and very stylishly decorated. Its vast sprawling dimensions will leave you awestruck and you will be intimidated by its sophistication. A polished light brown floor gleams under the light acting as the perfect foil to the warm tones used in furnishings. Management has tried to form separate nooks and corners all over the space by adding carved wooden screens to enhance the privacy. You can pick any style of dining at TFE, by taking advantage of their plush and luxurious sofas or opting for their chic formal section. Beautiful crystal chandeliers only accentuates the elegance while you are too stunned by the club’s brilliance.
The Flying Elephant is one of the best places in Chennai to experience a high end gastronomy. Its menu is a clever composition of crowd-pleasing fares like Continental, Italian, North-Indian and Thai. Even if TFE is quite expensive you can’t help but try it out at least once for experience’s sake. Kickstart with the appetizers like, wild mushroom soup, zucchini fritters, prawn shish kebab, California maki roll, chicken satay with peanut sauce, mahi anarkali tikka, lentil falafel, lamb adana kebab and chutney paneer tikka. Mains section shows-off with, Punjabi kukkad curry, green risotto, baby back ribs, pan-fried calamari, wok fried soft shell crab, lamb massaman curry and nasi goreng. If undecided, go for their tasting menu.
- Dining picks include their adana kababs, nasi goreng and pork belly. They do full justice to classic cocktails such as whiskey sours and negronis, but do try out twists such as The Fallen Angel, and slew of new Madras-inspired concoctions. The desserts are rather decadent, if somewhat underwhelming
- The lowest level turns into a dance floor over the weekend, and is easily the loudest floor. The ground level lobby is great for a frolicking drinking session. You can sit outside by the pool on a pleasant evening and even order hookah. The upper floors get progressively tonier – the first is contemporary oriental, the second, European and a large private dining room sits right at the top
- Happy Hours are from 6 PM to 8 PM & 11 PM to 1 AM, except weekends. The Flying Elephant also offers tasting menus and a Sunday brunch
